Miss Italy contestant under fire for posing in swimsuit with her baby

Miss Italy contestant under fire for posing in swimsuit with her baby

Miss Italy contestant Alessia Spagnulo is freaked out after receiving death threats and harsh messages on social media.

Miss Italy
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On Damon Beard's Big Debate: An Italian beauty contestant faced criticism after posing in a picture with her daughter. But rules are rules, aren't they? Damon asks Terence Pillay, a beauty contest judge and ECR Breakfast contributor, for his opinion.

Beauty queens are known for being 'perfect'. They have charming personalities, always look their best, and have a constant smile on their faces.

Read: Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters arrives in SA

However, there are some rules attached to anyone aiming to become a beauty queen - you must not be married and not have children. 

In most pageants, the winner can be dethroned for falling pregnant during her reign. There have been a few recorded incidents of this happening, namely: Oxana Fedorova - Miss Universe 2002, Justlyn Ollivierre - Miss Easterval 2013, and Ashley Harder - Miss New Jersey USA 2002.

Read: South Africa's new export is Miss Universe

I wonder where these rules were derived from? 

Some pageants even require that the winner stay single during the duration of her reign. 

This brings me to an article that I recently came across. What are your thoughts on beauty queens having babies?

Read: Woman with Down syndrome makes history at USA beauty pageant

Clearly, some people are against it after a Miss Italy contestant posed in a swimsuit with her six-month-old daughter in front of judges.

She’s come under intense fire for the move – and has even received death threats after saying she was proud of being the first hopeful to compete with a baby.

Her message to other mothers is that their dreams can come true even if they have a child, and the 1,000 daily tasks that come with it.

Does having a baby make someone less of a beauty queen? If you were a judge, would a girl with a baby lose marks?

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