Beauty queen conceived by IVF
hopes to make Miss World history

The 23-year-old, who is currently in Mongolia battling it out for the coveted Miss World crown, recently revealed that she was one of the first children to be
conceived by the procedure with the help of Professor Robert Winston.

Plymouth-born Miss Holmes was the product of a trial test-tube baby programme that her parents opted to undergo after trying to conceive a baby naturally for eight years with no success.

Her mother, Vonnie Holmes, said she was 35 by the time she and Miss Holmes’s father decided to opt for help.

“So when the opportunity
came up to trial a new drug for
IVF treatment, I jumped at the chance and was extremely lucky that the egg implanted first
time, resulting in Charlotte,” she said.

She went on: “We have pictures of when Charlotte was just five cells old and we felt so blessed. I wanted to wrap myself up in
cotton wool throughout the pregnancy so that I didn’t miscarry.

“When Charlotte was eventually born she was just 5lb 5oz but she was perfect.

“Just 18 months later we repeated the process to have our second daughter, Lucy.”

Miss Holmes added: “It is amazing to think that without the help of someone like Professor Winston neither me or my sister would be here today.

“I essentially owe him my
life and would love to make
history by becoming the
first Miss World conceived by IVF.”

She has already secured a
place in the Miss World Top Model final which, if she wins, 
will secure herself a place in
the top 15 at the Miss World
grand final in Mongolia on August 18.

The last British representative to hold the Miss World title was in 1983 when Sarah-Jane Hutt won the crown.