A Dagenham woman is hoping to compete in the Miss Great Britain pageant this year as a way of embracing her recent ADHD diagnosis.

Lauren Jennings is a finalist in the regional heat for Miss Essex GB which will take place on June 17 in Chelmsford.

Lauren said: “When I was diagnosed last year, I felt like everything that I knew about myself, I wasn’t sure about [anymore].

“Now [that] I know I do all these things differently – I [have] had to relearn myself, rather than masking [all the time].”

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Masking, according to Lauren, is a technique that acts “like a mask, for neurodivergent people”.

She explained: “You walk out the house, put a mask on. And you come home and it comes off…

“I wanted to learn to live without the mask. I want to learn to live more for myself and boost my self-confidence and thrive.”

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Lauren continued: “I haven’t done pageantry before but I’ve known a lot about it – had family friends who’ve competed before.

“The reason I wanted to do it was… really to build on my confidence.

“I’m going on a self-discovery journey and I feel like pageantry, making new friends, being a part of something great, working for charities, having a community of great people around is just such an experience.

“It’s boosted my confidence so I’m really looking forward to competing on June 17.”