'Mr. Ugly' runner-up slams winner's lack of 'natural' ugliness

HARARE, Zimbabwe, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- The former holder of Zimbabwe's Mr. Ugly title says the winner of this year's pageant should not have received the title because his ugliness is not "natural."

The Mr. Ugly title was bestowed Friday on Maison Sere, 42, at the pageant in Harare, earning a $500 prize for the unemployed man, who is missing several teeth.

"I want to thank God for winning this title, last time I came fourth. I just want to thank the judges for recognizing me as the winner," The Zimbabwe Mail quoted Sere as saying after the contest.

William Masvinu, a three-time champion, cried foul after coming in second at Friday's pageant.

"If you're missing some teeth, it doesn't make you ugly. We need natural ugliness from birth. I didn't lose, I'm still No. 1," Masvinu said after the contest.

Masvinu called for the contest to be restaged with new judges.

David Machowa, who founded the pageant in 2012 to celebrate the "beauty in ugliness," hailed the result of Friday's event and said he is planning to expand the pageant.

"The show last night was very successful, and I still have plans to host Mr. Ugly World," he said.

"The former winner Masvinu had become stubborn by retaining the title but he found his match. The judges were fair," Machowa told Zimbabwe's The Standard newspaper.