Drama surrounds the crowning of Zimbabwe's Mister Ugly

Depending on whom you ask, Mison Sere is either the ugliest man in Zimbabwe, or a fake who tricked the judges at an anti-beauty pageant into thinking his missing teeth and hideous facial expressions are true signs of ugliness.

"I am naturally ugly," William Masvinu, who had held the title since 2012, pouted Saturday after Sere was named Mister Ugly during the competition in Harare. "He is ugly only when he opens his mouth." Following Sere's win, Masvinu and his supporters swarmed the judge's table, crying foul and shouting that Sere was "too handsome" to claim the (for some reason) coveted title. "Do we have to lose our teeth to win?" asked contestant Patrick Mupereki. "This is cheating." Although several people were pushed during the melee, no one was hurt. The spectacle was exactly the opposite of what organizer David Machowa wanted for his competition; he told The Associated Press he started the contest as a way for everyone to embrace their physical features. "Looks are God given," he said. "We should all be proud of who we are."

Sere, 42, said he won the pageant — and its $500 prize — fair and square, telling AP: "They should just accept that I am uglier than them." He plans to parlay his new title into a television contract, adding: "I already moved around schools performing and showcasing my ugliness so this is a chance to make it on TV." As for Masvinu, the judges said the reigning champ was too cocky for his own good. "Sere made tremendous effort to enhance his ugliness by pulling facial stunts," Abigail Mataranyika said. "Masvinu thought he is so ugly that he didn't need to try hard. That cost him the crown."

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