By Josephine Agbonkhese

Dynamic and ambitious, Rebecca Afolabi was Miss E.B.O.N.Y UK 2023/2024. The American-born who was raised in the United Kingdom with a couple of childhood years spent in Nigeria, is driven by her passion for changing the lives of vulnerable children, especially girls— a passion strongly reflected throughout her reign as queen both in Nigeria and the UK.

A former Grand National Cheerleading Champion, Afolabi is currently Miss North East London International UK 2024, and recently competed in the Miss International UK pageant where she emerged top 15 out of 50 contestants.

The City University of London graduate of Psychology who is currently a Programmatic Senior Executive at PHD Media, working for the Volkswagen Group, speaks on life as a beauty queen, growing up in UK in the early 2000s, and tells of her plans for the future in this quick chat with Allure.

Enjoy!

How was life growing up in the UK as a Nigerian girl?

It was quite weird growing up in the early 2000s where quite a lot of young black girls were not confident about their skin and hair texture particularly because they were made fun of. I was very lucky to have a family that always reminded me that confidence is the biggest and greatest thing anyone can own. I also lived in Nigeria from the ages of 8 to 12 and was able to experience my own cultures and learn my own traditions after growing up in two countries.

Was Miss E.B.O.N.Y your first pageant and has it always been your dream to be a queen?

Yes, it was. I’ve always been a lover of glitz and glam, wearing the prettiest dresses. Serving as a queen has, in addition, given me opportunity to be engage in charitable deeds I am passionate about. As part of projects during my reign as queen, which ended last year, I engaged in helping young children in Nigeria and London. I also provided school fees and menstrual pads for young girls.

You visited Nigeria last year; what was your most memorable moment of that visit?

It was definitely my first appearance at the orphanage in Ilesha; my first time actually listening to the stories of young children who have already had their lives chosen for them due to their background. That made me vow to make a big change.

Who was your biggest influence growing up?

My mum, definitely. She grew up as a royalty because her dad was a king in Ilesha. As a young girl, she gave regularly to the less privileged and has continued to do so till date because she hates seeing children struggling. I saw the need to continue on that path and serving as Miss E.B.O.N.Y has given me that opportunity.

How do you juggle your career and passion for pageant?

There have been a lot of sleepless nights preparing for work and pageants at the same time, but this isn’t my first time doing this. I also did competitive cheerleading while pursuing my psychology degree at university and was able to combine both successfully.

What’s next now that you’ve relinquished your crown as Miss E.B.O.N.Y Ambassador and how has the pageant impacted your life?

I feel like I’ve unlocked a new side of myself— the confident girl that is always up for a challenge. Right now, I’m focusing on my career but I may be in another pageant soon; so keep a look out!