Culcheth has another reason to stand a little taller, preferably in sensible heels. Holly Pirrie, company director of The Dress Studio on Glaziers Lane and founder of Pageant Girl, has been crowned Ms Great Britain 2026.
It is not one of those overnight-success stories that conveniently ignores the hard graft. Holly first entered pageants as a teenager more than 20 years ago, loved the atmosphere, but did not take home the top title. Now approaching 40, she returned to competition when the opportunity came up, with the rather excellent attitude: “If not now, when?” Frankly, it is a far better mantra than waiting around for life to send a handwritten invitation.
Holly was supported by the wider pageant community at the competition and congratulated online by familiar names from the industry, including influencer and entrepreneur Molly-Mae Hague, who competed in Pageant Girl’s Miss Teen Great Britain in 2015.
What makes this more than a shiny-crown story is Holly’s work behind the scenes. For 20 years, she has mentored contestants and run competitions designed to focus on the person, not merely the dress, smile or ability to walk in a straight line while being stared at under stage lights. Pageantry has historically had plenty to answer for when it comes to appearance-led pressure, so it is genuinely encouraging that Pageant Girl puts 50% of its judging on interviews and seeks role models rather than polished mannequins.
Pageant Girl, launched in 2010, now runs six annual competitions and crowns 18 national winners each year. Its Miss Teen Great Britain competition aims to give young people a safe, supportive setting rather than turning them into rivals in a sequinned gladiator arena. That is the right direction of travel, provided the organisation keeps matching those good intentions with real care for every contestant.
The charitable contribution is difficult to argue with. Through its events, Pageant Girl has collectively raised £1 million for Together for Short Lives, The Christie and A-Sisterhood. That is serious money for important causes, and it gives the pageant world a more substantial purpose than poses, prizes and carefully deployed hairspray.
Alongside Pageant Girl, Holly has owned The Dress Studio since 2012. The Glaziers Lane shop specialises in occasion wear, including prom and pageant dresses, with choices intended for different shapes and styles. In an industry that has often made shoppers feel they need to fit the dress rather than the other way round, that approach deserves credit.
Holly’s win is a proper local success story: years of work, a business built in Culcheth, a commitment to charity, and finally the national title. The crown may be the headline, but the persistence is the bit worth applauding loudest.