Miss World hopeful Darcey Corria getting 'support from all over world' after horror crash

Darcey Corria is a black rights activist and became the first woman of colour in the pageant's 70-year history to be crowned Miss Wales. Credit: Miss Wales

A Miss World hopeful has been getting support from "all over the world" after a car accident on the M4 near Bridgend left her with a broken neck.

Darcey Corria, Miss Wales 2022, suffered a broken pelvis and two broken bones in her neck after the accident near Bridgend earlier this week.

The 21-year-old is said to be recovering in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

But Miss Wales director Paula Abbandonato said people had been sending Ms Corria their "love and affection" from all over the world.

She said: “There has been an outpouring of support from all over the world for Darcey. I have personally taken well wishes for her from as far afield as The Philippines and Brazil.

The Miss World organisation has been in touch several times with concern for her which we know has meant so much to Darcey.

We always think of pageantry as a sisterhood and that’s really come to the fore this week with everyone sending so much love and affection.” 

Ms Corria, from Barry, South Wales, is a black rights activist and became the first woman of colour in the pageant's 70-year history to be crowned Miss Wales.

She is due to compete at the Miss World competition in May and a representative for Miss Wales said "we hopeful and confident that she will still be able to fly the flag for Wales."

Emma Jenkins, a former Miss Wales herself, has been coaching Ms Corria for the competition.

“As a former Miss Wales I know how exciting it is to prepare for Miss World and so my heart goes out to Darcey," she said.

"As her coach, I’ve been helping her since she was a Miss Wales finalist and I will continue to be at her side.

So many pageant girls have got in touch wanting to show their support so I have set up a Go Fund Me collection which we hope will go some way to helping her.”