"Pictured: Mia Lilly from Pembroke Dock in west Wales, UK.<br /> Re: A mother from Pembrokeshire, west Wales, has defended her decision to enter her six-year-old daughter to beauty pageants.<br /> Mia Lilly, has been selected to compete as Little Miss Wales in the Pure International finals in Orlando, Florida in June.<br /> Her mother Chloe Priestley said she has received criticism and abuse from people for allowing her daughter to take part in pageants.<br /> ""Mia got a lot of confidence from competing"". she said.<br /> Chloe began to look into pageants when Mia was four years old, after speaking to a friend.<br /> Mia won Little Miss Cardiff 2017 and Little Miss Sunshine, and finishing second in the Pure UK national finals she will compete in the US.<br /> Chloe said she understood criticism of her decision and people's concerned about body image but said beauty pageants were often misrepresented."
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