Cricketer Sir Ian Botham’s granddaughter, 19, hopes to compete in Miss England

Cricket star Sir Ian Bothman’s 19-year-old granddaughter has revealed she’s taking part in a regional beauty queen competition and hopes to reach the national Miss England competition next year. 

Imani-Jayne, a student at Nottingham Trent University, intends to bowl over the judges in the Yorkshire heats of the competition and says she has the full support of her famous grandfather.

The undergraduate, who lives in Richmond, North Yorkshire, told The Mirror: ‘I wasn’t too sure but mum said, “Go for it”.

Student Imani-Jayne Botham, 19, (pictured) is taking part in the regional Miss Yorkshire heats of the Miss England competition while she is studying for her degree. Her grandfather is British cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham

Imani-Jayne said her family are all really supportive but she initially decided to go ahead with the competition because her mother told her to ‘go for it’. (Pictured: Imani-Jayne earlier this year)

 The teenager is Sir Ian Botham’s (pictured) only granddaughter and she says, while he does not know ‘the full extent’ of her involvement in the competition, she knows he will ‘back me all the way’.

‘Grandad doesn’t fully know yet but he’s always been there for me and he’ll back me all the way.

‘He knows something is going on but not the full extent of what’s happening. I’ll be telling him, obviously.’

The young woman is one of five children, with four brothers, and is Sir Ian’s only granddaughter, which she says is a good thing because, she admits, ‘I do get spoiled a bit’. 

The Miss England hopeful’s grandfather, Sir Ian, 64, who took up his seat in the House of Lords earlier this year, has three children – Kath, Becky and Liam.  

After the Miss Yorkshire heats, the young woman hopes to go on to bowl over the judges at the national Miss England finals. (Pictured: Imani-Jayne on holiday in New York)

While Sir Ian Botham has admitted as a result of his cricketing career he was not always around for his children when they were growing up, his wife says he would win ‘grandfather of the year every year’. (Pictured, Imani-Jayne)

During an interview earlier this year his wife, Kath, said he’d be crowned ‘grandfather of the year every year’, but Botham – nicknamed Beefy by his friends – has admitted previously that his cricket career meant he was not around as much to see his own children grow up.

As well as studying and competing in the regional heats, Imani-Jayne is involved in her grandfathers Beefy’s Charity Foundation which helps to fund projects relating to chronic illnesses and other challenges that young people face.

She has taken part in all the walks the charity has hosted, except for one in Sri Lanka, as well as the golf days – which the whole family join in on. 

As well as studying and competing in Miss Yorkshire, Imani-Jayne (pictured) also helps out with her grandfather’s charity – Beefy’s Charity Foundation, which helps to fund projects relating to chronic illnesses and other challenges that young people face

Cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham took up his chair in the House of Lords earlier this year. (Pictured: Ian playing for England in the 80s)

Due to coronavirus limitations, entrants for this year’s Miss England heats – such as those Imani-Jayne is taking part in in Yorkshire – have had to record a video of themselves on their phones wearing cocktail dresses. 

The winners of the regional rounds will then be put forward for the national competition which is due to be hosted in April.

After graduating, Imani plans to move to London to pursue a career in fashion or marketing but for now she is looking forward to hopefully spending time with her family at Christmas, and drinking her grandfather’s wine, she says.