Eight beauty queens who met with controversy

The death of Brazilian model who hoped to represent her country at Miss World has focused attention on pageant contests and the women who enter them. Here are eight other beauty queens who hit the headlines for the wrong reasons:


By Matthew Moore


Marjorie Wallace

The first American to win Miss World in 1973, Wallace infuriated the organisers by dating a string of celebrities including Tom Jones, once claiming that "As Miss World I can get laid with any man I pick." She was stripped of her title after just three months because, in the words of the committee, she had "failed to fulfil the basic requirements of the job." Wallace went on to have a successful career as television presenter.

Gabriela Brum

Miss Germany had the shortest reign in Miss World history, resigning her title just 18 hours after being crowned in 1980 – the first year that entrants were judged on their personality and intelligence as well as beauty. She claimed that her boyfriend disapproved of the contest, but it later emerged that she had posed for naked photgraphs. She moved to the US and modelled nude again, this time for Playboy.

Chen Lili

The singer and actress from Sichuan province hoped to become China's first Miss Universe winner in 2004, but her application was rejected by Chinese competition officials on the ground that, as a transsexual, she was not a "natural female". Later that year she finished as runner-up in China's first Miss Artificial Beauty contest, which only accepted women who had undergone surgery to enhance their appearance.

Lesley Langley

Won the Miss World title in 1965 after being named Miss UK, but the British public was scandalised after tabloids dug up nude photos of the Weymouth-born model. She was only allowed to keep her crown because the pictures were taken before she entered the pageant. She now works as a receptionist in dental surgery back in her home town.

Valérie Bègue

The 22-year-old business student from the French island of La Réunion was banned from competing in Miss World after salacious photos – including one of her posing on a crucifix, and another of her eating yogurt – were published by a magazine. She was allowed to keep her Miss France 2007 title after the French public lept to her defence.

Laxmi Pandit

Miss India was forced to hand back her tiara hours after the ceremony amid claims that she wasn't as single as she made out. Pandit denied being married, but admitted that she may have "misrepresented" her marital status while buying an apartment in Mumbai. "In view of my incorrect statement... I surrender the Miss India World 2004 title with great personal regret," she said. Pandit's older sister Kal-pana was stripped of her Miss India-Universe crown in 1989 when it was discovered that she was a US passport holder.

Rosemarie Frankland

The first Miss UK to win Miss World in 1961 – when comedian Bob Hope placed the crown on her head – Frankland later became disillusioned with the beauty pageant industry and moved to the US, telling a newspaper: "Beauty queens are dressed up and paraded down the catwalk just so some fellow can get a quick thrill. They should shove it in the archives and forget about it." She suffered depression throughout her life, and died of a drugs overdose in 2000.

Kelli McCarty

The title of McCarty's forthcoming DVD release says it all: "Faithless: From Beauty Queen to Porn Queen". After winning Miss USA in 1991 as Miss Kansas, McCarty starred in several Hollywood films and had a long-running part in daytime soap Passions. But she was axed from the NBC show in 2006, and last year signed a deal with an adult production house to star in a hard-core films. "I enjoy acting, and I really like sex ... so this was the perfect opportunity to combine two of my passions," she said.

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