Bolton bodybuilders crowned Mr and Miss Universe

Ryan Mackin, aged 34, and Amy Scholes-Higham, aged 30, both won titles at Physical Culture Association (PCA) Universe on Sunday, May 15.

Ryan, from Astley Bridge, won the title of Mr Universe for the Class 1 category, as he tells The Bolton News.

He said: “It’s hard to really put into words, it hasn’t really sunk in. We were just walking around Tesco the other day and we were on cloud nine.”

Both Ryan and Amy are now professionals and can compete in more lucrative competitions

He found it especially surreal that he and Amy, who competed in the bikini category and is Miss Bikini Universe, won their awards together, saying:“It’s mad to do that on the same day.”

There was a lot at stake at the event, with a ‘Pro Card’ available for the winner of each category, which gives that winner professional status which allows them to compete in international competitions, which are more lucrative.

Ryan added: “The PCA are a big organisation, you can win up to 20 thousand pounds a show – the winner got 1500 pounds in the show on the weekend.”

He isn’t originally from Bolton, however, having grown up in Southampton.

He saiRyan sees Bolton as his "home from home" d: “I was born in Southampton and am from there, but I met Amy, who is from Bolton, and moved here.

“It’s my home from home now.”

Ryan outlines what’s next for the couple. He said: “Well both Amy and I won shows previous to this recently, so we’ll have a bit of downtime.”

Although ‘downtime’ in the bodybuilding world is a bit of a misnomer, as Ryan tells us.

He said: “Downtime is actually just training harder than usual and eating loads.

“Because you don’t eat much in the lead up to a competition, it’s really exhausting, so downtime is just trying to pack on more muscle.”