Alice Cutler, a 28-year-old solicitor from Southampton, has been crowned Miss Great Britain 2025 at the national final held on Friday, marking the 80th anniversary of the country’s longest-running beauty pageant.
The competition, which celebrates not only beauty but also purpose and advocacy, gave contestants the chance to promote meaningful causes. Cutler’s campaign, titled “Time to Grieve,” aims to secure a legal right for employees to receive paid bereavement leave following the death of a loved one.
Having lost both her parents before the age of 18, Cutler’s advocacy stems from deeply personal experience. Her father died from cancer when she was just nine years old, and her mother tragically died in a car accident while returning from a family funeral when Cutler was 18.
Speaking about her motivation, Cutler said: “It’s unfortunately one of the inevitable things, something we will all go through at some stage in our life. Your mind is just all over the place—you need time to process, but also to deal with the mountain of admin that frankly comes with death.”
Currently, UK law does not require employers to offer paid bereavement leave except in specific cases, such as the loss of a child. Cutler believes that this gap in legislation fails to recognize the emotional and logistical challenges people face after losing a loved one.
Through her platform, she hopes to bring awareness to the emotional strain grief places on working individuals. Her campaign also emphasizes that compassion in the workplace should be a standard, not a privilege.
“Many people feel pressured to return to work almost immediately after a loss,” she said. “Grief doesn’t fit into a work schedule. We need policies that respect that reality.”
Cutler’s victory at Miss Great Britain 2025 was met with widespread admiration, not only for her grace and confidence but for her commitment to social change. Judges praised her for transforming personal hardship into a campaign that could positively impact thousands across the UK.
Wearing a dark blue sparkly gown, with her signature red hair flowing under a silver crown, Cutler stood on stage holding flowers and smiling through tears of joy.
Organizers of Miss Great Britain highlighted that this year’s pageant focused on “empowering women to use their voices for causes that matter,” reflecting a shift toward advocacy and leadership within beauty contests.
As Miss Great Britain 2025, Cutler plans to continue her campaign by collaborating with mental health organizations, employment lawyers, and policymakers to advocate for reform.
“Winning this title gives me a national platform,” she said. “I want to use it to make grief less isolating and workplaces more humane.”
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
