Pictured (L-R) Miss Gillies Zoe Robb from Randalstown,2013 Miss NI Meagan Green and Miss Ballymena Emma Zacharopoulou from Jordanstown.
Miss North Coast Caryn Walker, Miss NI Meagan Green and Miss Shenanigans Anna Henry.
Miss Spice Aislinn O'Connor, Miss NI Meagan Green and Miss Antrim Emma Irvine.
Miss Spice Lisburn Sara Murphy, Miss NI Meagan Green and Miss Lisburn Claire McErlean.
Pictured are Hanna Wasson (R) Miss 21 Social and Miss Belfast Leanna Owens (L).
Miss Northern Ireland brought joy this week to three former contestants who have got into the final after a second attempt.
And the latest heat in Gillies Bar at the Galgorm had an international flavour as fluent Greek speaker Emma Zacharopoulou won Miss Ballymena while Miss Gillies Zoe Robb learned Spanish after moving to Mexico for a year at 18.
As the search for a successor to Meagan Green hots up the fifth heat brings to 10 the number of winners who have already booked their place in the final.
Former Miss Northern Ireland Zoe Salmon went along to join the judging panel, which also included Meagan, organiser Alison Clarke, Jonathan Kirkpatrick from co-sponsors Open+Direct and Kirsty Worthington from the Galgorm.
The two latest winners are both students – Emma is at the University of Ulster studying fashion and textile design while Zoe is an Open University student in languages and sports management.
Miss Gillies Zoe, 20, is also a Miss Northern Ireland veteran who decided to try again.
“I entered in 2012 when I had only turned 18 but I probably wasn’t taking it seriously. This year I thought I will go for it and try again,” she says.
She is also ready for some Miss World globetrotting after taking a year out to live in Mexico.
The health and fitness fan followed her heart, and her man, and came back fluent in Spanish with experience as an English teacher.
The new Miss Ballymena, who gets her Greek influence from her stepdad, says it’s always a talking point.
“People always ask me how to pronounce my surname, and to say something in Greek,” says 21-year-old Emma.
“We’ve been going to Greece for holidays for years so I’ve learned the language and I’m fluent now. It might be useful if I do fashion marketing, or if anyone wants a translator.”
She’s already an established model, working with Una Rodden, make up mastermind Paddy McGurgan, and at Belfast Fashion Week.
For the Lisburn finalists the contest also proved to be twice as nice.
Miss Northern Ireland Belfast heat get's under way in 21 social in Belfast last month. Pictured are Kaci McDowell, Sarah Anne Mawhinney, Sorcha Conlon, Orlaith Boylan, Leanna Owens and Hannah Wasson with Claire McErlean.
Miss Spice Lisburn Sara Murphy and Miss Lisburn Claire McErlean narrowly missed out on a place in the final in their first attempts, but it was second time lucky for the winners in the competition, backed by Sunday World and Open+Direct.
Finaghy woman Claire, an IT student at Belfast Met, already has close ties with the city as a former player and now manager of the city’s basketball team Lisburn Phoenix.
She’s brought home the gold before, helping the team win the Ulster Cup and league, but this time she’ll be representing Lisburn with a little more glamour.
“I’ve never done anything like Miss Northern Ireland before but I’ve thought about it, so when I was scouted in Belfast city centre I went for it,” says Claire, 18.
“I was in the first heat and came third and I was a bit nervous in that but in the Spice heat I was much more relaxed and I’m just really happy I got through.”
Fellow finalist Sara Murphy also tried her hand at a previous heat in Spice in Templepatrick and had such a good time she came back for more.
The 17-year-old works as a hostess for Bavarian Mini in Belfast where she has her sights set on selling the sexy little cars.
And Miss Northern Ireland isn’t her first fling at competing – Sara is also an accomplished Highland dancer who was a runner up in the Ulster championships.
“I just did it as a hobby and I used to compete all over Scotland and England – my grandfather is Scottish so that’s how I got involved in. It was a lot of fun but it took up a lot of my time,” says the Belfast girl.
The winners, chosen by Miss Northern Ireland Meagan Green, Stefanie Mills from Open+Direct, contest organiser Alison Clarke, Nazim Din from Spice, former Mr Northern Ireland Ross Lauder and singer Danny Conlon Jr, will be vying for the title in the Europa Hotel at the final on May 12.
lThe next heat will take place this Thursday in the Icon Bar in Derry.