(Miss) World of confusion, Fiji-style.

There's so much to love about Fiji. But its ability to present itself as a tropical asylum never disappoints.

The tiny nation's latest international boondoggle involves a beauty pageant. If you've ever visited Fiji you know it's a land of naturally beautiful and dignified indigenous and Indo-Fijian women with a smattering of Asian and European-mixed from all corners of the globe. Finding a worthy representative for the world stage in Fiji should be as easy as finding a coconut.

But this is Fiji, so it gets weird.

The British-based Miss World organisation decided to hold a Miss World Fiji pageant. While compiling local contestants the pageant's director, Andhy Blake, contacted a young woman named Torika Watters via Facebook to ask if she wished to compete (she was in Sydney at the time). Torika agreed and flew in for the competition. And won. And unleashed a tsunami of controversy because, as the photo of her being crowned shows, she's white.

This particular pageant had scored a coup by bringing in New Zealand 'celebrity' Rachel Hunter and had enjoyed weeks of media coverage. After so much hype the crowning of a young woman of mixed European and Fijian heritage with blonde hair was bound to upset a nation of proudly dark-skinned men and women. Toss in 100 years of British colonialism that lasted until 1970 and word that Ms Watters had been 'pre-selected' as a semi-finalist before the contest began and you've got a full-on scandal. It was eventually determined that Ms Watters was below the legal age to compete and was stripped of her crown. 'Pageant Fiasco' screamed the Fiji Times, but most media outlets played up the ensuing race row and how the winner had been decried as 'not Fijian enough'.

{yawn}

So much fuss over a fucking beauty pageant.

Anyway ... Ms Watters released a statement:

12th May 2012, 2pm

Re: Miss World Fiji 2012 Pageant

I would like to state that I have had no involvement in any of this underhand process and that I have been blind to this entire drama going on behind the scenes. I had no knowledge of any pre-selection or pre-judging. I had no intentions of doing anything sneaky or wrong and like the other contestants entered the competition for what I believed to be the right reasons - to be an Ambassador for Fiji and raise money for charitable causes.

Andhy Blake first contacted me on FB on the 7th of March to invite me to be a part of the Miss World Fiji Pageant. He said he would reserve a place for me among the semi finalists because I was in Sydney at the time. I told him that I would not be turning 17 until next year 2013, and asked if that mattered he said it was fine as he had sought prior approval from the CEO of Miss World Julia Morley. I arrived into Fiji on the 8th of April and came to Suva to join the other contestants on the 11th of April.

On the night of the finals, I was delighted and surprised to be chosen as Miss World Fiji and was proud to be given the opportunity to represent my Fijian heritage on the World stage. I am proud of my identity as a Fijian and have never considered my people as racists. The TNVZ interview was something as I was coached to do by the pageant director Andhy Blake and I have at all times up till now been given the words to say in public as part of my training. This is why I have come out today with my own statement.

Last week Friday 4th May, Andhy Blake told me "Sorry, you cannot go to Mongolia. I thought that 16 year olds could enter Miss World but I was wrong they have to be closer to 17, Julia Morley has advised me to send the first runner up this year and says you can go to Bali next year." He opened his laptop and paraphrased an email from the Miss World HQ in which they had stated I was ineligible to compete on the grounds of my age. We then held a meeting in Bau apartments the next day at which he TOLD me to officially inform the other girls that I would not be going.

I am now back in Nadi with my mum and just want to get on with my life. I left Suva and the entire pageant fiasco on Monday 7th May because I was becoming very uncomfortable with the situation. I was worried about the lies, the deception, the lack of transparency and the lack of professionalism. I knew there were issues with money, some of the girls had not received the promised prize money and were unhappy. I am sad it has come to this and wanted the public to hear directly from me without any outside interference.

Vinaka

Torika Watters, Miss World Fiji 2012

I believe every word. There would appear to be much more to investigate but again, it's a beauty pageant, so let's hope the mess fades from view and yet another black eye for Fiji heals without scarring.