Newly crowned beauty queen Janice Chu Yin-chun has been stripped of the Miss Asia title for concealing her marriage during the contest.
Bosses at ATV, organiser of the pageant won by Ms Chu, 25, announced yesterday her title would be passed to first runner-up Belinda Hamnett, 25.
'After in-depth investigation, the organiser found that Ms Chu had concealed information in the contest and is not suitable for executing the mission of Miss Asia,' ATV announced.
Ms Chu had been awarded $2 million in cash and prizes including a luxury villa in Shunde, Guangdong, a deluxe car, jewellery and an artistic contract with ATV after her success last Saturday.
She worked as a clerk in a Hong Kong-China joint-venture company which traded handbags, according to information in her application to the pageant, where she was contestant No 10.
ATV spokesman Gilbert Au Chin-ching said Ms Chu had been informed of the decision and had accepted it.
She would meet the press at suitable time, he said.