Beauty queen spills the tea: Rachel Gupta exposes dark side of pageant world

Rachel Gupta isn't holding back anymore. The 21-year-old from Jalandhar, who made history as the first Indian to win Miss Grand International 2024, dropped a bombshell YouTube video yesterday that's sending shockwaves through the beauty pageant community.

Her nearly hour-long confession, titled "The Truth about Miss Grand International - My Story," comes just a day after she announced her resignation from the coveted title on Instagram, citing a "toxic environment and repeated unkept promises."

What should have been the highlight of any beauty queen's career quickly turned into what Rachel describes as a nightmare. According to her explosive video testimony, the troubles began almost immediately after her victory. Instead of the glamorous lifestyle most people associate with international beauty titles, Rachel claims she was stuffed into a "cramped" Thai hotel room for an entire month following her win.

Things allegedly got worse from there. Rachel paints a disturbing picture of being "locked in a house all day long" with limited access to food and basic amenities - hardly the treatment you'd expect for a reigning international beauty queen.

Perhaps the most shocking allegations center around the organization's obsession with Rachel's appearance. She reveals that representatives would constantly monitor and criticize her weight, with one particularly humiliating incident involving someone physically pinching different parts of her body while telling her where she needed to lose weight.

"What am I supposed to say to that? It's so embarrassing. It makes you feel so small and so bad," Rachel shares in her video, her voice heavy with emotion.

The irony wasn't lost on her - while being constantly pressured to maintain a certain physique, she claims the organization failed to provide basic necessities like gym access. Rachel says she had to "beg and beg" just to get a yoga mat.

But the weight criticism was just the tip of the iceberg. Rachel alleges that titleholders were essentially turned into sales representatives, forced to hawk "cheap, tacky products" on TikTok Live streams to generate revenue for the organisation.

"You've crowned queens, girls who have careers in our country, we do things, we're well respected, and they're making us sell cheap products on TikTok because it makes them money and you can't say no," she explains, highlighting the stark contrast between the prestige of the title and the reality of the role.

Rachel's revelations get even more serious when she discusses the competition itself. She claims that countries could literally pay for votes during the Miss Grand International 2024 pageant, with the organisation accepting these payments and creating what she calls "unfair competition."

These allegations strike at the heart of pageant integrity - an industry already under scrutiny for its handling of various controversies over the years.

While Rachel frames her departure as a resignation based on "integrity and self-respect," the Miss Grand International Organization tells a different story. They claim Rachel was officially terminated from her position, setting up a classic he-said-she-said scenario that's likely to play out in the coming days.

Beyond the organisational drama, Rachel's video reveals the personal toll of her experience. She speaks candidly about struggling with self-esteem and mental health issues, painting a picture of isolation and neglect that challenges the glamorous facade of international beauty competitions.

"Frankly, they don't care if I live or die. As long as I'm there to smile at their events, as long as I keep my body super skinny, the way they like, they don't care if I live or die," she states bluntly.

Rachel's decision to go public wasn't made lightly. She acknowledges in her YouTube caption that speaking out took "a lot of courage" but hopes her story will help other young women who dream of pageant success understand what they might be getting into.

"While my story may polarise you, I urge you to keep the focus on the issues that matter," she writes, positioning herself as an advocate for reform rather than someone seeking revenge.

The pageant industry has faced increasing scrutiny in recent years over issues ranging from outdated beauty standards to workplace conditions for titleholders. Rachel's detailed allegations add fuel to ongoing conversations about whether these competitions need fundamental changes to survive in the modern era.

Her story serves as a reminder that behind the glittering crowns and satin sashes, real people are dealing with very real consequences - and sometimes those consequences are far from beautiful.