Filmmaker and director Fiifi Coleman has joined the growing conversation about the “dark truths” emerging within some beauty pageants in Ghana, drawing on his experience as a judge on several reality shows and pageants.

Speaking on Joy FM on February 28, 2026, he indicated that claims of vote manipulation are minor compared to deeper issues within the pageant space.

“It is funny when people talk about vote manipulation, because that is the least of the issues,” he said.

Coleman recounted instances where judges carefully evaluated contestants during auditions and agreed on those deserving to advance, only for organisers to later release a final list that excluded the very names selected by the panel.

“I have sat in auditions where you are clearly asked to make a choice. Let’s say you bring me in as a judge and I select Person A. We all agree on a list. They take that list to go and make the announcement, and suddenly the person we selected is not even on it. Not that their name was mentioned and dropped. It is simply not there,” he shared.

According to Fiifi Coleman, these incidents cast doubt on how transparent some competitions are and whether judges truly influence the final outcome.

He further described what he considers a disturbing trend, where contestants are allegedly directed to use certain items that are said to be unavailable locally.

He cited an example in which participants were informed that a specific pair of shoes needed for a segment could only be obtained from London, where the organiser is based, and were asked to make payments for it to be imported.

“They will define a specific shoe for a segment and say the shoe is in London because the owner of the pageant is in London. Then they tell the contestant to pay a certain amount of money in Ghana to someone, and when the organiser returns, they will bring the shoe in that size,” he narrated.

Coleman further alleged that some contestants are tasked with going out to “engage” people and raise money, with those who generate the most funds gaining a clear advantage in the competition.

“Why do we send contestants to car washes, claiming they are raising money? After they raise the money, where does it go? Why do we send them to casinos to engage people? And the one “who is able to engage people and bring in the most money is almost guaranteed a top three spot. You can see where this is going,” he added.

While acknowledging that voting is often presented as part of the competition structure, Coleman maintained that he is fundamentally opposed to any pageant or reality show model that ties victory to paid votes.

“It is not just about voting. The voting thing is the least. I’m against any pageant that somebody has to vote to win something. Whatever it is, that somebody has to vote to win something out. I’m against it. If the voting is free, they don’t take money out of anybody’s pocket, just the audience just watching and say, it’s a free vote. I like it. Let’s do it that way,” he concluded.

Beauty pageants and reality TV shows were once regarded as platforms that gave young people voices, visibility and a chance to build their confidence.

For many, these public events promised them opportunities and growth, but over time, some of these spaces have drawn criticisms, with concerns that they now prioritise profit and drama over genuine empowerment.

A former contestant speaks out

A former female contestant of a beauty pageant, who was a victim of some of the dark sides of these concerns, spoke to Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z on February 28, 2026, detailing some realities she said are kept away from the public eye.

According to her, pageants that were meant to build their confidences instead left them feeling rather demoralised.

The victim, once a beauty queen, said that while they were camped during the contest period, individuals were placed in the house to monitor and intimidate them.

She claimed that contestants were threatened if they failed to strictly follow instructions from the organisers of these beauty pageants.

“But there were people placed in the house who would threaten you, telling you that if you didn’t agree to what they wanted, they would make sure you were kicked out of the competition. Some even threatened your life,” she shared.

Her account paints a troubling picture of fear and pressure, where young women hoping to build careers and confidence instead found themselves navigating intimidation and control.

Forced to chase sponsorship

Beyond the alleged threats, the former contestant detailed what she described as another layer of exploitation: being made to secure sponsorship deals for the show.

She alleged that contestants were transported in groups and dropped off in affluent areas to find potential sponsors, even though sourcing sponsorship was the responsibility of organisers.

“Girls were being put into cars and told to go and find sponsors. We didn’t come into the pageant with sponsors, and no one forced us to join. But once you were in, they would send you out, drop you off, and expect you to secure sponsors and bring in money,” she alleged.

According to her, contestants were told that any funds they secured would support their personal projects and boost their voting chances.

However, she claimed that this was not what happened in practice.

“We were told that the money would be used for our projects and even help with votes. But that wasn’t true. If you managed to convince a sponsor and sign a contract, when you returned, they took everything.

"Sometimes, if you were lucky, they would give you a small portion and tell you to use it for your project. Yet, that was never the original agreement. In fact, we weren’t even supposed to be looking for sponsors in the first place. Still, we did all this in the name of beauty,” she noted.

Her testimony suggests a system where young contestants, eager for recognition and growth, allegedly became unpaid agents raising revenue for organisers under the promise of opportunity.

A producer’s account of reality TV

The concerns are not limited to beauty pageants. A producer of a reality TV show, who requested anonymity, also shared insight into how the system works behind the scenes.

According to him, winning a reality show involves far more than talent alone.

He said that in the early days, producers allegedly selected contestants they could easily control.

“If you were outspoken or overconfident, your chances were slim,” he confessed.

He further explained that reaching the finale could also depend on financial value to the show.

A contestant, he added, might make it to the final stage if they brought in significant money through votes or sponsorship, or if they were exceptionally talented to the point that eliminating them would raise public suspicions.

However, even then, he stressed that victory was not guaranteed.

Organisers, he added, look for contestants who can create drama and attract votes, as controversy and emotional storylines drive audience engagements and revenues.

“A beauty contest finale alone can generate over GH¢300,000, sometimes even GH¢400,000, for a TV station. So, even when a winner receives a car or a trip, the revenue generated from the show often covers those costs, which is more like the winner has paid for those trips and cars with the revenue generated,” he added.