Lyndsay Morgan blooms as '˜Miss Velvet Rose'

Lyndsay Morgan is through to the public vote of the Miss Pin-up UK contest. Picture: Gordon Fraser

Lyndsay Morgan, 26, known in the contest as Miss Velvet Rose, is the only Midlothian contestant hoping to win the public vote to make the quarter-finals of the competition, which champions an alternative take on the 1950s pin-ups, a style Lyndsay has embraced.

She said: “It’s still quite a new event. I hadn’t heard of it until I entered Miss Scotland Pin-up last year.

“Everybody has hang-ups on the way they look. But I wasn’t required to submit pictures in my underwear or anything like that.

“Yes, some of the girls that have entered have photos like that. But you don’t feel pressured to do that if you don’t want to. It’s putting more fun into it. Having a laugh.

“I had post-natal depression with both my kids. My boy is five and my little girl is three. I struggled with my confidence and had bad anxiety. My friend suggested I try this. I was starting to get into the ’50s style. There are different types of dresses for all body shapes.

“Since I entered Miss Scottish Pin-up last year my confidence has gone from zilch to the top. Although I didn’t win, it gave me the confidence to enter Miss Pin-up UK.

“It is quite a different style and I never had the confidence to pull it off before.

“I had items of ’50s stuff. I wore certain items if I was going out. But now I’m head to toe in it every day. Then I shaved my head at the sides, I got a big tattoo, I just went for it. I spent so much of my life being bullied, so I thought I will just go for it.”

She said that now she gets stopped in the street and at the shops with people wanting to have pictures taken with her.

“I have not had any bad comments. Just great compliments.

“My life has completely changed. And I have seen all these girls who are not scared to express themselves.”

Lyndsay said she had loved the pin-up experience so far.

She said: “It has been great. The thought of standing in front of photographers never crossed my mind before. Now I feel comfortable. I’m not a professional model or anything like that. You don’t have to be. They ask for a special talent if you go through to the quarter finals. You could be a fundraiser, own your own business. It’s really about celebrating independent women for what they are.

“My talent is singing. I did musical theatre at college.

“I plan to do a modern song in a 1950s cabaret style.”

You can vote for Miss Velvet Rose here.