Valérie Bègue
Encyclopedia
Valérie Bègue, born 26 September 1985, in St Pierre
, was elected Miss France
2008. She is currently TV host. The pageant was held in Dunkerque, in northern France. She represents the Réunion
island, an overseas department (Département d'Outre-Mer) of France located in the Indian Ocean
. Valérie is the first Miss France from the Réunion island since Monique Uldaric, elected in 1976.
, for much more suggestive pictures published in the French edition of Playboy
magazine, as a Miss France is contractually obligated not to pose for controversial pictures for five years following her election. A candidate to the Miss France contest also must state that she has never posed for nude or partially nude pictures beforehand.
Valérie Bègue took some time to reflect on the decision, and finally decided that she would not stand down willingly, mentioning that the set of pictures were test shots and that she didn't authorise the pictures to be published.
De Fontenay was accused of racism and of not wanting a non-French Miss France after she said that Bègue would better stay in Réunion. A public apology was demanded by people from the island, including a member of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement
.
On December 28, 2007, Geneviève de Fontenay announced that Valérie would be allowed to remain Miss France 2008, as long as she didn't participate in any international contests. De Fontenay based her decision on the fact that the general public, who helped elect Miss France, had no idea these pictures existed, and yet, barred her from international competition, arguing that she doesn't want these pictures to give a false image of France.
Her first runner-up was Vahinerii Requillart, representing the island of New Caledonia
, another overseas territory of France, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. As a result, the top two finalists of the 2008 Miss France pageant originated from overseas departments of France.
Valérie is involved in programmes against breast cancer
and genetic diseases.
Her boyfriend is Camille Lacour, a French swimmer.
She participates at the French version of Dancing with the Stars 2.
Saint-Pierre, Réunion
Saint-Pierre is the third-largest commune in the French overseas department of Réunion. It is located on the southwest side of the island of Réunion.-External links:*...
, was elected Miss France
Miss France
Miss France is the trademark of an annual beauty pageant. Rights to the trademark were obtained in 2002 by the Dutch television production company Endemol through its subsidiary Miss France SAS, whose director general is Sylvie Tellier, Miss France 2002. Endemol also holds the rights in France to...
2008. She is currently TV host. The pageant was held in Dunkerque, in northern France. She represents the Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
island, an overseas department (Département d'Outre-Mer) of France located in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. Valérie is the first Miss France from the Réunion island since Monique Uldaric, elected in 1976.
Biography
Two weeks after she was crowned Miss France, pictures of Valérie Bègue taken before her election, fully clothed but in suggestive poses on rather tame pictures, were released by French tabloid "Entrevue". The President of the Miss France contest, Geneviève de Fontenay, went on French radio to insist that Valérie Bègue should step down and return her crown, or that she would be forcibly disqualified. De Fontenay told reporters that if Endemol, the production company that owns the Miss France contest, disagreed with her decision, she would stand down as president. De Fontenay already obtained the temporary suspension of Miss France 2004, Lætitia BlégerLætitia Bléger
Lætitia Bléger is a beauty queen who has competed at the Miss Universe pageant.Bléger won the Miss France title in 2004 and represented France at the Miss Universe 2004 pageant held in Quito, Ecuador in May 2004....
, for much more suggestive pictures published in the French edition of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine, as a Miss France is contractually obligated not to pose for controversial pictures for five years following her election. A candidate to the Miss France contest also must state that she has never posed for nude or partially nude pictures beforehand.
Valérie Bègue took some time to reflect on the decision, and finally decided that she would not stand down willingly, mentioning that the set of pictures were test shots and that she didn't authorise the pictures to be published.
De Fontenay was accused of racism and of not wanting a non-French Miss France after she said that Bègue would better stay in Réunion. A public apology was demanded by people from the island, including a member of the ruling Union for a Popular Movement
Union for a Popular Movement
The Union for a Popular Movement is a centre-right political party in France, and one of the two major contemporary political parties in the country along with the center-left Socialist Party...
.
On December 28, 2007, Geneviève de Fontenay announced that Valérie would be allowed to remain Miss France 2008, as long as she didn't participate in any international contests. De Fontenay based her decision on the fact that the general public, who helped elect Miss France, had no idea these pictures existed, and yet, barred her from international competition, arguing that she doesn't want these pictures to give a false image of France.
Her first runner-up was Vahinerii Requillart, representing the island of New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, another overseas territory of France, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. As a result, the top two finalists of the 2008 Miss France pageant originated from overseas departments of France.
Valérie is involved in programmes against breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
and genetic diseases.
Her boyfriend is Camille Lacour, a French swimmer.
She participates at the French version of Dancing with the Stars 2.