Ep 2. The Beauty Queen Affair

In the second episode of the first season of Hi-de-Hi!, titled "The Beauty Queen Affair," the staff at Maplins Holiday Camp is preparing for a beauty contest, which promises to be the highlight of the season. The contestants consist of the campers' wives and daughters, as well as the staff members themselves. Jeffrey Fairbrother (Simon Cadell), the new entertainment manager, is in charge of the contest, and he is determined to make it a success.

The contestants are given guidance and advice by Gladys Pugh (Ruth Madoc), the yellow-coated chalet maid who considers herself an expert in the beauty department. Gladys is very critical of the contestants' appearances and judges them harshly. However, when the time comes for her to enter the contest herself, she realizes that it is not as easy as it looks.

Meanwhile, Ted Bovis (Paul Shane), the camp's resident comedian and conman, has an idea to make some quick money by rigging the contest. He plans to fix the results in favor of his girlfriend, Peggy (Su Pollard), who is also a contestant. Although Peggy is not the most beautiful woman in the camp, Ted believes he can manipulate the judges into voting for her.

However, things do not go as planned, and Ted's scheme starts to unravel. When the judges become suspicious of the rigged contest, they threaten to cancel the whole thing. It is up to Jeffrey to save the day, and he comes up with a last-minute solution that saves the contest.

In the end, the competition is a resounding success, and a winner is crowned. The event brings the campers together and sparks a sense of camaraderie that is at the heart of the show's themes. Amidst the chaos and hilarity of the episode, there are moments of genuine warmth and understanding that make Hi-de-Hi! such a beloved comedy classic.