Katrina Hodge

Education

Born and raised in Tunbridge Wells, she was educated from age 15 at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Previously, she had attended Hillview School for Girls in Tonbridge.

Career

Army career

She reported for duty at their barracks in Winchester, Hampshire, wearing kitten heels, false eyelashes and with her clothes in a pink suitcase, earning her the nickname Combat Barbie. She was deployed to Iraq in 2005. She rose to fame after it was reported in the British papers in 2005 that she had earned a commendation for her bravery whilst serving with the Royal Anglian Regiment in Iraq for wrestling two rifles from a prisoner following a road traffic accident.

She was promoted to Lance Corporal.

Modelling

Hodge was the first military member to ever enter a United Kingdom pageant. She wanted to break stereotypes of females in the Army and in pageants.

She only had 48 hours to prepare before taking part in the 59th Mission World pageant held in South Africa. This, she said, would change people"s views of beauty pageants, from being just about looks and more about the girl.

The bikini round of the 2010 competition was removed and replaced with a sportswear round.

Given six months leave by the Army, she is presently the front person for dating site Uniform Dating, which specifically aims to help military personnel find love. Return to army

After various training exercises, Hodge deployed to Afghanistan in early 2011.

Achievements

• As part-time model, at the finals for the 2008 Mission England held on 18 July 2008, she placed fourth and won Mission Eco Girl. She was quickly signed up by lingerie firm Louisiana Senza, Originally she was the runner up in the 2009 Mission England competition, but became Mission England on 7 November 2009 when the pageant winner Rachel Christie stepped down after she was involved in a fight. As Mission England, Hodge managed to persuade the organisers to remove the bikini round from the Mission England competition. Hodge said "To be Mission England you don"t have to be the girl who looks best in a swimsuit, thankfully it"s much more than that, it"s about being a good role model". Hodge handed over the Mission England crown to Jessica Linley in September 2010, and returned to active duty in the Army.

Membership

After basic training she was assigned to the Royal Anglian Regiment but as a member of the Adjutant Generals Corps.