Miss World Australia: ‘Beauty contestants are anything but fake’

She might have just taken out the Miss World Australia competition, but it’s clear Madeline Cowe isn’t going to let fame go to her head.

The down-to-earth 23-year old is juggling a law degree with her pageant duties, which might seem ambitious to some, but isn't necessarily unique in the beauty world.

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“There are girls from all walks of life in the competition,” Madeline tells Be. “People studying to be doctors and nurses and lawyers. I met a girl who speaks three different languages!”

They’re not words you’d expect from the average beauty contestant, who’s typically perceived as ditzy and fake.

But Madeline, who just completed a family law subject and has been offered a placement at a woman’s legal practice in Queensland, is neither – and she’s doing everything in her power to break the misconception of the stereotypical ‘pageant girl’.

“Everyone just thinks beauty pageant contestants are girls walking around in dresses and bikinis – but the competition is about so much more than that! What people don’t get to see are the hours of time that go into fundraising or working with charities, or doing interviews. I think people would be surprised if they learnt was underneath the glamour,” Madeline tells Be.

This year, Miss World axed the controversial swimsuit segment of the competition – which Madeline isn’t unpleased about at all.

“It’s a step forward to be honest,” she tells Be. “Getting rid of the swimsuit component dulls those pageant misconceptions a bit more. It was really only part of the competition so the judges could see how fit you are – but this year, we did a fitness challenge instead, which didn’t involve any swimsuits. I think it makes the whole thing a lot fairer.”

While Madeline comes across as instantly likeable, she also says she’s not adverse to speaking her mind like Miss Universe, Monika Radulovic.

“Aussie girls are down-to-earth and honest by nature I think,” she says. “A lot of people think you’ll change and become fake by being in this contest. But my family will definitely keep me grounded. I’m from a small, rural town, so I can’t imagine being anything other than true to myself.”

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However, Madeline admits there’s nothing that could prepare her for the now infamous Miss Universe gaffe that happened last year, in which host Steve Harvey named the wrong winner.

“I don’t know how I’d handle that!” Madeline confesses. “It would depend if I was the girl who was crowned or not. Both situations would be difficult I think. I really felt bad for Miss Colombia though, because she essentially had her dream ripped away from her. It definitely opened my eyes to what can happen. If anything, it makes me want to be 110% prepared.”

Madeline was famously asked about the pursuit of perfection in the social media age during the Miss World pageant, to which she replied that it was important to maintain her sense of self.

“It is hard though,” she adds today. “I still put a filter on my photos and I have an editing app! I’m not going to lie. But I never photoshop my images or make them any different – I try to stay in the moment as much as I can.”

Madeline admits she gets asked all the time about entering the pageant world – and her response is always the same.

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“So many people ask, should I enter Miss World? You just need to do it. You It makes you grown and learn. My confidence has grown and I’ve learnt so much. I used to be so shy. Take every opportunity that comes your way that’s in line with your morals and values. Just do it. Prepare and you’ll learn from it.”

Madeline will be heading to Washington DC to compete in the Miss World final in December.

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