Twenty-year-old Bethany Harris from Newport has been crowned Miss Wales 2018.

Bethany was one of 28 finalists from across the country in the running for the crown this weekend.

Bethany lives at home in Rogerstone with her mum Sarah, dad Ross, and sisters Rebecca and Sophie. Bethany currently works in Cardiff’s House of Frazer but plans on going to university in the near future.

In the run up to the final, Bethany and the other finalists had been tasked with fundraising for Beauty With A Purpose, the Miss World charity which helps disadvantaged children worldwide. In total, they raised £19,000.

The final at The Riverfront in Newport involved three appearances on the stage, including the patriotic Welshwear opener; a red dress catwalk; and the traditional evening wear parade. All finalists also had one to one interviews with the panel of six judges.

As well as the catwalk event, the contestants attended the Miss Wales Charity Ball the night before and took part in the Miss Wales Empowerment Day on Thursday to help them in their personal development and leadership skills.

Now, Bethany will enjoy a year of appearances in her new role and will have the privilege of representing Wales at Miss World in China in December.

Bethany said:

“I am really excited for my year and want to be as busy as possible getting involved with Welsh charities and community organisations. Winning Miss Wales is a dream come true and I want to use this year to encourage other girls to go for whatever it is they want. Nothing’s guaranteed but you’ve to aim high.

“For me and the other finalists, I know that the Miss Wales experience has been a huge confidence booster and I would encourage anyone else who fancies the adventure of it to give it a go.”

The runners-up were Celyn George from Swansea who came second and Holly Pilling from Chepstow who came third.