Manchester Arena bomb survivor using beauty pageants to help put trauma behind her

A student who survived the Manchester Arena bombings says reaching the final of a beauty pageant is helping put the trauma behind her.

Scarlett Dean suffered anxiety and flashbacks after being caught up in the May 2017 atrocity when she was just 15.

But now, aged 18, she has won a place in the Miss Cheshire 2020 final in September – and says it has restored her confidence.

Scarlett, who studies acting at The Manchester College, said: “I lost all confidence in myself following the attack, but doing beauty pageants will help me get back to my old self again.

“The images of things that I saw from the night of the attack will stay with me forever, but I’m trying not to let them hold me back from doing the things I love.

“For the past two years on the anniversary of the attack I’ve really struggled mentally remembering what happened, but taking part in beauty pageants is helping me to move on from what I went through.”

Scarlett and her best friend were leaving after the Ariana Grande concert on May 22, 2017, when an Islamist extremist detonated a homemade bomb in the foyer, killing 22 and injuring over 800.

She said: “We ran past a man in a pool of blood with one of his legs missing. My friend pulled me away and we ran outside. It was just carnage and chaos.

“I suffered flashbacks and anxiety for weeks. I didn’t want to leave the house and would cry for no reason. I was eventually diagnosed with severe anxiety.”

She had counselling and has now been offered a place to study performing arts at the Liverpool Media Academy in September.

She is also planning a fundraising walk to raise funds for the One Woman At a Time charity helping women in Kenya.