Beauty is a billion-dollar industry. We’re constantly told what looks good, what’s "symmetrical," and what’s supposed to be attractive. But what happens when someone doesn't fit that mold? When people search for the most ugliest people in the world, they usually find a list of names—people like Lizzie Velasquez or Godfrey Baguma—who have been slapped with a label they never asked for.
Honestly, the term "ugly" is a heavy word. It’s a weapon.
Most of the time, the people who end up on these viral lists aren't "ugly" in the way we think. They are actually survivors of incredibly rare medical conditions. They are people who have had their faces and bodies altered by genetics, tumors, or syndromes that most of us can’t even pronounce.
The Viral Label of "World’s Ugliest"
Back in 2006, a 17-year-old girl named Lizzie Velasquez found a video of herself on YouTube. It was only eight seconds long, had no sound, and was titled "The World's Ugliest Woman." It had millions of views. The comments were even worse. People were telling her to do the world a favor and put a gun to her head.
Lizzie was born with Marfanoid-progeroid-lipodystrophy syndrome. Basically, her body cannot gain weight. She has 0% body fat. At her heaviest, she has barely cleared 60 pounds.
She isn't ugly. She’s rare.
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Instead of hiding, Lizzie became one of the most prominent anti-bullying activists on the planet. She turned that horrific viral moment into a platform. Her TEDx talk, "How Do YOU Define Yourself?", has been viewed tens of millions of times because it challenges the very idea that our appearance dictates our value.
Godfrey Baguma and the "Sebabi" Title
In Uganda, there is a man named Godfrey Baguma. Most people know him by his nickname, "Sebabi," which literally translates to "the ugliest of them all."
Godfrey won a local "Mr. Ugly" contest in 2002. He didn't enter because he wanted to be insulted; he entered because he was a struggling shoemaker and needed the prize money to support his family.
For a long time, his condition was a total mystery. People thought he was cursed. In 2016, a doctor finally diagnosed him with Fibrodysplasia, a condition where cells and tissue grow abnormally. Despite the "ugliest" label, Godfrey has become a successful African pop star. His music videos get millions of views. He’s been married three times and has eight children.
His story is a perfect example of how someone can take a cruel label and use it as a stepping stone to a better life. He leaned into the notoriety to provide for his kids. That’s not ugly. That’s pragmatism.
Why We Are Obsessed With This Category
Psychology has a lot to say about why we search for the most ugliest people in the world. There’s a thing called the "Halo Effect." It’s a cognitive bias where we assume that if someone is beautiful, they must also be kind, smart, and successful.
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The flip side is the "Horn Effect."
We subconsciously link physical "deformity" or "ugliness" with something negative or even "evil." Think about every Disney villain you saw as a kid. They almost always had a scar, a hooked nose, or some kind of physical "flaw."
The Evolution of Beauty Standards
Our brains are hardwired to look for symmetry. Evolutionary biology suggests that symmetry is a sign of health and good genes. Because of this, anything that deviates from "the norm"—like the facial tumors seen in people with Neurofibromatosis—triggers an ancient, lizard-brain response of "unhealthy."
But we aren't lizards. We're humans.
Expert Robert Hoge, an Australian author born with a massive facial tumor and deformed legs, wrote a memoir titled Ugly. He argues that we shouldn't pretend looks don't matter. They do. But he chose to "own his face." He actually turned down a surgery that would have made him look more "normal" because it carried a risk of blindness.
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He decided that being able to see was more important than being pretty.
The "Ugly" Competitions
History is full of these weird, borderline-cruel contests.
- The Egremont Crab Fair: This UK festival has hosted "Gurning" championships since 1267. People literally compete to make the most distorted, "ugliest" face by pulling their heads through a horse collar.
- Ugly Men’s Voluntary Worker’s Association: In 1917, an "ugly man" competition in Australia actually led to the formation of a major charity. They raised money for soldiers returning from World War I.
These contests often turn "ugliness" into a performance. It’s a way for people to take control of how they are perceived. If they are the ones making the face or entering the contest, they aren't the victims of the stare—they are the stars of the show.
Moving Beyond the Label
When we talk about the people who have been labeled the most ugliest people in the world, we are usually talking about people with incredible resilience.
Take Adam Pearson, a British actor with Neurofibromatosis. His face is covered in non-cancerous tumors. He’s worked alongside Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin. He uses his visibility to challenge the "pity" narrative. He doesn't want your sympathy; he wants a job.
We need to stop using "ugly" as a synonym for "different."
Most of the time, what people call "ugly" is just a physical manifestation of a medical struggle that the rest of us couldn't handle.
What You Can Do Next
The next time you see a viral "ugliest person" list, do a little digging. Look for the name behind the photo. You’ll almost always find a story of someone who has fought harder than most just to exist in public.
- Check the facts. Is the person in the photo actually a person with a rare condition? (Usually, yes).
- Support visibility. Follow creators like Lizzie Velasquez or Adam Pearson who are changing the conversation about facial differences.
- Audit your own bias. Ask yourself why a certain feature makes you uncomfortable. Is it actually "ugly," or is it just unfamiliar?
Understanding the reality behind these labels helps dismantle the stigma. It turns a cruel search term into an opportunity for empathy.