Miss Elizabeth Houghton's pageant dreams went up in smoke quite literally.

According to Ms Teresa Chaivisut, the vice-president of international affairs for Miss Grand International, the Singapore representative was dropped mainly because of her smoking habit.

She told The New Paper via e-mail: "(The use of) tobacco is strictly forbidden in the pageant. Miss Elizabeth Houghton was smoking in public. We received this report from one of the staff members.

"The hotel (that the girls were staying in) sent us a warning letter as the room that Miss Houghton was staying in smelt of smoke."

Ms Chaivisut said the hotel had a strict no-smoking rule that Miss Houghton violated.

The other problem they had with Miss Houghton was that she did not fulfil her responsibilities at the pageant.

Said Ms Chaivisut: "She complained often that she did not feel well.

"(As a result), she did not join most of our activities (like an excursion to a temple and a dinner)."

When contacted, Miss Houghton defended her actions and claimed that she had spoken to the management staff at the hotel to check where she could smoke before she did it.

She said: "I asked the hotel management and they said that guests can smoke on their balconies.

"And I really wasn't well, I had a fever."

Ms Chaivisut did not respond to our queries about Miss Houghton's allegations that the organisers had called some of the girls fat and handled them in a rough manner.

SERIOUS

Mr Raymund Ooi, licensee for the Miss World Singapore pageant, said that Miss Houghton must have "done something very serious" for the Miss Grand International organisers to send her home.

He said that this was because the organisers were so keen on having a Singapore representative for their pageant that they had flown here in July just to attend the Miss World Singapore 2013 finals.

Said Mr Ooi: "They were very pleased after we agreed to send our runner-up (Miss Houghton) for their pageant.

"So I believe they wouldn't have sent Elizabeth back unless they felt that they couldn't deal with her any more.

"By getting terminated from the pageant, Elizabeth didn't do Singapore justice. It's very disappointing.

"When someone gives you an opportunity like this, you should definitely manage yourself better.

"Let this be a lesson to future Miss Singapores to always do your country proud."

Other misses who missed out

TOO INFAMOUS

Ris Low, Miss Singapore World 2009

She was crowned in July, but made headlines in September when details of a prior credit card fraud conviction surfaced. She voluntarily stepped down.

TOO UNDERAGE

Torika Watters, 2012 Miss World

After being chosen to represent Fiji, Watters was unable to compete further as it came to light that she was 16. The minimum age for the pageant is 17.

TOO MARRIED

Carlina Duran, Miss Universe 2012

She was dethroned as the Dominican Republic representative after it was revealed that she got married in 2009.

TOO NUDE

Carrie Prejean, Miss USA 2009

After partially nude photos of her surfaced online, she was dropped. She sued the producer. Both sides reached a settlement with undisclosed terms.

TOO BUSY

Oxana Fedorova, Miss Universe 2002

This Russian representative was dethroned after failing to carry out her Miss Universe responsibilities. She was allegedly too busy to keep up with her duties.

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