Extreme Beauty Queens Secrets of South America

UPBEAT MUSIC

It's World Cup year

and the whole of South America will be celebrating.

Salud!

-'I'm Billie JD Porter...'

-ALL: Hi!

'..and in this series, I'm going to three countries across this spectacular

'and rapidly changing continent,

'lifting the lid on young people's passions, dreams and obstacles.'

GUNSHOTS RING OUT

And tonight, a nation where beauty is even more important than football.

I'm dressed up... but my eyelashes are falling off!

DRUMS BEAT

Welcome to Venezuela and in a country obsessed with beauty,

tonight is the night where dreams are made.

Buenos noches, Venezuela!

CHEERING

There is no greater prize for a woman here

than the Miss Venezuela crown.

I came here with nothing. A little bag and my dream, that's it.

Wow!

# I live for the applause applause, applause.

# I live for the applause-plause Live for the applause-plause... #

15 million people watch the Miss Venezuela contest

live across Latin America.

Beauty here is part of the country's identity

and heritage, and it has been for as long as anyone can remember.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

To succeed, the girls must undergo a transformation

designed by the nation's king of beauty, Osmel Sousa.

'For the first time in 30 years,

'Sousa is opening his beauty factory to the world.'

Hey, it's Billie. Thank you.

'Giving me behind the scenes access along with the reality TV show.'

'I follow contestant number 22...

'..who will attempt to go from slum to celebrity in just six months.'

Oh, hi, nice to meet you. I'm Billie.

SHE SPEAKS SPANISH

She must survive, not just the contest,

but Caracas itself - the most dangerous capital in the world...

..where armed robbery, kidnap and murder are a constant reality.

'And I meet a cowgirl from the Amazon determined to find a way to

'Osmel and the big city.'

SHE SHOUTS

'Finally, I attempt to track down Osmel Sousa himself.'

My name's Billie. I 'm from the BBC.

I got completely starstruck then. I don't even know...

I was burning up.

Caracas, a tropical city close to the Caribbean Sea.

I arrived six months before the Miss Venezuela final,

and already hundreds of girls are competing to become candidates.

I was watching clips of all the girls. I was like, "Oh, my God!"

I can't stand next to these people without just looking like...

..a goblin, basically.

The President, Hugo Chavez, has just passed away

and his image is everywhere.

This self-styled Robin Hood took from the rich

and gave to the poor, calling it a socialist revolution.

He had many enemies, but to his supporters he's a saint.

HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH

But the truth is I've come to meet another leader.

That's Osmel Sousa - president of Miss Venezuela.

I'm dying to meet Osmel, but I've heard he's an elusive character,

so I'm ready to suck up to him big time.

'And today he's at the Miss Venezuela house,

'his beauty factory where ordinary girls are transformed.'

I've already seen someone with a post-op cotton pad on their face.

55 kilos.

Mal. Says I'm fat.

Do you think that all of the girls here are kind of in awe of Osmel?

SHE REPLIES IN SPANISH

Next door, a casting is taking place.

From his throne, King Osmel Sousa is choosing which girls can go

through to the next round.

MUSIC: "Daddy Cool" by Boney M

# She's crazy like a fool

# What about it Daddy Cool...? #

No flaw, however small, escapes this 67-year-old perfectionist.

HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH

# ..She's crazy like a fool

# What about it Daddy Cool...? #

OK.

# Daddy, Daddy Cool... #

Osmel has never hidden the surgery.

This pageant isn't based on natural beauty alone,

it's all about your potential.

# ..Daddy, Daddy Cool! #

They're remarkably brave,

compared to a lot of the reality shows we have in England.

No-one was crying, at least on the outside.

But they were just there, you know, like pointing

at the nonexistent cellulite and the girls were just fine with that.

I was like, "Oh, my God."

I was sort of rearranging my dress to cover my knees

so Osmel didn't spy on them.

Maria Alicia...

'Time for the eliminations.'

Are you shocked by that decision?

Hah!

Obviously, to you

Miss Venezuela is way more than just a beauty pageant.

'Girls battle for months just to win a place here.

'But for those with no money, it can be especially difficult.'

Just a few miles from the beauty factory are the slums.

Known as the barrios, they are home to 1.5 million people.

Many have been lifted out of extreme poverty,

but these areas remain extremely violent.

Somebody is murdered every 40 minutes in Venezuela.

I visit 18-year-old contestant Meyer, who helps her parents

run their tiny shop in the heart of the Santa Cruz barrio.

Hi, I'm Billie. Nice to meet you. Thanks for having me.

Hello.

-Mi madre.

-Oh, hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Billie.

So, you're like a local celebrity now?

SHE SPEAKS SPANISH

Is a kind of like a taste of what might be to come?

Would you like that sort of attention in the future?

Do you think that being involved in Miss Venezuela could help you

and your family on a financial level?

Is it difficult for young people in the barrios to

land opportunities like this?

'Nobody from this barrio has ever made it to the Miss Venezuela final,

'let alone win it.'

It seems like it's difficult to get out of this neighbourhood,

but they're making the best of it.

This house is...

probably a lot nicer than the one I grew up in, to be honest with you.

But the family hasn't escaped the violence.

Meyer's brother and cousin were shot dead in the area

and now they all want a better future.

So, do you share this with your sister then?

TRANSLATION

Does she want to be a Miss as well?

So what was the grand total, then, when you added everything up?

That's a lot!

I can't imagine how much you had to work to put up that money.

Does the fact that they've spent

so much money on you make you feel

nervous or more pressured to succeed?

So, what surgeries have you had?

Who told you that you needed to get all that stuff done?

Oh, is that your...?

So you're just having soup?

What is that? I don't understand.

'Meyer tells me the plastic patch is sewn onto the tongue,

'making it too painful to eat solids.'

I have never heard of anything like that in my life!

How can...? Can't kiss anyone then?

It was crazy to hear how much money Meyer's family have

spent on her surgery and her clothes

and everything involved with the competition.

And I wonder if that's Osmel's influence.

MUSIC: "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Stanton

Excited to learn from the pros!

'It's Saturday morning at beauty school in Caracas.

'A city where every little girl is considered a potential beauty queen of the future.'

HE SPEAKS SPANISH

Ooh! You're so sweet.

-# ..When you just can't break away

-You can't just break away

# Oh, young hearts... #

'There are over 35 of these academies in Caracas.

'And from here, Osmel Sousa is a constant reminder of the Miss Venezuela fairy tale.'

# ..My man and me

# Ooh, young hearts to yourself be true

# Don't be no fool when love really don't love you... #

Do you girls all want to enter Miss Venezuela

-when you're older?

-ALL: Si!

What's your favourite class?

Why is it important to learn how to do your make-up now?

-Do you like Osmel?

-ALL: Si.

-Are you going to watch the final on telly?

-ALL: Si.

Stephanie, you're not eating your food like a lady!

Why do you come here every Saturday?

SHE SPEAKS SPANISH

Do you think that even doctors need to know how to put make-up on

and how to do a catwalk?

Why do you want to enter Miss Venezuela?

SHE ANSWERS IN SPANISH

In the evenings,

the nation now gets to watch Osmel Sousa at work.

This is the first time that the whole process has been televised,

and they've got their own camera crew in the Miss Venezuela house

tracking everything that happens, like a proper reality show.

Osmel looks so cute!

What's that guy got on his nose?

One of the judges has got, like, loads of bandages on his face,

from a nose job.

Casual. Look!

Oh!

'For the first time,

'the show reveals the extreme diets the girls put themselves on.'

What... Fainting?

'And the consequences.'

Oh, my God.

I love trashy TV. That's my new favourite show.

Tonight, Osmel is due on the red carpet as a judge

at a Miss Venezuela regional heat.

I decide if I'm ever going to make contact with the man,

I'm going to have to ambush him myself.

Hello. My name's Billie. I'm from the BBC. You look amazing.

Why is Miss Venezuela such an important contest to this country?

Why do you think the country is so fascinated by watching

the journey that these girls go on every single year?

Is it harder than it looks, the stuff that they have to go through?

I'm going to be your crazy fan for the next six months.

This isn't the last you're going to see of me.

It's weird because even though I've got nothing to do with

this competition at all, I found myself really,

really seeking his approval then, and I really wanted him

to like me, and that's the way a lot of women are around him.

They're all falling around over him and they want him

to think that they're nice or fabulous or something.

It's just a weird effect to have on people around you,

and I think that for someone of his age,

to dress the way he does and to be so sort of openly flamboyant

and dedicated to his trade is really fascinating.

Osmel has acknowledged my presence at least.

But will the king grant me a proper audience?

When I next see Osmel, it's on TV.

Under the knife, to improve his smile.

Later in the episode, Meyer, the girl from the slums,

struggles to survive in the competition.

Vanessa.

I've been told that Miss Venezuela mania consumes

every corner of the country.

So I head 300 miles south to a city at the edge of the Amazon.

Right about now,

we're flying over the Orinoco Belt area, which is home

to the second largest oil reserve in the whole world,

so there's a lot of money underneath us right now,

which is kind of weird after seeing all these barrios

and slums back in Caracas, but Venezuela's actually...

There's a lot of money flying around both in oil

and in the beauty industry.

Oh, my God. Mega gym.

I tracked down a group of regional Miss Venezuela wannabes,

who are training long into the night.

I want to know what sacrifices the girls are prepared to make

to get ahead in the competition.

It's here I meet 20-year-old farm girl Lara.

What's your life like now? What do you do for a job?

Wow. That must be a really big deal for you, then.

I guess you've thrown a whole other life away for this.

Oh, don't worry.

Bloody Osmel, making the girls cry.

Do you ever think this whole culture of beauty

and making young girls want to go to pageants and making their dream

to look like Barbie dolls, essentially, is making people sad?

It's a lot of pressure on girls.

Do you think it would be possible for you to show us where you live at some point?

It's so nice to meet you. Stop crying.

Is it extensions, like mine?

DO you have anything else on that's, like, false?

Botox?

Was your Botox just to lift your eyebrows, then?

Have you watched the show on TV?

Lots of the girls we've met who are even at the same stage as Lara

in the competition have had work done, like a boob job.

Does that concern you slightly, that she

might be under pressure to do the same?

How does that feel to have Lara as a cover girl?

So Lara is a bit of a local celeb now, but I think that

the family just see her as the same old farm girl, which is nice.

Did you foresee Lara following in your footsteps

and working the farm and becoming a cowgirl?

I've heard that the government has been seizing land

and taking over some of the local farms.

The government's control of food production has squeezed

this independent farm out of the market.

The family can't sell the milk, and there are no prospects for Lara.

At the same time, people in the cities are experiencing

serious food shortages.

Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Billie.

What are you queueing for specifically today?

Why do you think all of this is happening?

This woman is trying to defend the government's reputation.

But others disagree.

Everyone's getting really, really angry and shouting,

trying to have their say.

Somebody else steps in to accuse the queuers of failing to support

the socialist revolution.

What's happening?

Everyone's screaming, about loving their country

and not being able to find the food they need. But it's weird.

All the kids are off school,

so there's loads of young children here, and babies.

I'm sure they don't know what the hell is going on.

Sad.

Tonight, Lara is hoping to win the regional heat

and collect the coveted prize, a place at Osmel Sousa's beauty factory in Caracas.

How's it going?

You seem remarkably composed,

considering that this could change your entire life.

Lara hasn't got any of her family here,

so we're going to have to be whooping for her.

Lara becomes a finalist,

but then only two girls are selected to go to Caracas.

Her dreams have been smashed.

You did really, really well throughout all of it.

I think you should be really pleased.

Well, um...well done, you did so good.

Laura's putting on a brave face,

but we both know her sacrifices haven't paid off.

After having seen the reality of all the stuff

that's going on in the country now with all the shortages

and meeting first-hand the people who have to queue for hours

to get basic supplies,

it's really interesting that beauty's such a big priority here,

despite the economic climate.

Hey, it's Billie.

'I arrive back at the beauty factory.

'I've been pencilled into the King of Beauty's diary.'

-Hi.

-ALL: Hi!

# You're undiscovered

# Want to see the rest of you... #

Despite my best efforts,

the girls tell me I'm not "Osmel-ready".

Noted.

And as if by magic...

..Osmel suddenly appears.

Thanks so much!

Did you think I was really scruffy when you first met me?

That's kind of true, I guess.

Before you were in this industry, did you always think like that?

When you looked at a girl, were you like,

"Oh, that could be better"?

What do I need to fix?!

My teeth?

British people have bad teeth.

No, I can't smile.

So, my teeth - what else?

Oh, what, the moles?

HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH

Yeah...

Were there women in your life when you were younger, very beautiful?

Do you think that inspired you?

So that was it - you were angry!

Wow...

During Osmel's reign,

Venezuela has won more international beauty competitions

than any other nation.

But not everyone's a fan,

like these anti-pageant protesters in London, 2011.

There was some backlash a while ago, wasn't there?

After a Miss World competition,

there were feminist protesters who had a problem with the competition.

What do you think about that?

-I'm a feminist.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

I don't look like one?

I don't think feminists are against beauty, necessarily.

It's the implication that women have to be beautiful

in order to be respected.

The Miss Venezuela final is now just two months away.

I'm told people watch for two reasons -

it's a chance to see the nation's most beautiful women...

..and there's the possibility

they'll say something spectacularly stupid when they open their mouths.

Ay, no!

Meyer is nominated as one of the top three worst speakers.

Meyer suffers another blow while training -

she loses her confidence and sinks on national TV.

No wonder the girls are scared of looking like fools.

They now furiously revise

for the question and answer section of the pageant.

Does it, like, really bother you, then,

that people assume you're thick?

-Let me practise one with you.

-Yeah, yeah.

What's your favourite book?

You must have a favourite book, at least a fake one

that you've lined up - War And Peace?

Fifty Shades Of Grey?

LAUGHTER

Please say that, please!

OK.

I bet that if a girl was really outspoken,

then they'd respect for that, no?

I think so, yeah.

Just outgoing, spontaneous, something that...

But it's hard to be in this setting where you have to be a Miss,

like, "Oh, no, I don't read those type..."

You know? You have to be very neutral.

So Fifty Shades Of Grey is a no-no?

Technically, no...

Do you feel like, to a certain extent,

you can't fully be yourself in this competition?

Em...in a certain way, you can say that,

because there are some things that a Miss should be and should not be.

Like, when they ask you about abortion and gays, everything,

you have to be very neutral - you can't be "that, that, that".

It's very hard.

What, what, what?

-Are you reading...?

-Yeah!

Favourite book - sorry, sorry.

HE SPEAKS IN SPANISH

Helping the girls deal with life in the spotlight

is The Professor - an academic and a comedian.

Nice to meet you.

Is it a very tough job,

or are many of the girls already quite articulate?

Well, people are always expecting to laugh at a beauty queen.

One of the rules is very simple.

You NEED her to be stupid,

because if she's smart, beautiful and successful at the same time,

there is no divine justice.

This is all free - God just chose some girl, randomly,

and decided, "You know what?

"She's not going to have to work a lot in her life.

"Having drinks in the pool and hanging out in the best places..."

There's this mythology about the beauty queens.

The Professor's main task is to help the girls side-step all controversy.

A tricky question from journalists or on stage

could be something that brings you to politics,

which is very sensitive in this country.

Why do you think it's not a good idea to be detailing problems?

Is it, kind of, pretend that they're not there...?

No - everybody knows they're there.

It is important to show

that you're living in the country you're living in,

and that's why I ask them, "Read the newspaper, for God's sake.

"Listen to the news."

But they cannot show any political inclination.

They have to be centre, no matter if, in their heads,

they're leftist or right-wing or whatever.

They have to be centre,

because we live in a very polarised country, when it comes to that.

MUSIC: "Lovumba" by Daddy Yankee

At the same time, when it comes to beauty,

the girls are never free from Osmel's gaze.

How are you?

Have you always got your eyes on the girls, then,

even in rehearsals,

when they're...I don't know, more relaxed?

Which ones?

COWS LOW

Meanwhile, Laura is living back on the farm.

THUNDER RUMBLES

But she now travels for modelling jobs

and agrees to meet me here in Caracas.

-Hi!

-Como estas?

-How are you?

It's been ages.

-You cut your hair.

-Si, si, me lo corte.

I prefer it.

How did you feel when you found out that you had lost the competition?

Do you sometimes wonder what you'd be doing right now, if you had won?

Like...would you have maybe got a boob job or something,

cos Osmel had told you to,

and you'd be on a mad diet?

The final is fast approaching

and I'm happy to see that Meyer, the shy girl from the slums,

has survived in the face of tough competition.

How have you managed to stay so, so positive throughout this process?

Because I can imagine it's quite easy

to just focus on the negatives and get really stressed out.

You've already come on, like, a really, really long, hard journey,

physically and mentally.

But is there anything about yourself you're still self-conscious about

or you feel is a weakness?

While Meyer's busy in rehearsals, I come to catch up with her mother.

Hola...

-ALL: Hola!

-Hola!

-Como estas?

-Muy bien! Y tu?

SHE SPEAKS RAPIDLY IN SPANISH

Em...

Is she going to be a Miss, when she grows up?

Ay, si!

Mum wants to show me just how challenging it's been for Meyer.

Oh, my God! How old is she there?

Who's that?

I'm sorry.

Gracias.

One time, I was talking to Meyer,

and she said that whenever she goes to the quinta,

she has to leave all of her problems behind.

Do you think she was referring to the violence within the barrio

and talking about what happened to her brother?

The streets remain violent.

Just three days before my visit, a group of boys was killed here.

DANCE MUSIC

'A British person watching the competition might find it

'completely crazy, the crazy diets and all of the operations'

the girls are undergoing just seem such an impossible feat to us,

but compared to some of the girls' home lives, it's nothing.

Meyer's younger brother was shot dead at 18.

To fight crime, the government has moved the army onto the streets,

but during my visit the shootings continued.

16,000 people are murdered every year in Venezuela.

'The hospital staff here direct me to the men's ward to meet

'a survivor and his sister.'

Do you feel lucky to have survived this?

What's the big wound?

Have the police here made any effort to find out who did this?

In this hospital, are there many victims of gunshot wounds, then?

What are the main reasons for this violence

that occurs in the barrios?

'This family are from the Petare district.

'Home to 1,000,000 people, it's South America's biggest slum.'

-Hello.

-This is Carmen.

-Nice to meet you.

'Here, the authorities escort me

'through their new crime-busting initiative.

'Football pitches, swimming pools and free universities.

'And they have a new police scheme.

'Family liaison officers who live among the community.'

Have you guys been watching the Miss Venezuela show?

What do you guys make of Osmel?

Maximo.

-You like him?

-He's the best.

Top marks.

Do you think that when life is as hard as it is

living in a barrio or a dangerous place

that things like Miss Venezuela provide a bit of escapism from that?

Miss Venezuela's fighting crime!

LAUGHTER

'After six months' preparation,

'it's the night everybody's been waiting for.

'The Miss Venezuela final.

'With three hours to go, the arena is filling up.

'I find Meyer's family up at the top.'

So loud!

DRUMMING, CHATTER

'But it's too noisy to do anything other than smile.'

'Earlier in the day, I caught up with the girls for the last time.'

You've worked so hard

and I feel like you personally have been through so, so much.

How would it feel to you if you actually won tonight?

Do you think that you participating in this competition has made

you all stronger again?

Good luck.

Unlike Meyer, most of the girls are from outside Caracas,

and haven't seen their families for months.

Like the youngest contestant.

How difficult has this been for you on an emotional level?

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-See you later.

-How is everyone doing, nerves-wise?

-They're all right, they're all right.

They're tense.

You can become a YouTube sensation tonight very easily

if you slip, and nobody wants that.

I think that's one of the funniest things about the age we live in.

People are more afraid of being laughed at than of dying.

'Meyer and the other girls will be watched by an estimated

'50 million people live across Latin America.

'But the show can't start without the man behind the magic.'

CHEERING

There will be five winners chosen by a panel of independent judges.

With a win comes money,

fame and a chance to travel the world representing Venezuela.

MUSIC AND CHEERING

Meyer's first opportunity to gain votes is in the swimsuit round.

Meyer's 90-60-90 body is mathematical perfection, apparently.

Next is the part every little girl loves. The dress.

Meyer's is worth £30,000.

It has 5,000 vintage Swiss crystals sewn on by hand.

But Meyer's biggest challenge is still to come.

The dreaded question and answer round.

Meyer stumbles over a tiny phrase and is booed.

But then she recovers herself.

Now, the five winners are announced.

Meyer is not a favourite,

something of which her family are only too aware.

Miss Guarico!

Miss Costa Oriental!

No girl from Meyer's barrio has ever won this competition.

Miss Cojedes!

SCREAMING AND CHEERING

Meyer, a shy girl from the barrio, has been transformed by Osmel.

Despite the loss of her brother, she has, with the support of her

family, overcome every obstacle to win success.

Meyer is given a title of first finalist,

while the youngest contestant, Migbelis Castellanos,

gets the Miss Venezuela crown.

It's not a straight win, but being a finalist opens

doors for girls in Venezuela who want big careers.

In its 60-year history, Miss Venezuela has survived every

crisis, every threat, even the feminist revolution that

forced national beauty pageants off British television.

It's incredible to think that this competition has stood

the test of time and politics.

Look, there is Chavez, the commander of the socialist revolution,

fist pumping outside Miss Venezuela!

'The next day, it's time to say goodbye to the man behind it all.'

How are you? Good. Thank you.

This is going to be the last time I see you,

so I just wanted to say thanks so much for having me.

One of the most amazing things I found on this trip

is your power over the people that you have around you.

They say that with great power comes great responsibility,

and I just wondered if you ever feel pressured by the influence

that you have over this country?

Gracias.

I'll be back! I'll be back.

'Three days later, Meyer's triumph is honoured by the barrio.'

CHEERING

CHANTING AND CLAPPING

'Next time, I'm in Argentina, where sex takes centre stage,

'even on national television.'

They seem pretty young to be listening to music that is about

anal sex and crack.

'But in a country where abortion is strictly illegal, girls

'and boys have to be very careful about how they play.'

I'm really hoping it's not rental.

# Mm, dream, baby, dream

# Dream, baby, dream

# Dream, baby, dream

# Dream, baby, dream

# Forever. #