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There has been controversy abounds in the world of beauty pageants recently – with contestants saying Miss USA 2022 was rigged.
And now one former beauty pageant entrant is saying UK pageants also suffer the same fate.
Keeping her identity anonymous to the public so it doesn’t affect her career, she wants to share her experiences in hopes it will bring awareness to what people are getting themselves into should they wish to compete.
READ MORE: ‘I'm an aerospace engineer who won Miss England – I have beauty and brains’
Recently, Insider shared a piece about contestants in the Miss USA 2022 pageant saying the system they thought this year's winner was predetermined.
Shockwaves ricocheted through the pageant community with allegations from contestants that R'Bonney Gabriel, who became the first Filipino American to win the crown, was favoured to win before the pageant officially selected its winner on October 3.
After the ceremony, the Miss Universe Organisation, which previously ran the pageant until 2020, launched an official investigation.
The organisation confirmed Miss USA president, Crystle Stewart, had been suspended indefinitely, while in a statement to Insider Stewart she said she was cooperating with the investigation.
Our source believes these claims are most likely true – and alleges they're also an issue in the UK.
She exclusively told Daily Star: “What has not been shared publicly is how rigged these systems are; the judging panel consists of biased individuals who are usually heavily involved within the circuit and the organisation.”
Although she didn’t specify which exact UK pageants are rigged, she said she’s competed in two different ones during her time – including Miss Great Britain.
While a Miss Great Britain representative didn’t respond to our request for a comment, a Miss England representative clarified how their competition works.
A spokesperson said their judging panel doesn’t consist of any biased individuals.
“The judging panel consists of six independent judges, which this year included six women, Irish, Latvian and Polish panellists representing sponsors, former title holders and the venue,” they said.
“No one from the Miss England office sat on the panel of judges. There is absolutely no influence placed on the judges, and we certainly would not wish to discredit their marking or judging.”
Our source claims winners are usually girls who are already heavily involved in pageantry and who have a personal connection with judges or the organisation.
The pageant queen is typically also someone who has already made appearances at various other pageants that year and doesn't work full-time.
“The results are not based on merit or platform quality, however, girls are told otherwise,” the insider alleged.
“While pageant girls do great work for charity and raising awareness of different causes I believe they are borderline being exposed by the systems.
“Girls who are favoured to win are told not to do too much press in order for the organisation to sell their story later down the line.
“The majority of national pageants will have sub titles which are positive however to gain such recognition has a big negative impact on the girls and their mental health.”
She added: “Many girls will say and behave how they believe the judges will want them to prior to the competition in order to potentially gain points as all the judges have Instagram and will most definitely follow people's journeys.”
While the Miss England representative is unable to comment on the process of other pageants, they say theirs is fair and based on merit.
Within the competition, there are a variety of different rounds for contestants to show off their talents and skills.
“Unlike many other pageants, Miss England has various rounds in which all contestants have the option to take part in. Each round has independent judges,” they said.
“Winners of each round automatically get selected for the Final 12 on the night of the Contest. Such as the optional Sportsround where we had a penalty shoot-out to select the winner, an ethical fashion eco round, flawless photographic round, Dentakay brightest smile, beach beauty swimwear round and a public vote round and more.
"The more rounds the contestants enter, the more chances they have of reaching the top 12. The main independent judging panel on the night then selects a top 5 out of the 12 to answer a final question, which then decides the winner.
“This year the judge's question was ‘What would you bring to the role as Miss England?’ The winner Jessica Gagen gave an incredible answer and wooed the judges and the audience and totally deserved to win!”
Our source went on to say that the entry fee to become a finalist in UK pageants is on average £500 per person.
This usually excludes hotels, outfits and travel costs to the events and pre-events.
“The entry fee is usually paid for by a sponsor however it is a huge scam as the organisation benefits from this money, not the girls themselves,” she continued.
“Judges will tell new contestants on the night that they have ‘potential’ in order for them to come back the year after and therefore spend more money with the organisation for the same results.”
While Miss England charged a £25 entry fee to enter Miss England 2022 – which may rise for 2023 – the representative said they have also heard of some pageants in the UK charging extremely high entry fees.
In some cases, they have heard of some charging more than £500 just to be a contestant in their national final.
Unlike many pageant systems in the UK and across the world, the hotel accommodation and food for the duration of the two-day event for the Miss England finalists were provided for free due to the organisation gaining sponsorship to cover the cost.
Their evening dress sponsor To the Nines offered a 50% discount off their collection to Miss England finalists.
They added: “It is a contest and it is their choice to enter the optional rounds and travel if they want to do so. It is all made very clear to the finalists.”
When our source competed a few years ago, the most serious thing she says she witnessed was the impact on people's mental health and well-being prior to the final show and after.
“There is huge pressure on these girls to buy the best outfit and wear the best shoes and makeup in order to impress five people who have already made their minds up months before the show,” she said.
“I shared a room with a young girl who had a nervous breakdown due to worrying about the competition and whether she was going to place or not…
“While no one is forcing these girls to take part I believe due to the way the system is rigged there are no development opportunities or fair outcomes for the girls and they are set up to compare and compete against each other by the system.”
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