'I want to be the oldest Miss Universe winner - at 31'

After 15 years of competing in beauty pageants Christina Chalk thought her chances of making it to the international stage were over when she "aged out" at 28.

But just three years later she has been named Miss Universe GB and is preparing to head to Mexico to represent Britain in this year's Miss Universe competition.

For the first time in the pageant's history, women over the age of 28 have been allowed to enter, opening the door for the 31-year-old from Dunblane to give it one last go.

"It was a sign from the universe," she told BBC Scotland News.

As well as becoming the first Scot to make it into the competition, if Christina takes home the crown in November she will become the oldest ever Miss Universe.

The removal of an upper age limit comes as the competition has moved towards becoming more diverse in recent years.

It now allows married women, transgender women and single mothers to compete, but contestants still need to be over 18 to enter.

Christina won her first modelling competition aged 16, but in her late 20s she thought she'd have to give up on her pageant dream.

"When I reached the original age limit of 28, I’d been runner up at Miss Universe GB and at Miss Scotland, so I thought this is it. If it's for me then great, if it’s not then I can move on with my life."

She entered the competition, for what she believed to be the last time and finished as first runner-up.

"It was quite a big blow, that was the last time I could ever enter. The dream of Miss Universe was never going to happen and that took a while to digest," she said.

The University of Glasgow graduate has spent the last three years working as a property sales manager and creating an online platform sharing tips for young women to improve their self-esteem.

"I was having a bit of a lull in work and I just felt like I was missing something.

"I thought I need a new challenge and the next day they lifted the age limit on Miss Universe. I thought 'oh gosh not again'.

"I had felt like the heavens had decided this wasn’t for me but then then this happened and it was like a sign from the universe, literally."

Christina has also previously competed in Miss Philippines, which she qualified for through parentage on her mum's side.

She was then put on the waiting list for the UK competition.

After a last minute drop out she made it to the contest and went on to be crowned Miss Universe GB 2024.

She said: "To be the first Scottish person to represent Great Britain is such an honour. It's what I've been pushing and I've made it so I'm very, very proud."

Christina will head to Mexico in November to compete against contestants from all across the world.

She has welcomed the pageants attempt at become more diverse and said it would be "monumental" for an older woman to win.

"I think its great because it shows we don’t expire as women when we reach 28, 31 or even 40," she said.

"I think between 27 and 30 as a woman you are really turning the pressure you put on yourself up. I think you re expected to have met your life partner, you are expected to be killing it in work.

"Everybody is achieving things so much later in life now, I think I put so much pressure on myself in the last couple of years that I didn't realise I was just stepping into my power.

"Maybe I wasn’t ready before, it wouldn’t have been at the right time in my life so I guess it has all slotted in the way it needs to."

The rule changes haven't come without controversy though after it was reported the pageants owner, Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, said the new rules were simply to improve the competition's image and none of the "non-traditional" entrants would ever win.

"If it was said then obviously it is disheartening," Christina said "but I think when you are competing in a pageant the winner is obvious they shine bright, their aura is undeniable.

"Should you fit into one of those new categories or not if you are destined to win it, that is obvious to the judges, the fans and the audience."