By Clayton Goodwin
Rochelle Allen set beauty pageants astir when she came runner-up in the prestigious Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth contest towards the end of 2024. It wasn’t only that at 5ft 3ins she was considerably shorter than the standard tall, blue-eyed blonde of tradition but at 53 years old she was twice the age, at least, of most of her rivals. Rochelle explained that her success, following a trial run in Miss Elegance, came fully 30 years after her debut, and previous contest, in 1994. This example of phoenix arising from the ashes was appropriate as our interview took place at the Phoenix hostelry adjoining Denmark Hill railway station in south-east London. Although there are many examples of titles being arranged specifically for mature contestants, Rochelle’s feat was achieved in open contest against entrants of all ages.
Rochelle would have known the enormity of the challenge she faced. Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth, which was founded in 1981, had established several records already including one title-holder, Anita St Rose, being a future Miss Universe finalist and another entrant going on to become a recent Member of Parliament. Yet, in spite of the lack of restriction on age, no contestant below the age of her early-30s had reached a podium-position. Rochelle is quite certain that what she achieved is well within the compass of other ladies of similar maturity, attractiveness and, well, downright determination. How then had that come about? What was her secret?
Like every good story, let us start at the beginning. Rochelle spent her early years in Guyana on the Caribbean continental coast-line of Latin America. The country’s reputation for the pulchritude of its young ladies had been established internationally when Shakira Baksh (as Miss Guyana UK) took third-place in Miss World back in 1967 when such events were considered generally to be a “white-preserve”. Ms Baksh went on to marry internationally-renowned film star Michael Caine. Just a few years later Guyanese actress/model Venecia Day was voted “sexiest girl in Britain” by the readers of a national newspaper. That was about the time that Rochelle first saw the light of day. By mid-decade her compatriot Sammy Jay (Holder) had established himself with the title Miss Westindian (later Miss Afro-Westindian) as the outstanding UK Caribbean pageant promoter. Appropriately, his first title-holder from 1975, Beverley Heath, is patron of Miss Caribbean and Commonwealth.
So, it could be said, for Rochelle beauty pageantry was in the blood. That was hardly in her mind when she set out on establishing her life in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, like many girls of her generation, she yielded to temptation by entering Miss Guyana UK in 1994. Although she didn’t place in the top three, Rochelle enjoyed the experience. Then, for thirty years, she did nothing relevant to pageantry. Well, there was the question of developing her career, marriage and motherhood. Yet the spark of ambition didn’t die. She was waiting only for the impetus and opportunity. Illness, and setbacks, affecting herself and members of her family gave her the necessary kick-start …. “do it now, or you may miss the chance”. Quite.
Rochelle was still in contact with Felicia Benjamin, who had presented the initial Miss Guyana UK and was now promoting Miss Elegance. So, she applied, was accepted and entered. It was good to get back on the cat-walk. What else was there? For a start, Felicia had a good professional relationship with the promoters of Miss Caribbean & Commonwealth. Why not give that a try? Precedent may have been against her, but precedent was there to be broken. On a cold November evening of glitz and glamour at St James, Hyde Park, Rochelle lined up with some of the leading beauties in the country. Stunning Agatha Nantume of Uganda won the crown, but Rochelle was there on the podium with her and Chanone Murday of Mauritius. She was standing in the foot-steps of some very well-known predecessors. And yet the performance didn’t achieve the immediate publicity it deserved, primarily because Rochelle didn’t look anything like a lady of her age in popular perception should look. Age is just a number, as they say – and Rochelle has proved that maxim to be true.
Will she now be happy to sit back on her laurels in her home at Mitcham, South London while following her day-time career in pastoral care in education? Possibly. Yet I have a feeling she believes there is still so much more she can do to keep herself active and serve as a stimulant and inspiration to other “ladies of a certain age” who may have thought that the time to let their beauty shine had passed them. Did Rochelle tell me anything special that she had in mind?
Shsh … that’s our secret. Besides, I’ve got to keep something back for our next instalment in Caribcommx.