She’s one of the new singletons heading into the Love Island villa next week.
And images of beauty queen Sharon Gaffka prove she is a star in the making, as she modelled a bikini and range of dresses at a pageant in 2014.
The unearthed snaps show the Love Island 2021 contestant, 25, at a beauty competition she completed and won aged just 18 in Mold, north Wales.
Beauty queen: Images of beauty queen Sharon Gaffka prove she is a star in the making, as she modelled a bikini and range of dresses at a pageant in 2014
Sharon was crowned the winner of the Crown & Glory European Pageant seven years ago, which took place at the Beaufort Park Hotel in the Flintshire town.
Pictures even show her in the bikini round during the competition, wearing a daring bright blue bikini in front of crowds.
However, instead of just a few hundred people watching, this summer up to four million viewers will be watching Sharon loungue around in her swimwear.
Star in the making! The unearthed images show the Love Island 2021 contestant, 25, at a beauty competition she completed and won aged just 18 in Mold, north Wales
Winner! Sharon was crowned the winner of the Crown & Glory European Pageant seven years ago, which took place at the Beaufort Park Hotel in the Flintshire town
Reality stardom: However, instead of just a few hundred people watching, this summer up to four million viewers will be watching Sharon loungue around in her swimwear
Pageant organiser Hannah Tordoff – whose event has raised £130,000 for charity in the nine years since it was set up – says Sharon had star quality right from the off.
She also says she is convinced she could win the popular show because she doesn’t have a bad bone in her body and viewers will love her.
Hannah said: ‘Sharon won her first UK title with Crown & Glory European Pageants in 2014. She was a part of the event, raising £11,000 for the Dean Puplett Appeal, which fights against neuroblastoma cancer.
Sparkle: Pageant organiser Hannah Tordoff – whose event has raised £130,000 for charity in the nine years since it was set up – says Sharon had star quality right from the off
Good natured: She also says she is convinced she could win the popular show because she doesn’t have a bad bone in her body and viewers will love her
‘Sharon is lovely, we’ve kept in touch since 2014, just as lots of pageant girls do. We will always support her new adventures as once a queen with us, always a queen.
‘She’s always been professional, sweet, friendly and is easy to approach. She is genuinely a really nice person.’
Sharon held her title for one year before handing over to her successor in 2015.
She went on to take part in other competitions, including Miss International UK in 2018.
Hannah said: ‘Sharon won her first UK title with Crown & Glory European Pageants in 2014. She was a part of the event, raising £11,000 for the Dean Puplett Appeal, which fights against neuroblastoma cancer’
Always a queen! ‘Sharon is lovely, we’ve kept in touch since 2014, just as lots of pageant girls do. We will always support her new adventures as once a queen with us, always a queen’
Emotional: Sharon held her title for one year before handing over to her successor in 2015
She is also understood to have met previous Love Island runner-up Molly-Mae Hague on the beauty contest circuit.
However it appears Sharon wasn’t always as confident.
Photographer Colin Grist – who took the images of her in Mold – said he didn’t have as many pictures of Sharon as some of the other girls and thought she may have been ‘a little shy.’
Rise to success: She went on to take part in other competitions, including Miss International UK in 2018
Famous friends: She is also understood to have met previous Love Island runner-up Molly-Mae Hague on the beauty contest circuit
Confident: Photographer Colin Grist – who took the images of her – said he didn’t have as many pictures of Sharon as some of the other girls and thought she may have been ‘a little shy’
Dazzling: Wearing a stunning crystal encrusted gown with tulle bottom, Sharon poses at the end of the catwalk
From the snaps it’s easy to see how overwhelmed Sharon was with her moment in the limelight at such a young age.
She is clearly crying in some of the images as she is handed the crown from the outgoing queen.
Wearing a stunning crystal encrusted gown with tulle bottom, Sharon poses at the end of the catwalk.
Seven years later, it appears she may have grown up, with insiders saying she is keen to appear on telly to push her political agenda, with women’s equality high on her list.
Crowned: Seven years later, it appears she may have grown up, with insiders saying she is keen to appear on telly to push her political agenda, with women’s equality high on her list
Career: Originally from Oxford, Sharon now works as a civil servant for the Department of Transport
Opening up about her job, she said: ‘I’ve been a civil servant since I was 18. I’ve worked in lots of different departments’
Role: ‘I’ve been doing Brexit policy for the last year, I did a stint during the coronavirus pandemic in the Department of Health so I was helping deliver testing kits and managing the operations. It’s been an intense year!
Passion: She is also an ambassador for The Young Women’s Trust
Originally from Oxford, Sharon now works as a civil servant for the Department of Transport.
Opening up about her job, she said: ‘I’ve been a civil servant since I was 18. I’ve worked in lots of different departments.
‘I’ve been doing Brexit policy for the last year, I did a stint during the coronavirus pandemic in the Department of Health so I was helping deliver testing kits and managing the operations. It’s been an intense year!’
She is also an ambassador for The Young Women’s Trust.
Beauty queens: Sharon stood with three other girls on stage
Congrats! She stood with her arm around a younger contestant
Smile: Sharon beamed for the camera as she posed for snaps
LOVE ISLAND 2021: MEET THE CONTESTANTS
Sharon Gaffka, 25
Name: Sharon Gaffka
Age: 25
Location: Oxford
Occupation: Civil Servant – Operations Lead for Department of Transport
Who is their type on paper? ‘I tend to date someone who is taller than me, even though my last long-term partner, he was actually someone who was shorter than me.
‘I’m quite an intellectual person so I want someone who can kind of match that.’
Aaron Francis, 24
Name: Aaron Francis
Age: 24
Location: London
Occupation: Luxury Events Host
Who is their type on paper? ‘I need someone that is passionate about what they are doing – from scientist to anything – you can tell when someone is speaking about something and they are actually smiling while they are talking. I love that.
‘I don’t like when people are doing a job just to make money and then they kind of just live for the weekend. Especially because I work on the weekends.’
Liberty Poole, 21
Name: Liberty Poole
Age: 21
Location: Birmingham
Occupation: Nando’s Waitress and Marketing Student
Who is their type on paper? ‘So I like tall, alpha male, confident, a cheeky chappy sort of guy.
‘But obviously that’s always usually combined with player types, which is where I go wrong. So I am trying to change my ways and go for more of a nicer guy that is going to treat me right.’
Hugo Hammond, 24
Name: Hugo Hammond
Age: 24
Location: Hampshire
Occupation: PE Teacher
Who is their type on paper? ‘I’ve been single for a while now. With the current climate, it’s been really hard to get back into dating.
‘I saw it as an opportunity to have an amazing fun summer and put myself back out there.’
Shannon Singh
Name: Shannon Singh
Age: 22
Location: Fife
Occupation: Glamour model
Who is their type on paper? ‘I don’t feed off looks, I feed off energy, I need someone with personality. Just someone I can have fun with.
‘I’m a party girl, I love going out, I’m very social. For me it’s quite hard to find people who are genuine and looking for what you’re looking for’
Jake Cornish
Name: Jake Cornish
Age: 24
Location: Weston-super-Mare
Occupation: Water Engineer
Who is their type on paper? ‘Looks wise, always gone for blondes. But for me, the main thing is having respect and having good fun, and someone who will be loyal to you…
‘I’ve had messages from girls that have got boyfriends and husbands. This is why I don’t trust anyone. Someone who is loyal really. But when I’m single, I like having a good time!
Kaz Kamwi
Name: Kaz Kamwi
Age: 26
Location: Essex
Occupation: Fashion Blogger
Who is their type on paper? ‘I like meeting new people, I’m ready to be in a relationship. Why not be in a place where people are looking for the same things as me?’
Chloe Burrows
Name: Chloe Burrows
Age: 25
Location: Bicester
Occupation: Financial Services Marketing Executive
Who is their type on paper? ‘I like a good build. I go to the gym. I want someone who is funny. Really funny and caring and will do nice little things for you.
‘And then obviously someone who you can depend on to not ditch you. Because I am quite a big character and quite loud, they would have to be as loud, if not more.
‘I could never be with someone who is quiet. Someone that gives you a bit back’
Faye Winter
Name: Faye Winter
Age: 26
Location: Devon
Occupation: Letting Manager
What is her type on paper? ‘Someone that will put me in my place. Someone that makes me laugh. But also someone that takes my banter. I’m like a five-year-old in a playground, if I like you, I will make a mockery of you and laugh and joke. That is my really terrible flirting skills. I need someone who can take that.’
Brad McClelland
Name: Brad McClelland
Age: 26
Location: Northumberland
Occupation: Labourer
Who is their type on paper? Sommer Ray from Instagram. Zara McDermott, she’s a good-looking lass. Or Megan Fox.
Toby Aromolaran
Name: Toby Aromolaran
Age: 22
Location: Essex
Occupation: Semi-pro footballer
How would he describe himself? ‘Optimistic. I always see the bright side in the worst situations. I’m a fun guy when I go on a night out. Responsible guy as well.’