A 23-year-old Indian-born junior doctor from Derby, Bhasha Mukherjee, was crowned Miss England 2019 on Thursday, August 1 at the New Bridge Hotel in Newcastle. Domenique Fragale and Pratishtha Raut were first and second runners-up, respectively.

Bhasha speaks 5 languages, holds two medical degrees, and runs her own charity, The Generation Bridge Project since 2013. She was due to start her new job as a junior doctor in a hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, just hours after winning the pageant.

“It’s been really nerve-wracking, I couldn’t tell if I was more nervous about the competition or about starting my job as a junior doctor,” she said.

The new Miss England succeeded last year’s winner, Alisha Cowie. She beat over 50 other beauties from across the country to win the prestigious beauty title and will now prepare to compete in the Miss World 2019 pageant in London next December.

This year’s pageant was the first time a ‘make-up free’ round was introduced after the competition was criticized for setting an unhealthy beauty standard and being too critical of women’s bodies.

The reigning Miss World from Mexico, Vanessa Ponce de León was the guest of honor at the glittering event.

Photos: Mercury Press