Search: UK Miss World
A soldier bidding to become Miss World said she hoped her attempt to win the crown would help charities working with British servicemen and women.
Lance Corporal Katrina Hodge, who was drafted in to compete after Rachel Christie relinquished her title following her arrest over an alleged nightclub brawl, joined 119 other beauty queens at the contest's launch at the Grosvenor House Hotel, in Park Lane, London.
She said: "In Miss World, we do lots of charity work and it's something I feel very strongly about because of all the work they do. It's not just Help for Heroes, but people like SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families' Association), who a lot of people sometimes forget about."
The 22-year-old, whose parents live in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said her military experience could help her in this year's contest. She said: "I've only had just over 24 hours to prepare and a lot of the girls have a year, but I'm just going to take it in my stride. I'm used to having to pick up my life in five minutes."
L/Cpl Hodge had been due to be sent to Afghanistan before she was crowned Miss England.
She was previously recognised for her actions during a posting in Basra, Iraq, and has earned the nickname "Combat Barbie".
Advertisement starts
Advertisement ends
She was first runner-up in the 2009 national contest, but was promoted after Miss Christie, 21, stepped down to concentrate on clearing her name.
L/Cpl Hodge was given five weeks' leave to represent England in the Miss World Final in Johannesburg, South Africa, on December 12.
Miss Christie became involved in a dispute with another beauty queen, Miss Manchester, aka Sara Beverley Jones, at a Manchester nightclub.
Miss Jones, 24, was allegedly hit in the face during an argument about Tornado, a TV Gladiator who appears in the Sky One series and whose real name is David McIntosh.
