Gemma Garrett facts for kids

Gemma Dawn Garrett (born 25 September 1981) is a former beauty queen from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She once held the titles of Miss Great Britain and Miss Ulster. Gemma was also the official face for the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Gemma Garrett's Life Story

Early Years and School

Gemma Garrett was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on September 25, 1981. Her mother worked as a classroom assistant. Her father was a security manager. Gemma has an older sister and a younger brother named Stephen. Stephen is a footballer who played for local teams.

Gemma spent her early childhood in the Ballybeen area. This is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Belfast. When she was seven, her family moved to East Belfast. She earned ten GCSEs in school. However, she left school at age sixteen. This was because she faced bullying. She told the Belfast Telegraph in 2018 that she was sometimes physically bullied. This happened because she loved beauty queens and models.

Starting a Career in Modeling

After leaving school, Gemma began modeling. She signed with the Style Academy agency in Belfast. In 2000, she entered the Miss Ulster contest. She won this competition.

Gemma briefly went back to college. She studied applied science and sports massage. Her goal was to study physiotherapy later. But at age 20, she decided to focus fully on modeling. She then spent several years in London. She worked on various modeling assignments.

Becoming Miss Great Britain

After a short time back in Belfast, Gemma entered the Miss Great Britain pageant in 2007. She finished second in the contest. Rachael Tennant was the winner. However, in February 2008, Rachael Tennant gave up her title. This meant Gemma Garrett became Miss Great Britain.

Acting and Politics

Gemma also appeared in a movie called Direct Contact. She acted alongside Dolph Lundgren. The movie was released in 2008. She played a character named Creech. She was chosen for her "distinctive" look.

In 2008, Gemma tried something new. She became a political candidate. She ran in a special election called a by-election. This was for the area of Crewe and Nantwich. She represented a new group called "Beauties for Britain." Gemma said her goal was to make Westminster (the UK Parliament) "less dowdy and down-trodden." She received 113 votes. This was 0.27% of all votes. She finished in tenth place.

Later that year, she ran in another by-election. This was for the Haltemprice and Howden area. She represented the Miss Great Britain Party. She got 521 votes. This placed her in fifth position.