Corel-Jo Antwhistle was left afraid to go out after a stranger followed her and attacked her in Newcastle city centre
Naomi Corrigan Multi-media Journalist
09:47, 20 Sep 2025Updated 12:18, 20 Sep 2025
Corel-Jo Antwhistle(Image: Corel-Jo Antwhistle )
Corel-Jo Antwhistle, of Northumberland, was the victim of a terrifying Newcastle city centre attack, and is now aiming to use her experience to raise awareness about women’s safety as she vies for the Miss England title.
The 24 year old was left with a split lip and torn fingernails after a stranger followed and attacked her, stealing her mobile phone. She said the attack left her feeling terrified ‘to go out and feel safe’.
Corel, who lives in Morpeth, said the attach happened four weeks before Christmas when she was followed by a man who kicked in the back of the legs and stole her mobile phone.
Having reached the finals of the Miss England competition in 2022, Corel took a break to travel but has since returned to the contest. As she gears up for the semi-finals next month, she expressed her intention to utilise the competition as a platform to spotlight issues concerning women’s safety.
Corel spent her childhood in South Bank, Middlesbrough, before moving to Venezuela at the age of ten when her parents, Gary and Amanda, built a beach bar. The family later returned to Middlesbrough and have been living in Morpeth for the past two years.
The attack on Corel happened in November 2022. Recalling the horrifying incident, she said: “It was about four weeks before Christmas and this man had followed me and started kicking me in the back of the legs”, reports Teesside Live.
“He ended up ripping my acrylic nails off and stole my phone. It impacted my life massively.
Corel-Jo Antwhistle said an attack in Newcastle City Centre made her afraid to go out with friends(Image: Corel-Jo Antwhistle )
“I found it hard to go out and feel safe. I thought a lot about how people are ignorant to women’s safety. After that incident I opened a women’s charity, but sadly it closed down in 2024 because of lack of funding.”
Corel, who now works in HR, reached the final ten in the 2022 competition. She believes her travels afterwards have equipped her with new life skills that will be advantageous in this year’s contest.
She also hopes the competition might provide an opportunity to revive her charity, Think Us. “All the girls have something that they are going to advocate for but I wanted mine to be about women’s safety,” she stated.
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“I think the recent events in America really highlight the fact there is still a lot of work yet to be done. I am proud to be back, not just to compete, but to speak up for women’s safety, for empowerment and for the belief that when women use their voices, change can happen.”
She further added: “For me, Miss England is about far more than ‘tinsel and tiaras’. It’s a platform to show young girls and women that pageants can empower us to make a positive difference.”
The semi-finals are scheduled for October 3, with the grand finale set to take place at the Grand Station in Wolverhampton on November 21.
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