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Leilani Dowding

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Leilani Dowding
Born (1980-01-30) 30 January 1980 (age 44)[1]
Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Alma materRoyal Holloway, University of London
OccupationGlamour model
Years active1998–present
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
SpouseRichard Palmer (divorced)
RelativesChris Dowding (father)
Zena Dowding (mother)
Melanie Dowding (sister)
Beauty pageant titleholder
TitleMiss Great Britain 1998
Hair colourBrown
Eye colourBrown
Major
competition(s)		Miss Great Britain 1998
(Winner)
Miss Universe 1998
(Unplaced)

Leilani Dowding (born 30 January 1980)[1] is an English former beauty pageant titleholder, former glamour model, media personality and conservative commentator. After winning Miss Great Britain 1998 and representing the United Kingdom at Miss Universe 1998, she dropped out of college to pursue a career in glamour modelling, appearing as a Page 3 girl in The Sun and featuring in men's magazines such as Maxim and FHM. She later appeared on US and British reality television programmes including Tough Love Miami and The Real Housewives of Cheshire. She has become known as a conservative commentator and anti-vaccine campaigner. She also contributes to media associated with Mark Steyn.

Early life

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Dowding is multiracial, with a Filipina mother and a British father.[1] She grew up in Bournemouth, where she attended St Peter's Catholic School. After attaining eleven GCSEs and three A-levels,[1] she began an economics degree at Royal Holloway, University of London, with the intention of becoming a city trader.[2] At age 18, she entered and won the 1998 Miss Great Britain competition.[3] She represented Britain in the Miss Universe pageant in Hawaii later that year.[4]

Career

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Following her success in beauty pageants, Dowding dropped out of university to pursue a full-time modelling career. She started appearing as a Page 3 girl in The Sun in 1999.[1] In 2003, she was rated #89 on the FHM Sexiest Women in The World list.[5]

Dowding has featured as a guest on various television shows, modelling on The Big Breakfast and This Morning, and appearing on Faking It, Celebrity Wrestling and Celebrity Fear Factor. She appeared on a charity Page 3 episode of The Weakest Link, competing on behalf of the RSPCA and breast cancer charities.[6]

She has featured in pantomime, playing Tiger Lilly in Peter Pan.[1] She has competed in celebrity poker tournaments and has done promotional work for Ladbrokes.[1][7][8] Her reality television work has included the US show Tough Love Miami and the British programme The Real Housewives of Cheshire. She also established her own clothing line, the Leiluna Collection.[9] Since 2022, she has been a conservative commentator on media hosted by Mark Steyn.[10]

Personal life

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Dowding has dated a number of footballers and became known as a "WAG" in the British tabloid press.[11] She was engaged to former Wimbledon and Northern Ireland defender Mark Williams but ended their two-year relationship after he allegedly had an affair with glamour model Linsey Dawn McKenzie.[12] Williams and McKenzie subsequently married.[13] Dowding was also engaged to former Arsenal, West Ham and Middlesbrough attacker Jérémie Aliadière.[2][14][15]

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dowding stated on twitter that "fat people cause the most strain on the NHS" and blamed them for, "making lockdown longer".[16]

She lived in the United States for over a decade, where she was briefly married to American actor and restaurateur Richie Palmer, a former husband of actress Raquel Welch.[17][18] While living in California, she began dating Billy Duffy, lead guitarist of British rock band The Cult. She became engaged to Duffy in 2020.[19] The couple moved back to the UK and live in Manchester.[18] She has stated that she wishes to remain childfree.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Leilani fan club". leilanifanclub. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b John Aizlewood (15 January 2006). "The top 10 footballers' Page 3 playmates". The Times. London: News International. Retrieved 3 January 2010.[dead link]
  3. ^ "Student Leylani Dowding carries off the Miss Great Britain Universe honours". BBC News. 12 March 1998. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  4. ^ "BBC News | UK | Surprise - beauty queens are back". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  5. ^ "The Sexiest Women In The World 2003" Archived 19 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine. FHM. Retrieved on 4 May 2012.
  6. ^ Beauty and the beast (From Dorset Echo). Archive.dorsetecho.co.uk (27 April 2002). Retrieved on 4 May 2012.
  7. ^ Rajesh Modha Tops off a Million Dollar Night! | PokerNews. Uk.pokernews.com (16 December 2006). Retrieved on 4 May 2012.
  8. ^ Ladbrokes Poker Vegas Dream Packages Archived 7 September 2012 at archive.today. Pokerplayer.co.uk (30 March 2009). Retrieved on 4 May 2012.
  9. ^ "Leilani Dowding Talks Being UK's Hottest Glamour Model, Listening To Lupe Fiasco & Being Sterotyped As A WAG". Yahoo News. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  10. ^ "The Best of Leilani: with Leilani Dowding". SteynOnline. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  11. ^ Duke, Simon (15 October 2021). "Newcastle's famous WAGs from Big Brother winner to X Factor judge". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  12. ^ "My Ulster footballer was bore in the bed – Model Lashes Out After Soccer Star Strayed". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Sexy Linsey's Wedded Bliss". The Mirror. 8 January 2006. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  14. ^ Meet The Cast Of Tough Love: Miami. Blog.vh1.com (7 September 2011). Retrieved on 4 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Leilani sings for England". Dorset Echo. Dorset. 17 May 2002. Archived from the original on 31 March 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  16. ^ Roberts, Jamie (19 March 2021). "Real Housewives' Leilani Dowding blames 'fat people' for 'making lockdown longer'". Mirror. Retrieved 8 June 2024.
  17. ^ Russell, Stacey (14 October 2011). "Leilani Dowding Talks Tough Love Miami, Divorce, and Show Drama". Blogs.miaminewtimes.com. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  18. ^ a b Corner, Natalie L. (31 August 2020). "Inside Real Housewives' star Leilani Dowding's home she lives in with her fiancé". OK! Magazine. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  19. ^ Knight, Lewis (16 March 2020). "Real Housewives of Cheshire star Leilani Dowding engaged to rocker Billy Duffy". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  20. ^ Sansome, Jessica (4 December 2019). "Real Housewives star on not having children and 'face fixed' comments". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
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