Linford Christie’s niece Rachel became the first black winner of the Miss England beauty contest in 2009. The 20-year-old also hopes to win the heptathlon crown at 2012 Olympics. Organisers had to defend the competition after it emerged that Rachel won with only nine votes from the public. Rachel was awarded first place by four of the six judges on the night, which included model Caprice. Angie Beasley, director of Miss England said, “When it gets to the top 15, they are judged on their confidence and their posture on stage and they are judged on their beauty and their personality. When it gets to the top 15 you cannot have the public voting on that, it has to be a professional panel.”