I HAD to laugh when I read about the county’s representative in the Mrs Galaxy UK beauty pageant.

Mum-of-three Joanne Walker, from Blackburn, is a lovely looking lady who counts charity fund-raising as one of her life objectives. Well you would as a beauty pageant competitor. But that wasn’t what made me laugh.

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Joanne says beauty pageants are not about looks – again, that didn’t make me snigger, the rules have changed, although I can’t recall ever having seen an ugly pageant contender.

I’m glad to say though, having perused the Galaxy Pageant website, that a couple of the girls are on the comely side, which shows some attempt at keeping it real.

But no, what made me laugh, in fact snort, was this: “The women in my category range from their early 20s to about 50 and there’s no particular look that you need. It’s about the personality.”

About 50? Menopausal beauty pageant contenders - surely not? The image of pink and sweaty middle aged ladies in overly tight bodycon dresses came to mind.

Now, I’m not being cruel here. Well, I am a bit. But being round about that age myself, I can’t think why any mature woman – who’s possibly brought up children, worked and contributed to society - would feel the need to strut her stuff with a gaggle of younger, firmer contenders.

So I went in pursuit of this elusive breed of older contender. The Galaxy pageant website didn’t offer much help as nobody in the Mrs section looked more than 30.

Some may have discovered the secret to eternal youth, or be married to plastic surgeons but there were none with the sexy crow’s feet of Michelle Pfeiffer.

Extending my research further afield, I discovered the older pageant queen is alive and not-so-high kicking in America.

Mrs New Hampshire is 49! And in the competitions Mrs America, Mrs United States and Mrs International, ferocious grannies regularly lock hair extensions with 20-somethings.

And it’s not even about the money. At Beauties of America, the $1,000 cash award just about reimburses the winner for her $795 entry fee, with a bit left over for expenses and hotel costs.

The winner also takes home items donated by sponsors, including a faux-fur jacket, costume jewellery, a pink keepsake crystal rose and...wait for it... a gift certificate from a plastic surgeon. How dare they!

Mary Richardson, director of the pageant thinks “the maturity factor” gives older contestants a certain edge.

“Once they hit their forties they’re there to win—they’re not fooling around,” she says. “The over-40 woman may not have the same body or the same elasticity in her skin, but she’s going to give that 25-year-old a run for her money.”

Now where did I put that sequinned Shirley Bassey number and my Spanx....