What is the deal with beauty pageant contestants and the scandalous pasts that always seem to come back and haunt them? For the second-year in a row, the leading candidate for the Miss Australia title has been booted because of some topless photos that appeared in a men's magazine. Topless being a relative term, apparently, since while Perth's own Carly Hanson is definitely not wearing a top in this Ralph magazine spread, all the naughty bits have been cleverly covered by gold leaf. Hardly shocking, but enough to get her disqualified. So if you're keeping score at home, that's two Miss Australias, a Miss Great Britain, a Miss USA, a Miss Nevada, and a Miss France "disgraced" in the last two years ... and those are just the ones we know about. The irony, of course, is that if any of them has stayed on the straight and narrow and actually won the Miss Universe title they were gunning for, they would have remained completely anonymous to us and most of the world. Is that what they mean by a moral (amoral?) victory?

· Carly Hanson Photos here and here (ralph.ninemsn.com.au)
· Erin McNaught (2006 Contender) Photos (ralph.ninemsn.com.au)
· Topless shots end beauty's quest (thewest.com.au)

Previously: Celebrity Cameltoe Watch : Rachel Smith, Miss USA 2007, (Former) Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd in Playboy, Miss Universe 2006, Miss France Semi-Nude Scandal, Meet (And Grope!) Miss Nevada