While the 61st Miss Universe was crowned last month, the Singapore franchise marks its 60th anniversary this year.

Most home-grown beauty queens eventually venture into fields where good looks are a prerequisite, such as acting and modelling, but several have carved out careers in professional fields.

Dr Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, 37, who was dubbed "the beauty with brains" by the press because she was pursuing two master's degrees when she won the title in 1999, is now a professor of linguistics at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

Ms Nuraliza Osman, 36, who was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2002, is a legal counsel at Shell Eastern Petroleum.

Ms Marion Nicole Teo, 45, who was Miss Universe Singapore 1987, is a senior image consultant at image consultancy, EQ Asia.

Home-grown fashion designer Hayden Ng says: "The title of Miss Universe Singapore is what you make of it. Many of the winners have done remarkably well in various fields."

Mr Ng, 46, has worked as a stylist for the pageant since 1986 and designed Ms Teo's costume for the international segment in 1987.

That was the first and only year the Miss Universe pageant was staged in Singapore and Ms Teo came in ninth. She remains one of only two Singapore representatives to have made it to the top 10 to date. Ms Kathie Lee Lee Beng was placed eighth when the pageant was held in St Louis in the American state of Missouri in 1983.

Mr Ng took on the role of fashion director of Miss Universe Singapore 2011 and now serves as a mentor to the contestants.

Some beauty queens have never left the public eye, having chosen to develop careers in the entertainment industry.

These include Ms Jessica Tan (Miss Universe Singapore 2007), 29, a model with Hong Kong agency Starz People; Ms Jaime Teo (Miss Universe Singapore 2001), 36, who is currently an artiste with Fly Entertainment; and Ms Eunice Olsen (Miss Universe Singapore 2000), who served as a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2009.

The 35-year-old is now the director of House Of Ou, a movie production company she set up last year.

Ms Tan, whose agency also manages actress Maggie Q and Hong Kong singer Miki Yeung, says of her crown: "It's been a great platform for me to pursue my interest in hosting and acting."

The main Miss Universe pageant, organised and run by the Miss Universe Organisation, which is owned jointly by entertainment company NBC Universal and American tycoon Donald Trump, saw higher ratings in the United States last year.

About 6.1 million viewers tuned in to the live broadcast on Dec 19, up about 11 per cent from the 5.5 million viewers in 2011.

In Singapore, however, Derrol Stepenny Promotions, which has organised the local pageant since 2000, says it has seen flagging support.

Its president, Mr Errol Pang, says the number of applications has dropped from a high of 100 in 2001 to 35 last year.

One reason for this, he says are the harsh criticisms by netizens, which may have put off potential contestants.

"Some of them called the girls bimbos and Ah Lians and made derogatory comments such as, 'My mother looks better than that'," he says.

Mr Ng adds: "Perhaps it's not in our culture to support beauty pageants. Singaporeans are very critical of our girls, maybe because they feel the girls today don't have the whole package. They may look pretty but lack the poise that the contestants in the 1980s had. I have to agree with that."

The local pageant was telecast live on MediaCorp's Channel 5 between 2001 and 2007. It stopped broadcasting the show after that, citing declining viewership and sponsorship.

Still, winning the title can open doors.

Ms Rachel Kum, who was crowned Miss Universe Singapore in 2009, says: "Joining the pageant was a positive boost to my social circle and my career as my elevated profile allowed more people to know of my beauty brand."

The 27-year-old launched Rachel K in 2010 and the brand was the main make-up sponsor for the Miss Universe Singapore 2010 pageant.

Ms Cori Teo, 43, Miss Universe Singapore 1992, adds: "People often believe beauty queens are bimbos, but I now run a very successful business."

The mother of two, who owns a spa and wellness chain called De Beaute, adds: "My De Beaute brand is linked to my title as Miss Universe Singapore 1992. I represent my brand and the brand represents me."

In response to barbs about beauty queen being airheads, Ms Valerie Lim, 27, who was Miss Universe Singapore in 2011 and is now the online brand ambassador of brands such as Olay and Whisper, quips: "Airheads won't be able to carry the weight of the crown."

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Related stories:
	Ms Marion Nicole Teo, 45, Miss Universe Singapore 1987
	Dr Cheryl Marie Cordeiro, 37, Miss Universe Singapore 1999
	Ms Eunice Olsen, 35, Miss Universe Singapore 2000
	Ms Jaime Teo, 36, Miss Universe Singapore 2001
	Ms Nuraliza Osman, 36, Miss Universe Singapore 2002
	Ms Jessica Tan, 29, Miss Universe Singapore 2007
	Ms Rachel Kum, 27, Miss Universe Singapore 2009
	Ms Valerie Lim, 27, Miss Universe Singapore 2011