British beauty queen and reigning Universal Woman Great Britain Rebecca Afolabi became the target of social media rancor after her participation in the international version of the pageant was recently announced.
As is the rule, the win earned Rebecca a trip to the Universal Woman Pageant, which will be held in Cambodia in October 2026.
Highlights
- Beauty queen Rebecca Afolabi, who is set to represent Great Britain in October’s Universal Woman Pageant, was blasted online for her looks.
- Her friends and associates came to her defense, dismissing the criticisms as “racist” vitriol.
- A Miss USA contender was recently stripped of her title for her past social media conduct.
However, some online disapproved of her selection and openly criticized her physical appearance.
“The Brits have completely lost their minds,” one user shared, and the post earned over 5 million views.
Rebecca’s friends soon came to her defense, publicly calling out the critics as “racist.”
Critics attacked Rebecca Afolabi online for representing Great Britain at the Universal Woman Pageant 2026
With the Universal Woman Pageant a few weeks away, detractors shared Rebecca Afolabi’s photo online and argued she wasn’t fit to represent her country in the competition.
“She's not even pretty. This is to demoralize the country,” one user said. Another wrote, “Are British people bad not just with their tongues but also with their eyes?”
“I know they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but Christ alive, that’s stretching things a bit, no?” a third said.
A fourth said, “There are millions of Black women that would blow her away in looks.”
“Can't they find a single normal person in the UK?” a fifth chimed in. A sixth said, “What kind of distorted Barbie bulls**t is this?”
After the criticisms went viral, Rebecca’s friends and fellow beauty queens pushed back hard.
Several beauty pageant participants blasted the critics over “racist” comments
Pageant coordinator, talent manager, and Miss Great Britain 2026 Finalist Holly Pirrie called the backlash against Rebecca a “disgusting racial ab**e and trolling.”
“The posts that are being shared are abhorrent,” she wrote. “It’s incredibly frustrating and worrying that I know how much these are being reported, but Meta is refusing to remove them. I simply don’t understand how people can incite hatred, but no action by those in control is taken.”
“I also keep seeing not just the beauty in Rebecca’s personality but her strength, determination, and matter-of-factness when faced with these idiots.”
Rebecca shared Holly’s post on Instagram Stories and wrote, “Couldn’t have said it better! Love you.”
Mrs. Lancashire Galaxy 2026/27 Eden Ronson said, “Meta, what you have allowed to continue this week is abhorrent. The racial ab**e of this stunning, brave, kind, and resilient young woman is beyond inhuman, and this needs to be tackled head-on without delay.”
Miss Northampton 2026 Charlotte Levy pointed out that the racist vitriol Rebecca received this week isn’t limited to online discourse, but extends to the dressing room and behind-the-scenes space as well.
“I’ve sat in rooms that blame black girls for not having the right foundation shade,” she said. “It’s the bare minimum for [makeup] artists to have foundation. And don’t get me started on hair.”
Miss Manchester 2024 and Miss England finalist Vanessa Naddamba wrote on Instagram, “You owe no energy to the hate or ignorance being thrown your way. You earned your place, fairly, rightfully, and undeniably.”
“I pray you walk onto that international stage knowing you belong there, carrying yourself with pride as you represent every woman and girl who looks like you… like us.”
A Miss USA contender was recently stripped of her title over allegations of racism
The world of beauty pageants has long battled allegations of racism.
In the U.S., the Miss America pageant formally excluded Black women and other women of color during its early years, with its rules once requiring contestants to be “of the white race.”
Even after racial barriers were removed, critics have argued that pageants continued to favor features associated with Eurocentric beauty standards.
In recent years, they have become platforms for challenging those standards, with several women of color winning major titles and representation gradually broadening.
Keeping in line with the reforms, Miss North Carolina USA 2026, Brittany Boltinhouse, was recently stripped of her title after a “thorough review” of her past social media conduct that allegedly included using a racial slur and making discriminatory statements.
The Miss USA organization does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, nor language that strips any person of their dignity," Thom Brodeur, president of the Miss USA organization, said in a statement in August 2026.
After losing her title weeks before the Miss USA national competition, Boltinhouse took legal action against the organizers.
The lawsuit did not challenge the organization’s legal authority to strip her, but rather an alleged public campaign by them, attempting to portray her as “a racist, homophobe, transphobe, and intolerable bigot.”
"On purpose," a user commented
