You Won’t Forget a Face Like This: Brits Hold Championship for the Wildest Grimaces

The world’s most outrageous and grotesque faces were on full display once again as Egremont, England, hosted the 2026 World Gurning Championship.

Dozens of brave contestants descended on Egremont in Cumbria to take part in the bizarre competition, which is held as part of the traditional Crab Fair.

The quirky tradition dates back to 1267. Contestants compete to pull the ugliest and most ridiculous face possible in a bid to claim the title of world champion.

The rules are every bit as unusual as the contest itself: competitors must put their heads through a horse collar and contort their faces into the most hideous expression they can manage.

But even this bizarre competition has strict requirements. Contestants must curl their lips upward, while experts recommend “growling like a dog” and distorting the face as much as possible to achieve the perfect grimace.

Makeup is forbidden. However, contestants are allowed to use false teeth — if they happen to have them — to make their expressions even more terrifying.

This year’s competition delivered a surprise when TV star Will Mellor decided to test his skills and finished second. Ged Eccles was crowned the new men’s world champion.

In the women’s competition, Claire Lister reclaimed the crown. After losing her title last year, she won it back and became a multiple-time world champion.

The competition has attracted plenty of public attention over the years. In 2008, even Queen Elizabeth II visited the championship, where she met then-world champion Tommy Mattinson.

In 2022, the Crab Fair was canceled following the Queen’s death so that local residents could pay their respects.

Today, the event is officially recognized as the world’s oldest continuously held gurning championship.

The Crab Fair itself, which hosts the competition, features several other equally eccentric attractions, including wheelbarrow races and horn-playing contests.