The highly anticipated 2026 edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is here, and it’s already making a splash. For this year’s issue, the magazine tapped Hilary Duff, Tiffany Haddish, Alix Earle and Nicole Williams English as cover models.
The editor-in-chief of the publication, MJ Day, explained in a press release that “each woman brings a distinct combination of relevance, resilience and range that extends far beyond what’s expected”. She further highlighted that the women “represent the power of embracing every chapter”.
While it is the first time English is appearing on the cover of SI Swimsuit, she has been featured in the magazine three times before. Her debut feature in the 2023 issue, shot in the Dominican Republic while she was pregnant, earned her Rookie of the Year honours. She was lensed again in Mexico and Jamaica for the 2024 and 2025 issues. For her cover feature, Ben Watts photographed her at the Hero Beach Club in Montauk, New York.
So, who is Nicole Williams English?
What’s her background?
Nicole Williams English grew up surrounded by animals. Photo: @justtnic/Instagram
English hails from Paradise, Newfoundland, where she grew up with her parents and several pets. “My parents rescued everything from dogs, cats, birds – everything!” she told Session Magazine.
She developed an interest in fashion early thanks to her mother, who taught her how to sew when she was six, per Forbes. She moved to Toronto with her mother in her teens and signed with a modelling agency at 16, per SI Swimsuit. Her modelling career took her to Taipei, Barcelona and Cape Town, where she lived briefly before moving to New York City.
What is she known for?
Nicole Williams English attends Hulu’s Get Real House at Casa Lago in April, in Beverly Hills, California. Photo: AFP/Getty Images