Melinda Messenger has hit out at the organisers of the Miss South Yorkshire beauty pageant, revealing she was brutally axed from hosting duties – allegedly because she was ‘too old’, despite their focus on inclusivity.
The former glamour model and TV presenter, 54, who is now a psychotherapist, had been announced earlier this year as the star host of the 2025 Miss South Yorkshire Grand Finale – a black-tie gala due to take place at Sheffield’s Royal Victoria Heritage Hotel on Thursday night.
But just hours before the event, Melinda took to Instagram to clarify that she would not, in fact, be attending – after discovering that organisers were still promoting her as part of the line-up despite having withdrawn her weeks ago.
She wrote: ‘Just to let you know that I won’t be appearing at the Miss South Yorkshire event tonight as originally advertised. The organisers made the decision to withdraw me from the line-up, and this wasn’t communicated to the public in advance, so I just wanted to clarify directly to avoid any confusion for those who were expecting to see me there.
‘I was genuinely looking forward to being part of the evening and am wishing everyone attending a positive and successful event.’
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Melinda revealed the reasons she had been dropped – saying organisers had raised issues about her appearance and recent spiritual posts online.
Melinda Messenger has hit out at the organisers of the Miss South Yorkshire beauty pageant, revealing she was brutally axed from hosting duties – allegedly because she was ‘too old’, despite their focus on inclusivity
The former glamour model and TV presenter, 54, who is now a psychotherapist, had been announced earlier this year as the star host of the 2025 Miss South Yorkshire Grand Finale
She explained: ‘I was unexpectedly withdrawn from the line-up after concerns were raised about my appearance, specifically that I’d gone ‘too grey’ and about some of my recent social media posts exploring light and energy phenomena.
‘There was also a request to reduce my agreed hosting fee. While disappointing, I prefer to focus on the positive.
‘I’ve always believed authenticity and openness are strengths, and I’ll continue to express myself in that way. I wish everyone involved the best with the event.’
The former glamour model ditched her platinum blonde locks in favour of the natural grey look in 2022, and previously said the look didn’t go over well with some cruel trolls.
She explained: ‘It was definitely about embracing a stage of life. Most people were nice but some were like, “it looks disgusting, you look so old, why would you do that?”‘
The organiser’s decision to withdraw Melinda comes after they promoted the former blonde bombshell as one of the faces of the revamped Miss South Yorkshire contest – a long-running regional pageant which feeds into Miss England and Miss World.
Earlier this year, they announced a ‘fresh new vision’ for the 2025 competition, promising to ‘celebrate diversity, creativity and female empowerment’.
Under new leadership from entrepreneur Christina Vaughan, founder of Cultura Creative, and celebrity photographer Alan Strutt, the event was billed as a modern, inclusive platform that ‘reflects the region’s diverse talent and values’.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Melinda revealed the reasons she had been dropped – saying organisers had raised issues about her appearance and recent spiritual posts online
Promotional material described Melinda as a ‘beloved TV personality, psychotherapist, and women’s empowerment advocate’ who would ‘bring star power and warmth’ to the evening.
At the time, she said she was ‘thrilled to be part of Miss South Yorkshire 2025’, adding: ‘This event reflects a move towards empowering young women in recognising the values of inner confidence and individuality while celebrating the remarkable young women of this region as they embark on their journeys in the world.’
But the TV star, who has built a second career as a psychotherapist and wellness coach, now claims she was later informed that her participation would no longer be required.
Melinda, who rose to fame in the 1990s as one of Britain’s most popular glamour models before fronting television shows including Live From Studio Five and Cowboy Builders, has in recent years become known for her work in personal development and spiritual wellness.
She has also been open about embracing the ageing process, previously telling fans that going grey had been a liberating experience.
In 2023, she said: ‘It was definitely about embracing a stage of life. Most people were nice but some were like, ‘it looks disgusting, you look so old, why would you do that?”
It comes after Melinda recently revealed she is still hot property and is often asked out by younger men (pictured left, last year and right, in 1998)
Melinda has also shared posts exploring meditation, consciousness, and ‘light energy’, reflecting her holistic outlook – themes she now says may have unsettled organisers.
The Miss South Yorkshire contest, long considered one of the region’s most glamorous annual events, had been undergoing a major relaunch for 2025 with a focus on ‘Beauty with Purpose’, diversity and inclusion.
The judging panel this year includes model Heather Stewart-Whyte, celebrity make-up artist Gary Cockerill, disability advocate Chantal Epp, and former Miss UK Alison Singleton.
Daily Mail has contacted the Miss South Yorkshire organisers for comment.
