Miss Junior Teen Stevenage charmed the judges in Blackpool last Sunday, and placed in the top third against pageant rivals from across the UK.

Anna-Marie Uzokwe, who’s 15 and attends the town’s John Henry Newman School, ranked in the top 16 out of more than 45 contestants.

“I still can’t quite believe it,” said Anna-Marie. “It was the best experience ever.

“It felt amazing to be up there on stage. We were waiting for 15 minutes backstage which seemed like forever. There were so many people cheering and the lights and music were fantastic.

“It was like the kind of atmosphere you could get if you were famous. I loved every minute.”

Anna-Marie has amassed £365 for Together for Short Lives, which helps the families of seriously ill children, and also raised £70 for Cancer Research UK through a raffle.

And, by placing in the top 16, she earned a £100 voucher to spend at the Dress Studio.

Anna-Marie says this probably won’t be the last time she competes.

“Getting into the top 16 made me realise that, with more preparation and training, I could potentially gain much more in the future,” she said.

“I am thinking of entering again for the Miss Teen GB contest or perhaps the Miss Teen Galaxy contest when I have the time. But now, I need to focus on getting my GCSEs and my sprint training.”

Anna-Marie impressed the judges with maturity far beyond her years.

“She did fantastically,” said pageant director Holly Pirrie.

“She had a great interview with the judges – very warm and confident, and really likeable as well.

“Her own brother is autistic, and she had a great message of wanting to break down barriers in the community. She was so mature, how she spoke.

“She’s a really lovely girl. She was so intelligent as well, so bright. A beautiful representative for Stevenage.”