Tasmania’s Tirah Ciampa and Cleo Pedley talk Miss World Australia 2023 finals on the Gold Coast

Tassie’s own Tirah Ciampa and Cleo Pedley are going toe to toe – or rather stiletto to stiletto – against 30 interstate finalists for the Miss World Australia 2023 title on the sunny Gold Coast. See how they’re travelling.

Tirah Ciampa. Picture: Ian Riley

They have been primping, preening and strutting their stuff for two days, and the competition is about to get fierce and fiery – real quick.

Tasmania’s own Tirah Ciampa, 27, and Cleo Pedley, 21, are going toe to toe – or rather stiletto to stiletto – against 30 interstate finalists for the Miss World Australia 2023 national titles on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

The big showdown will take place on Friday night and a new Miss World Australia will be crowned.

Cleo Pedley and Tirah Ciampa at the Miss World Australia finals on the Gold Coast. Picture: Zac Smith/Mr Smith Photography

And while Ms Ciampa says about 50 per cent of the girls are “in it to win it”, the cancer survivor says “I feel like I’ve already won in life”.

Ms Ciampa opened up to the Sunday Tasmanian earlier this month on her battle with pancreatic cancer, which reached such a low point she was writing letters to her loved ones, sorting her superannuation and spring cleaning – all because she was “preparing to die”.

Tirah Ciampa, 27, of Hobart is one of two girls representing Tasmania at the Miss World Australia national finals. Tirah has recently gone through treatment for cancer. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Her triumphant battle saw her not only overcome the illness, the cancer now in remission, but also take out the state titles for Miss World while in the throes of treatment.

Checking in with the Mercury from the sun-soaked Mercure Resort at Carrara on the Gold Coast, Ms Ciampa said she was having a blast.

Launceston's Cleo Pedley, 21, at the Miss World Australia 2023 national finals on the Gold Coast. Picture: Instagram

“We are having so much fun but it has been back-to-back activities where the judges are really scoping us out,” she said.

Ms Ciampa said from the outset, competing in the Miss World was all about sharing her incredible story.

“Last night we had a cocktail event and I was spent the whole night talking with a young girl who suffered from alopecia. I told her my story and hopefully instilled in her that you can overcome obstacles or difficult times in your life,” she said.

Hobart's Tirah Ciampa, 27, at the Miss World Australia 2023 national finals on the Gold Coast. Picture: Instagram

Joining Ms Ciampa on stage, Ms Pedley brings a wealth of experience to the competition.

She has been battling it out on the pageant circuit since she was 18, but says the Miss World is “all about meeting with like-minded girls and having fun and making new friends”.

Ms Pedley, from Launceston, says she is thrilled to be joining Tirah – a Tassie duo to be reckoned with.

Here’s to hoping our girls from Australia’s chilly southern state will ice the competition.