Winner Katrina Hodge convinces Miss England pageant to cut swimsuit round

Now in its 82nd year, the Miss England pageant is making some big changes: namely, ditching the swimsuit beauty competition in favor of a sports round.

Last year's winner, Katrina Hodge, a serving member of the British Army often nicknamed "Combat Barbie" is behind the revamp, having urged pageant officials to make the change.

Hodge enlisted at age 16 and was deployed to Iraq at 18. In 2010, she'll oversee the Miss England contestants in physical fitness drills. The pageant will hopefuls also compete in talent, charity, and eco rounds.

"It's nerve-racking enough for girls to get up on a stage and speak, let alone appear in a swimsuit," Hodge told Telegraph UK. "It's good the girls are being given a sports challenge in this year's competition."

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