If for Any Reason - When the Runner-Up Takes Over: Suzette Charles (Miss America 1984)

 "We all know how it goes: If for any reason, our new Miss xxx cannot fulfil her duties, the first runner-up shall take over" In anticipation to see who wins, most of us don't really pay much attention to it. But when this special "clause" comes into action, it usually garners a lot of attention. So I am going to look at some 1st runners-up who assumed the title when the winner won another title, resigned or got dethroned.

We are shifting to Miss America now and the year was 1984 when the first black Miss America, Vanessa Williams, was forced to resign, the job was left vacant and of course the first runner-up had to step in. So let's take a look back at: 

Suzette Charles, Miss America 1984: A reign of 7 weeks

Suzette Charles was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and at the age of 20 she was crowned Miss New Jersey. That gave her a shot at the Miss America 1984 title. She joined the rest of the delegates in Atlantic City in September 1983. 

During the preliminaries, Charles was one of the three Talent Award winners. On the final night, she was called into the top 10 and competed in the three rounds, only to be bested by the eventual winner, Vanessa Williams - ending as the first runner-up. 

Fate had an interesting twist. When the scandal about Williams' nude photos broke and she chose to resign as Miss America, it was Suzette Charles who had to step in for the last 7 weeks of the reign. 

While Williams was the first black Miss America, Charles was also African American (and bi-racial), so this technically made her the second black Miss America, even though it was not an outright win. 

Charles went on to crown another historic first for Miss America, the first foreign born Miss America, Sharlene Wells from Utah, who was born in Utah. 

When the Miss America Organization apologized to Vanessa Williams, Suzette Charles questioned the decision in an interview with Inside Edition and said it was only for ratings. She stated that she wasn't sure why someone as accomplished as Williams needed an apology. (Vanessa William said that she did it for her mother who insisted the apology for the trauma they went through with everything that transpired before and after her resignation as Miss America.) 

Suzette said that she had not seen Williams since the night of the pageant when she became her runner-up. While she might have only reigned for 7 weeks, Suzette Charles did carve out a career in the entertainment industry for herself as a singer, songwriter, performer and actress.