‘It doesn’t define me’: Miss Dorset shines spotlight on Tourette’s at Miss Great Britain
Miss Dorset to champion Tourette’s awareness at Miss Great Britain Final
A Dorset student is using the Miss Great Britain stage to shine a light on Tourette’s and mental health.
This year’s Miss Dorset, Keira Lindsay is on mission to change the public’s perception of the condition.
The 20-year-old was diagnosed with Tourette’s in October 2020, just months after the pandemic, and says it was “confusing and overwhelming” – with her body doing this out of her control.
She told us: “I was thrown into a whole new world of ‘does this define me?’ and I decided that it didn’t. I chose to move forward and show that I can have a life outside of my Tourette’s.”
In August, at her very first pageant, Keira was crowned Miss Dorset and will go on to represent the county at Miss Great Britain later this month.
She believes it’s a chance and platform to challenge misconceptions about the condition.
“There’s a lot of stigma around Tourette’s. People assume we’re just people who swear all the time but there are so many bright sides, funny moments and so much normality in it,” she said.
But with the condition comes daily challenges: “Tourette’s can be incredibly isolating and medically and mentally challenging,” she says. “I really do have my tough days. Despite the glitz and the glam, it doesn’t come without its hindrances.”
Now, she’s determined to use her platform to raise awareness and help others feel less alone, adding “it’s not something I should shy away from”.
It comes after researchers found a sharp rise in sudden-onset tics, particularly among young women, during and after the pandemic.
Doctors suggest that the stress, isolation and uncertainty of the pandemic years may have played a role in this sudden increase.
For Keira, “it was the perfect storm” of being cut off from normal routines, worrying about the future and trying to get through lockdown.
She said: “Living with Tourette’s has forced me to find strength I didn’t know I had, and to keep going even when it feels impossible.
“If my story helps even one person feel seen and understood, then it’s been worth it.”
The Miss Great Britain 2025 final on October 17 promises to be a landmark celebration, marking 80 years of the UK’s longest-running beauty pageant.