I’m a proud pageant mum who made £15k from my nine-year-old – I wax her eyebrows as she’s not pretty enough without it
A PROUD pageant mum has revealed just how profitable entering her daughter into beauty competitions is.
Jamie Stacy had banked over £15,000 by the time her pageant queen daughter Chloe was just nine-years-old.
But to give her daughter that winning look, the mum-of-three would regularly get her pre-teen’s hair bleached and eyebrows waxed.
“If it would come down to facial beauty alone, Chloe doesn’t have that particular look that a lot of judges are looking for,” Jamie says.
“She does have brown eyes with dirty blonde hair.
“It doesn’t stand out like a beautiful redhead or a blonde haired, blue eyed child.
“By having the highlights, it just allows for us to win.”
Make-up artist Jamie made the shocking admissions on TLC’s reality show, Toddlers & Tiaras.
Among the themes of the show were fierce pageant rivalries and major tantrums.
However, the most commonplace theme was pushy parents – including Jamie.
She was known to give little Chloe spray tans, paint her face in adult make-up products and glue fake teeth into her mouth.
“A little bit of pain to win a better title? She’ll take it all day long,” Jamie added about waxing her young daughter’s eyebrows.
Toddlers & Tiaras, which aired on US network TLC between 2009 and 2013, followed the lives and families of children competing in beauty pageants.
It garnered huge ratings for showcasing children with thick make-up, glittery dresses and six-inch heels – all while their parents stood on the side encouraging them.
The show pulled two million viewers per episode at its peak.
But it was pulled by TV bosses after it faced controversy for showing children dressed provocatively.
How do Beauty Pageants Work in the UK?
Children’s beauty pageants in the UK operate similarly to those in other countries.
However, they are less prevalent and often face more scrutiny and regulation due to concerns about their impact on child participants.
Parents usually need to pay an entry fee for their child to participate, which can vary significantly depending on the pageant.
Winner’s prizes can range from cash awards to scholarships, gifts, and photo shoots.
Titles like Mini Miss ‘Universe’, Little Miss ‘England’ or Junior Miss County are often awarded.
Some pageants offer titles that qualify winners for larger, national, or international competitions.
It briefly returned for another series in 2016.
After the plug was pulled on Toddlers & Tiaras, several of its stars continued to make headlines.
Some event went on to land spin-off shows.
That includes Toddlers & Tiaras’ breakout stars, Mama June and Honey Boo Boo.