‘Sheffield’s biggest’ charity fashion show returns in style to raise thousands

Runway Idol, hosted by BBC Radio Sheffield' s Becky Measures and her partner, local entrepreneur Maz Kenyon raised over £4,500 for mental health charity Sheffield Mind and The UK Sepsis Trust.

The show at Hillsborough stadium featured nine themed catwalks, ranging from swimwear to bridal to mental health awareness.

There were also performances from Sophie Littlejohns, who sang her debut single Butterflies, and 13-year-old Kitty Esbeger, who sang a poignant original song about her sister's eating disorder.

Worksop's Got Talent winner Richard Harvey teamed up with Britain's Got Talent finalist Alexandra Hans and students from The Voice Academy for a stunning finale to the show.

James Clarke, Runway Idol organiser, said: "What an incredible return for Runway Idol. The feedback has been overwhelming and I am so pleased that both charities were able to receive some much-needed funds this year after the pandemic. The models were inspiring and brave I'm so pleased to have been able to give them this platform."

The show also saw a celebration of Sheffield's two football clubs with the models wearing shirts from both clubs before an impromptu Sweet Caroline singalong.

Models included the show's first-ever married couple, a breast cancer survivor and a teacher who lives with Crohn's disease, amongst other inspirational, personal backstories where they had overcome recent heartbreak or had connections to both charities.

The evening was attended by Sheffield's male model and Salon Twenty Seven owner Sam Reece, local fashion model Miranda Hird, fitness model Eddie Chipp who travelled from Scotland to attend and TikTok superstar Lucas Rodgers from Worksop.

Lindsay Doyle-Price of Sheffield Mind said: "It was an absolute triumph. It was obvious to us all how much time and effort you had put in and the attention to detail was amazing."

This year’s event on September 24 marked the 3rd year of Runway Idol, and organisers have announced that it will return next year on Friday, August 5, 2022, with auditions starting in Spring.