Thylane Blondeau, who was dubbed the 'most beautiful girl in the world' at age six, has built a successful modelling career and announced her engagement this week. The 24-year-old French model debuted her engagement ring at Paris Fashion Week and revealed she will marry Ben Attal, a 28-year-old DJ, after nearly six years together.
Blondeau, daughter of footballer Patrick Blondeau and TV presenter Veronika Loubry, first gained fame at four when she walked for Jean Paul Gaultier. At ten, she became the youngest model to pose for Vogue Paris. However, child psychologist Dr Sasha Hall warns that such early emphasis on appearance can have lasting effects.
Dr Hall told HELLO! that being labelled 'most beautiful' can narrow a child's sense of value. 'If a child repeatedly hears that she is the most beautiful girl in the world, the message she may absorb is that her worth lies primarily in how she looks,' she said. This can create pressure to maintain a certain image and lead to a fragile form of self-esteem dependent on external validation.
The psychologist noted that adolescence already heightens body awareness, and a global label about beauty can intensify that. 'It can create a sense that people expect to be impressed by how you look, which can make a person feel constantly observed or evaluated,' she added. This may increase vulnerability to body image concerns, anxiety, and even disordered eating.
However, Dr Hall emphasised that negative outcomes are not inevitable, especially with supportive adults who encourage a broad sense of identity beyond appearance. Blondeau herself has turned the early comments into a successful career, but the long-term impact of such labels remains a concern for child development experts.
