Karishma Patel, the former BBC presenter, is trading in her microphone for a crown as she takes a step into the Miss Universe catwalk, aiming to raise awareness for children in Gaza.
The 29-year-old was announced as a finalist in the Miss Universe GB pageant on International Women’s Day, having previously held the Miss England’s Hertfordshire title in 2021.
“I’m putting down the microphone to pick up a crown, all in service of children in Gaza”, Karishma said. “I’ve thought carefully about how beauty can serve ethical causes, and Miss Universe GB can shine a light on important issues—especially on International Women’s Day. I urge women to be bold, take up space, and champion what matters to them”.
Karishma has long supported education, working with charities to empower children in India, Afghanistan, and Syria. Now, she is raising funds for the Gaza Great Minds Foundation, which provides education to Palestinian children amid the ongoing conflict. As a proud British Indian, Karishma also shared her beauty routine, saying: “I swear by Huda Beauty’s Cheeky Tint Blush Stick, which gives me a dewy glow as I strive for a spot in the Miss Universe 2025 global finals”.
With a master’s degree in English Literature from Cambridge, Karishma quickly climbed the BBC ranks, from researcher to newsreader, and became known for her smooth voice on BBC News Channel and Radio 5 Live.
Her departure from the Beeb in October shocked fans at the time. She said goodbye to the corporation in favour of pastures new. Posting a photo of herself broadcasting on BBC Radio 5 Live, Karishma said: “Goodbye to @BBCNews after 4 and a half years of newsreading, reporting, and producing”.
“I’m off to a non-profit called the Britain Palestine Media Centre, where I’ll be their Senior Social Media Engagement Officer – taking care of all things social media journalism related”, she added at the time. Karishma has now tried her hand at becoming a beauty pageant queen by entering Miss England. “I work in broadcast journalism which allows me to expose injustice where I see it and I do have a very strong humanitarian ethos”, she previously said.
The model added: “For the past two summers I’ve worked with a school in India providing a free education to underprivileged children in order to break the cycle of poverty and provide them with more opportunities. I love to sing opera, Italian arias are my favourite. I play the piano and I like to compose for it and I do a lot of portrait photography because I love the emotion it brings out in people’s faces”.
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Source: Mirror
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