A TEENAGER tormented by school bullies is having the last laugh after being crowned a winner at the Supermodel England beauty pageant.
Apollonia Llewellyn, 18, won the teen category and as part of her prize she will be going to China to represent England at the international final next year.
The former Barnsley College student, who says she was called ‘fat and ugly’ since primary school, defied those who made her life a misery by being crowned the country’s top teenage beauty queen at a black tie event held last Saturday.
Apollonia joined models from across the country who were representing their area, showcasing designer collections as well as modelling their own choice of evening wear.
Apollonia, who lives at Grimethorpe, told the Chronicle it was still sinking in that she had won the coveted title.
“I’m still in shock,” she said.
“I get to go to China all expenses paid next year and represent England.
“On Saturday my phone was going crazy with messages.
“I never expected any of this.”
Apollonia moved to Barnsley from Dewsbury to get away from bullies making her life hell. It became so bad that she was afraid to leave the house and would often cry herself to sleep.
But she says all that changed when she did a photo shoot for her 13th birthday.
“I had a mother and daughter photo shoot in Leeds and the photographer said I was really photogenic and should sign with an agency.
“I did and the agency that signed me did pageants and that’s what I’ve been doing for four years.”
She had to do lots of good deeds as part of her pageant work including fund-raising for the Supermodel England’s chosen charity Zoe’s Place, a baby hospice in Middlesborough.
She said: “I entered this pageant a year ago and you have to wear your sash at every appearance such as charity events or photo shoots or meet-ups because it counts towards your points for your total score.
“I think I raised £1,100 for Zoe’s Place baby hospice. I did a sponsored abseil down Manchester Bell Tower which is 170ft high and a charity fundraiser with a princess dress up day.”
She is now looking to attend local events around Barnsley and wants to hear from anyone who would like her to make a personal appearance. She is also keen to hear from anyone who wishes to sponsor her, such as beauty salons, hairdressers, banks or supermarkets.
Apollonia, who also models, has 15,000 followers on Instagram. She said she sometimes get trolls leaving negative comments but feels much stronger now to deal with it.
“I still get bad comments,” she said. “When I was younger I used to get really upset and now I just laugh and ignore it.”
