Glam cop, 24, who’s by no means modelled working for Miss England last in huge shake-up
A police woman who has never modelled before in her life is in the running to win Miss England after a massive career shake-up. The officer now has her eyes set on winning Miss World
Tara Sampson, 24(Image: Tara Sampson / SWNS)
A serving police officer has swapped walking the beat for the catwalk to win her first ever beauty contest and reach the Miss England final. PC Tara Sampson, 24, took the Miss Manchester crown last weekend earning her a spot in the final of this year’s Miss England competition.
The officer has been with Greater Manchester Police for over a year. But has now set her sights on winning the chance to become the next Miss World.
Tara says her colleagues have been supportive of her change from the day job catching criminals. And she regularly gets stopped around the police station. Tara, of Chorley, Lancs, stated: “Winning Miss Manchester was such a surreal and incredibly special moment for me.
Tara is proud to represent her city(Image: Tara Sampson / SWNS)
“I’m so proud to represent the city and to have the opportunity to use this platform to inspire others to be confident, embrace who they are and believe in themselves. It’s a title I’m incredibly grateful for, and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.
“My colleagues have been super supportive. I often get stopped around the station asking how it’s going or how they can help and it’s really encouraging and only makes me want to keep going.”
Despite having no previous pageant experience, Tara impressed the judges and was announced the new Miss Manchester. She has secured a place in the Miss England final in Leicester on November 17.
Tara has never modelled before (Image: Tara Sampson / SWNS)
She added: “I have never modelled before but have toyed with the idea for a while – I just thought ‘why not?’ and I went for it.
“I really enjoyed being able to get out of my big heavy uniform and get glammed up because at heart I am a very girly girl. When I told my family I wanted to do policing they were like ‘are you sure?’ because I am quite feminine.
“I’ve been with GMP for just over year now and it’s the hardest job I’ve ever done both mentally and physically. My job can put me in some nerve-wracking positions but I was nervous doing a catwalk and interview as it’s completely out of my comfort zone.
Tara has made it to the Miss England final(Image: Miss England / SWNS)
“But being a police officer means having to be out of your comfort zone almost every day because of the situations you can face, you always have to have your wits about you. So I think there are some transferable skills I can take into pageantry.”
Miss England director Angie Beasley said: “We’re delighted to welcome Tara to the Miss England final. She’s won her first ever pageant, so she should be proud of herself as well as working as a Greater Manchester Police officer which is commendable.
“Tara literally threw herself into the charity side of the competition and raised £880 by doing a skydive which takes a lot of courage. It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re looking forward to seeing how she and the other winners progress in the national final.”
The winner of Miss England 2026 will go on to represent England at the next Miss World, due to be held in Tanzania in May 2027.
