Is this Britain's most beautiful family? Radiant lineage boasts THREE generations of beauty queens
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:40 PM on 24th September 2009
It is a claim every family would be proud of.
Three generations of women in Suzanne Celensu’s lineage have been crowned beauty queens.
Suzanne, who won the public vote in the Miss Earth UK contest last month, followed in the footsteps of her radiant mother Zoe, who was crowned Miss Silver Jubilee, and grandmother Betty Spink, who came close to the Miss Great Britain crown.
In the genes: Suzanne Celensu, 25, (above, right), with mother Zoe (middle) and grandmother Betty Spink. Betty won a post-war beauty contest in Morecambe (below, left) while Zoe was crowned Miss Silver Jubilee by Elton John in 1977 (below, right)
The budding glamour queen, 25, said she had no intention of entering the beauty business until she heard the latest competition promotes women who are ‘strong advocates for Mother Earth.'
The student, who has just finished her Masters degree in business at North
Carolina University, in America and volunteers at a local charity shop, said: 'My mum is a pretty blonde so I never really considered myself to be the pageant sort. ‘I am dark haired and a lot more sporty, playing a lot of tennis.
She said: 'The competition was great because it was more than just a beauty contest, it was for a good cause, they really promoted the green idea.
'I couldn't believe it when I won the public vote. I feel very honoured and only now do I really see how unusual we are to have three generations of winners.
'I knew I came from an attractive family because when I was little, kids at school would say "Your mum's really pretty," and I was obviously pleased when I inherited her good looks, and of course playing tennis has kept me in good shape.'
Suzanne didn't actually make the final four of the Miss Earth UK competition but was happy enough to win the public vote with 700 votes.
The family tradition began by chance in 1948 when Suzanne’s grandmother Betty Spink, then 21, went on holiday Morecambe with husband Neville.
Neville persuaded her to enter a beauty competition at the local swimming pool and Betty, now 82, scooped the top prize of £100.
She said: 'The competition was very different to what you get these days. There was no talking - we just walked around and the judges would choose some girls to stay and some to go.
'It went on until there were only a few of us and soon I realised I was the only one left. I was a very shocked winner.
Britain's finest: Suzanne Celensu speaks at the Miss England final
'I just thought I was normal looking, but perhaps a natural look gave me the edge.
Glamorous Betty went on to win Miss Isle Of Man in 1948, and came second in the Miss New Brighton before settling down to have her identical twin daughters Zoe and Gay.
Betty encouraged the pretty twins to compete in pageants when they turned 20, and by the seventies the Spink twins, now aged 57, also became the queens of beauty contests.
Zoe first entered the beauty circuit when sister Gay secretly entered her into a TV Times contest.
Zoe, 50, said: 'Gay and I both knew about Mum's competitions and we were really proud of her.
'We loved looking through her photo album and seeing her looking beautiful with her striking red hair. She's still gorgeous today.
'I never thought I could follow in her footsteps, so when TV Times called and said I was down to the final 20, I was amazed.
'They asked me to go to London to appear on the TV live final and although it sounded exciting, I'd never been to London before and I was scared.
The highlight of Zoe's beauty career came when she was crowned Miss Silver Jubilee by Elton John in 1977 after winning Miss Great Britain earlier in the year.
But Zoe says her and twin Gay's beauty success was all down to good genes, which she's delighted to have passed on to Suzanne.
She said: 'When Suzanne had a go at a beauty competition I was really proud. She was a natural - there must be something in our genes.'
Proud grandmother Betty agreed the family genes are something special.
She said: 'Everyone said how beautiful the girls were when they were young, but I never expected they would get work through their looks as well.
'When Zoe's career took off, I became her secretary at home and I loved organising her bookings.
'And when Gay joined her, our phone rang day and night.
'I have lots and lots of such wonderful memories and I'm so pleased that Suzanne is doing so well too.'
Read more:
Is this Britain's most beautiful family? Line with three generations of beauty queens | Mail Online
The family with 3 generations of beauty queens
The mum, Zoe, was quite pretty in her day
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