Last year Miss Universe’s judges were all female. Miss World has done away with the swimsuit round. But has anything else really changed in the world of beauty pageants? Salma Haidrani entered to find out
My ankles feel close to buckling. They’re strapped into five-inch, diamante-encrusted heels, and are barely visible underneath my floor-length sequin dress. I’m hovering at the top of a set of stairs, leading to a stage. I feel as though I’m surrounded by butterflies; a cluster of women resplendent in coordinating, shimmering jewel tones, their delicate bodies quivering as they await their turn. One of them wrings her hands and cricks her neck to the left, and then to the right. But they must keep waiting. Until I’ve had my turn. A microphone is thrust into my hand. I place my other on my hip, take a shaky step out into the spotlight. I am here to win Miss World.
Three months previously, my parents were staring at me, goggle-eyed over a Sunday roast, their forks suspended in mid-air. “But, but… you have a degree,” spluttered my mum. I’d just broken the news to them that I have been accepted to compete in the Miss London heats, the first step (on a long road) to becoming Miss World (prize money: $100,000). It could be, I tell them, life-changing. But they remain unconvinced. I can’t blame them. Becoming a beauty queen is no longer the lofty, aspirational career choice it was in the ’60s. Back then pageants were televised to millions and made instant celebrities out of the women who entered them, offering many a chance to escape their quiet hometowns. Then, slowly, they slipped out of fashion. There were, of course, the protests (at Miss World 1970, held in the Royal Albert Hall, the Women’s Liberation Movement chucked flour bombs at those entering), but also, as is the way of many things that grip the nation, we simply got a bit bored. Unlike in China and South America (where they’re still huge events), ask any twentysomething in the UK and they’d struggle to name a single beauty queen. The competitions haven’t been televised on the main channels since 2001.
This story is from the June 2019 edition of Cosmopolitan UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2019 edition of Cosmopolitan UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
‘Is Three Relationships Too Many?'
With his girlfriend out of town, Jack’s* wife suggests he finds a third partner
Brave New Beauty
Is tech about to revolutionise your skincare regime and transport you into a whole new universe of beautification? Joanna Taylor isn’t always convinced…
How The Gig Economy Is Killing Millennials…
I put in 18-hour days. I work in the same room I sleep in. I never know when or if I’ll be paid. I go days without speaking to anyone.
Could Your #AvoOnToast Get You Headhunted?
Quite possibly. But you’ll have to catch the eye of a new breed of talent scout first. Here’s how…
The Robot Wars
For decades, mankind has feared the day technology becomes cleverer than us. Now it’s here, and we were too busy trying to sync our Sonos to notice. Welcome to The Big Techover...
Hot-Air Health Myths... Exploded
Think you’re up to date with the basic rules of staying in shape? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably aren’t…
The Darkside Of BodyBuilding
Amateur fitness competitions have gone mainstream – but do they provide a “healthy” cover for those hiding deadly eating disorders? Former competitor Rebecca Barnes, 22, certainly thinks so.
The Stacy Dooley Effect
From the frontline to the dancefloor, Stacey Dooley defied all the odds to become TV’s golden girl. But it could have worked out very differently
Kings Of The Night
Sex, champagne and parties on tap… what could possibly go wrong? BOBBY PALMER spends the night with the most successful club promoter in London
Is Beauty A Tickıng Timebomb?
With their legions of fans, beauty-brand founders have exploded onto the scene – sometimes becoming celebrities in their own right. But what happens when their behaviour eclipses their products? Laura Capon investigates