As the Miss England finals get under way today, for one competitor from Farnham just making the event is a huge achievement.

Alanta Richards, 19, a former Weydon School pupil, spoke to the Herald as she travelled up to the finals in Wolverhampton with her mum, Karon Slater.

For this year’s Miss Surrey, the journey is one she doubted she would ever make after a sudden illness left her unable to walk for six months.

Miss Surrey 2025 Alanta Richards.
Miss Surrey 2025 Alanta Richards. (Alanta Richards)

After qualifying for last year’s Miss England, Alanta fell ill just ten days before the contest, waking with a blinding headache, body pains and a sensitivity to light, while her temperature soared to 41C (105F).

Doctors at Frimley Park Hospital suspected meningitis, so she underwent a lumbar puncture.

She was later diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND), a condition in which the brain fails to send proper signals to parts of the body, causing her legs to give way under stress.

“After the lumbar puncture I couldn’t walk for about six months,” she said. “If I tried to walk, my legs just dropped.”

Farnham Miss England competitor Alanta Richards.
Farnham Miss England competitor and Miss Surrey winner Alanta Richards. (Alanta Richards)

Alanta, who has been competing in beauty pageants since she was 16, said withdrawing from last year’s final was devastating. “I felt terrible because I thought I had a very good chance to win it,” she said.

Her friends and family, she added, “were brilliant and kept around me”, and the hope of returning to Miss England pushed her through months of rehabilitation.

“What kept me going was the thought that I was going to do Miss England next time.”

Whether she wins or not, Alanta says just being there is a huge achievement after the year she has endured. But she admits she’s feeling positive: “I’m very confident and have a good feeling.”

Taking part in the contest, she added, has transformed her confidence. “I feel I can inspire young girls who aren’t so confident, because when I started, I wasn’t confident at all. I couldn’t really talk to people. Being in Miss England has helped me communicate myself better.”

Alanta was “very sporty” before she fell ill and rode her horse every day. She says she still cannot return to those activities, but is hopeful she will be able to again one day.

Looking ahead, she hopes the competition will help her take the next step. “I’d like to be a professional model,” she said. “I’ve also always wanted to act. One day I’d like to be in EastEnders.”