Meet the first nine finalists in the running to be Miss Newcastle 2019

It's been almost a year since Miss Newcastle took us on a magic carpet ride for its Arabian Nights themed final and now we know the identities of the first nine girls in the running for this year's title.

Over 300 girls from across the region applied to be Miss Newcastle 2019 , which is a record for the competition, and now the first nine finalists have been announced for the annual event which will once again raise money for The Chronicle's Sunshine Fund.

The theme for this year's glittering final, hosted by the Gainford Group at The County Hotel, is Aphrodite and the goddesses already in the running for the Miss Newcastle crown are:

Amy Conway, 21, Wallsend

Charlotte Moore, 23, Newcastle

Chelsea Simpkin, 19, Cramlington