Skip to content

'I found a grapefruit-sized tumour at routine eye test'

Erin IveyNorth West
News imageHolly Worswick A woman wearing a white dress with a red jacket is smiling holding a certificate, wearing a Miss Macclesfield sash. She is standing in-front of a sign saying Miss England that is covered in crowns. Holly Worswick
Holly Worswick competed in the Miss England pageant in 2025

What started as a normal day for beauty pageant queen Holly Worswick ended up with her in hospital after an optician found a brain tumour during a routine eye test in 2021.

The 26-year-old, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, was rushed straight to A&E where she was operated on within 48 hours.

Since then, she has needed four more brain surgeries and an ear surgery.

"If I didn't go for that check-up at Specsavers I probably wouldn't be here today because the size of the tumour was the size of a grapefruit," she said.

News imageHolly Worswick An MRI scan showing a black and white image of a brain with a brain tumour on the left side of the brain. Holly Worswick
The tumour on her brain was the size of a grapefruit

After the opticians completed an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan of the back of the eye, they found that Holly's optic nerve on the right side was four times the size that it should have been.

"I felt confused as I didn't know what a mass was at first," she said.

"I was scared and of course very worried.

"I had to pause my teacher training and had a lot of time off work."

News imageHolly Worswick A girl, who is wearing a white patterned hospital gown, is lying on a bed with a bandage on her forehead and a swollen left eye. Holly Worswick
Holly was treated at The Christie in Manchester

Holly has been competing in beauty pageants since she was 16 as a way to build up her confidence and meet new people.

Since her diagnosis, she has used her platform to raise awareness for spotting the signs of tumours.

According to the NHS, the symptoms vary depending on the exact part of the brain affected.

But common symptoms include headaches, seizures, nausea, being sick, drowsiness, mental or behavioural changes, such as memory problems or changes in personality, progressive weakness or paralysis on one side of the body and vision or speech problems.

News imageHolly Worswick A woman wearing an all brown outfit is ringing a rainbow bell to symbolise the end of her treatment. Holly Worswick
Holly rang the bell in August 2024 after completing proton beam radiotherapy

"Because it was discovered by accident, I think it's really important that you know the signs and symptoms of it and to get something checked out if they think that something isn't right," she said.

Holly rang the bell in August 2024 after completing proton beam radiotherapy, three years after her first surgery.

She was a finalist at the Miss England pageant where she represented her home town of Macclesfield in November 2025.

"I'm proud of my journey, and if I've influenced even one person to get an OCT scan at the opticians, I've won in my eyes," she said.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.