28-year-old Zoiey Smale was going to represent the UK at Miss United Continents 2017 in Ecuador after winning the Miss UK title in June.
Then she was informed that the international directors of the contest wanted her to “lose as much weight as she could” to be a serious contender.
Size 10 model was left flabbergasted. “I was like, “pardon?” It was one of those things, in the 21st century you don’t actually expect people to be that blunt”, she said.
Smale has been in the industry for over 10 years and is contending in beauty pageants since she was 18. She hung up the phone and after thinking for 2 weeks, she decided on giving up her crown and not competing in the finals at Ecuador.
She wrote on her Facebook post, “Some of you may think this is cowardly, however, I don’t think it is the right to have my face representing a pageant ethos I do not believe in”.
She further explained, “Those rogue competitions that claim to be pageants… yet insist you eat less, parade around in a bikini for a few days and sit at the arm of a man over dinner whilst pushing an olive around a plate.”
If I can do one thing today, it's inspiring others that the number on a clothes tag does not define you! #inspire #power
— ♛Zeezus♛ (@Zo13y) August 30, 2017
She said that she remembers the time when she was young and bullied for being ‘fat’. “I was branded ‘fat’ because I am size 10. I actually believed that I was so disgusting that no one would ever love me.”
She said that she is saddened by the fact that despite the changes in the beauty industry, still there are people who believe that to be beautiful, you need to be skinny.
“All in all we never know when our time on this earth is up.. so love yourself, eat a bit of cake and laugh until your belly hurts.” she said.
People commended her for being the whistle blower of the beauty industry who glorifies thinness as beauty.
https://t.co/LiNHroOg2K'r an example to thousands of women who feel complexes with their bodies in cons of the wrong new standards of beauty
— Alba Moreno (@albamsanta) August 30, 2017
Can you leave women alone and stop FAT SHAMING us?! This woman is a size 10 beauty queen, Zoiey Smale, who was told she's TOO FAT?! #MissUK pic.twitter.com/FSPVDlxNhz
— lindsay (@LindsayLuco) August 30, 2017
Thanks 4 being an inspiration to all the girls around the world #girlpower #imnotanumber
— gorgoritos (@gorgoritos242) August 30, 2017
Well done to @Zo13y for highlighting body shape discrimination within beauty pageants #perfect10 #bodypositivity #selflove #curvyandproud
— Donna Iliffe-Pollard (@DonnaIliffeP) August 30, 2017
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