Beauty and relationship experts across Wales�have dismissed a global dating website whose members branded the Welsh as the ugliest people in Britain.
A mere 11% of Welsh men and 12% of women who have applied to exclusive site Beautiful People have been accepted to become members ? less than both England and Scotland.
But beauty and relationships experts in Wales have fought back, rubbishing the claim and pointing to iconic showbiz figures spawned from this country who disprove the theory.
Hollywood actors Richard Burton and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and singer Katherine Jenkins were name- dropped as great ambassadors of Welsh aesthetic appeal.
Passion, culture and language were also listed as reasons why Welsh people have an intrinsic appeal.
British TV presenter and fashion journalist Lowri Turner said: ?If they?re looking for ugly people, what about Essex, not Wales. I nominate Katherine Jenkins and her boyfriend to be as proof that Welsh people can be fantastic-looking. ?
Beautiful People has a global dating community of five million members and is described as ?an elite online club, where every member works the door?.
People seeking membership are asked to submit a photo of themselves, upon which current members will rate their beauty. Applicants will only be accepted if a majority of members consider them beautiful over a 48-hour period.
The Scandinavian countries of Norway and Sweden, home of model Victoria Silvstedt,�boast the most beautiful people, according to the site.
Paula Abbandonato has been the organiser of the Miss Wales competition for the past seven years.
Dismissing the figures, the 42-year-old from Lisvane in Cardiff said: ?Maybe the Welsh are so gorgeous that they?re all snapped up already and they don?t need these dating websites.
?We?re going to win Miss World this year, so that will put them all straight.?
Ms Abbandonato said Welsh people were good at utilising the ?80-20 rule? to make the most of their looks.
Explaining the concept, she said: ?It?s all about the 80% you do with the 20% you have got. It?s only about the 20% you?re born with and the rest is making the best with the hand that you have been dealt.
?That?s very liberating for a lot of people who don?t think highly of themselves. It means that everybody has got the potential to look good.?
Ms Abbandonato singled out Catherine Zeta-Jones as an iconic Welsh beauty.
?She?s wonderfully gorgeous. I think you can see she plays the 80-20 rule really well. ?She?s just a traditional, timeless beauty.?
University of Glamorgan senior lecturer Henry Enos has previously studied the use of websites in dating. Offering hope to Welsh singletons, Dr Enos said: ?In other data the Welsh have been shown as the most passionate, and Welsh men are considered quite virile.
?But, come on, we have got Hollywood greats such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Burton.?
Naomi Roberts has been the South Wales branch coordinator of a UK-wide ?romance academy? for teenagers since 2006. The project discusses relationship issues with teenagers from the age of 14 to 18.
Ms Roberts said: ?I have travelled around the place quite a bit and Welsh people are definitely renowned for their friendly hospitality and kindness. They are also great fun and fun-loving ? and bursting with an amazing culture which is to die for.?
Spokeswoman for Beautiful People Felicity Hardingham said Welsh people may be disadvantaged on the site by submitting photos of themselves with groups of friends.
She said: ?This means they are likely to be judged based on the attractiveness of their friends rather than just themselves. They also appear smaller in the image so members cannot get a good idea of what they really look like.
?On the other hand, Scottish men often strike a pose which may seem moody or aggressive. We think this is why Englishmen have a higher chance of being accepted.
?Overall, we noticed that countries with an outdoor, sunny lifestyle do really well. This may be because they are more likely to be tanned and physically fit.?
Percentage of men from each country applying to Beautiful People accepted
Sweden 65%
Brazil 45%
Denmark 40%
Italy 39%
Portugal 37%
Argentina 28%
Norway 28%
Spain 25%
USA 24%
Canada 23%
Australia 20%
France 20%
Turkey 20%
Korea 18%
China 17%
Japan 15%
India 15%
Germany 15%
England 12%
Scotland 12%
Wales 11%
Ireland 9%
Poland 9%
Percentage of women from each country applying to Beautiful People accepted
Norway 76%
Sweden 68%
Iceland 66%
Brazil 45%
Argentina 44%
USA 37%
France 35%
Italy 26%
Canada 24%
Turkey 23%
Spain 22%
Australia 21%
Venezuela 19%
Ireland 19%
Portugal 16%
India 16%
Lithuania 15%
Korea 15%
China 15%
England 15%
Germany 13%
Scotland 13%
Wales 12%
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