Miss Singapore World 2009 Ris Low has relinquished her crown after her conviction for credit card fraud was revealed. But all is not lost. After all, dethroned as Miss America 1984 over nude photos but she still made it as a singer-actress. LifeStyle rounds up some controversial beauty queens

CARRIE PREJEAN, MISS CALIFORNIA USA 2009

Three strikes and she's out.

She first ignited a furore by speaking out against same-sex marriage in answer to a question at the Miss USA pageant by judge and blogger Perez Hilton.

Then topless pictures of her surfaced on the Web.

Finally, she was fired as Miss California for failing to fulfil duties such as making public appearances.

TARA CONNER, MISS USA 2006

She was the most scandalous American beauty queen after Vanessa Williams, when reports said she drank, took drugs, snuck men into her apartment and kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair.

But pageant owner and tycoon Donald Trump gave her a second chance and she checked into rehab.

LAUREN UPTON, MISS SOUTH CAROLINA TEEN USA 2007

Before Ris Low and 'boomz', there was Upton and her notoriously nonsensical reply to a pageant question.

She became a YouTube star overnight after she was asked why one-fifth of Americans could not find their country on a map and answered:

'I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps. And, uh, I believe that our education, like such as in South Africa and, uh, the Iraq, everywhere, like such as... and I believe that they should... our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, or, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.'

QUEENIE CHU, MISS HONG KONG 2004 RUNNER-UP

In Hong Kong, she is still remembered for the 'car-shaking incident', or an alleged fling she had in a car with actor Joey Leung.

She had clinched a TVB artiste contract in 2005 after she represented Hong Kong at Miss International and won a Miss Friendship award. But her career was derailed that year, after paparazzi photos of her kiss with Leung were published and she was charged with wrecking his eight-year relationship with actress Margaret Chung.

She confessed to making out with him but said he had told her about his girlfriend only after kissing her. Although TVB imposed a freeze on her but not Leung at the time, his career has been hurt too.

VALERIE BEGUE, MISS FRANCE 2008

In one picture published after her win, she is wearing a bikini and lying in a crucifixion-like pose.

In another, she is licking spilt milk.

She kept her tiara - despite a row over the saucy photos. But it cost her the chance to represent France at Miss Universe and Miss World.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times.