Miss Great Britain, Zara Holland, has been stripped of her title after having sex on dating reality show Love Island.
The organisation said it was with “deep regret” that the 20-year-old had been “de-crowned” after getting intimate with fellow housemate, Alex Bowen, in scenes that aired on Wednesday.
A statement read: “We pride ourselves on promoting the positivity of pageants in modern society and this includes the promotion of a strong, positive female role model in our winners.
“The feedback we have received from pageant insiders and members of the general public is such that we cannot promote Zara as a positive role model moving forward.
“We wholly understand that everyone makes mistakes, but Zara, as an ambassador for Miss Great Britain, simply did not uphold the responsibility expected of the title.”
It later tweeted: “To be clear we have no problem at all with sex-it is perfectly natural. We simply can’t condone what happened on national TV.”
She will be replaced by runner-up, Deone Robertson, who had been crowned Miss North Lanarkshire, and will now compete in the Miss World competition.
Holland said she regretted the decision in Thursday night’s show.
She told the cameras: “You know when you’re in the moment and it just happens. That’s really not like me at all. Why couldn’t we have just gone to sleep?”
The organisation said they would meet Holland on her return to the UK from the house in Majorca “to fully explain our decision and will wish her the very best going forward”.
A spokesman for the show said a decision had not yet been made on when Holland would be informed.
The decision sparked a huge backlash on Twitter, where many expressed their support for Holland and accused Miss Great Britain organisers of sexism.
Zara Holland is a sexually empowered woman and doesn’t deserve this kind of public embarrassment – wouldn’t happen to a man #everydaysexism
— Laura Bird (@lelizabethbird) June 16, 2016
If Miss Great Britain had any gratitude or respect they would have informed Zara of her de-crowning first. #missgreatbritain #zaraholland
— Shanice (@shanicephyliss) June 16, 2016
@Official_MissGB #zara #zaraholland also, pic.twitter.com/myfhBd7wW3
— Megan Flockhart (@meganflockhart) June 16, 2016
@zaraholland11 definitely didn’t deserve that at all what a bullshit archaic system of pageantry ????????
— char (@CHARllZARD) June 16, 2016
I mean I don’t like @zaraholland11 or watch love island, but how can @Official_MissGB support women but don’t allow them to have sex…
— Jessica (@Jesswatsonnn) June 16, 2016
Think it’s disgusting that @Official_MissGB have de-crowned @zaraholland11 publicly to the world as she’s on TV blissfully unaware #tacky
— Samantha Jayne (@SamJayne11) June 16, 2016
@Official_MissGB had all day to release their statement regarding @zaraholland11 on #LoveIsland and they choose now #publicitystunt
— Jess Smith (@jess_smith88) June 16, 2016
I don’t agree with @zaraholland11 losing her title as Miss GB. Since when can women not be sexually free? It’s absolutely ridiculous
— Sie.岱 (@_sienxo) June 16, 2016
@zaraholland11 being de-crowned, absolutely ridiculous!! She’s a normal young person ???? does she have to be a saint ???? ????? ????
— Holly Noble (@HollyTheHobo) June 16, 2016
