Before she became a two-time champion of the Miss Nude World competition, Isabelle Deltore was a guard at several maximum security prisons.
If it wasn’t the prisoners trying to hit on her and yelling inappropriate things, it was her fellow guards. The environment was so brutal that Isabelle developed PTSD.
Isabelle, who was 29 at the time, decided that if she was going to have to put up with men ogling her every move – she would at least get paid well for it.
‘The first night I started dancing, I earned more than what I would in two weeks,’ Isabelle told Daily Mail Australia. ‘I sent an email to the prison at 4am and said “See you later”‘.
Isabelle Deltore, 35, is the only Australian to win Miss Nude World two times. She took the crown in 2014 and has won it again this year
Isabelle worked for years as a prison guard before she became overwhelmed by the things both the prisoners and fellow officers would say to her
Isabelle is 35 now and has been dancing for seven years. Yet when she first began, the Melbourne native only expected to do it until she got back on her feet.
But Isabelle found a safe place in the stripping world, where men who catcalled her or made inappropriate comments were thrown out on the spot.
‘That doesn’t happen in normal workplaces,’ she said. ‘If your boss sexually harasses you, you have to tolerate it. But in this industry, it’s not tolerated.’
‘Being a dancer, that’s how the world should work.’
And as she took center stage, Isabelle began to completely rebuild her self-esteem.
‘This job has given me an identity as a strong woman, and really given me a reality check on how men should treat me,’ she said.
Isabelle, at the age of 29, decided to start secretly stripped and fell in love with dancing and performing on the stage
Isabelle found a safe place in the stripping world, where men who catcalled her or made inappropriate comments were thrown out on the spot
‘It’s a bit of a Catch-22, because without a man’s drive to see a woman naked I would be out of a job. But I’m in an environment where I control that and can make an income from it.’
But being a ‘house girl’ at her local club was never going to be enough for Isabelle.
She found an interest in showgirls, who combine their stripping talents with costumes, props, and plenty of choreography.
‘There’s a huge difference between giving a lap dance and being on stage and performing,’ Isabelle said.
‘Being on stage is amazing, whether you’re performing for a crowd of two people – which I’ve done before – or for thousands on the main stage of a convention or an expo.’
‘It’s electrifying having a sea of faces, and you can hear them all singing to the music. It’s amazing.’
Isabelle had been competing in Australia for 18 months when she found out she didn’t qualify for Miss Nude Australia.
Isabelle began competing in showgirl competitions, where she had made a name for herself (pictured here after taking the crown)
Isabelle wowed audiences this year with one routine that involved a 2m fibreglass horse on a spinning disc for a cowgirl performance
But then she received a personal invitation to compete in Miss Nude World, the world’s biggest showgirl competition, and ended up sweeping the competition.
‘I had zero expectations,’ Isabelle recalled. ‘I would’ve been happy to make it to the top six or seven.’
Isabelle planned on retiring after taking the Miss Nude World 2015 title, but had a change of heart after a disappointing performance at another Miss Nude Australia.
‘I didn’t even place,’ she said. ‘I realised I’d really let myself go and was a shadow of the performer that I used to be.
‘I didn’t want to finish my competing career on a low.’
When her home club, Centrefold Lounge in Melbourne, managed to pick up the Miss Nude World 2018 competition, it felt like destiny.
Isabelle began planning the two eight-minute routines she would need to perform, making sure everything from the music to the props were bigger and better.
She created a Mad Max inspired routine that involved an aerial cube, and a cowgirl show that included a 2m fibreglass horse on a spinning disc.
‘I’m not an overly talented dancer, I’m not overly flexible, I can’t do any gymnastics or contortion’, Isabelle said.
Isabelle spent four to six hours, five days a week, practicing her routines, and worked with four different choreographers to prepare for the competition
‘So my compensation is unique props and apparatuses. You need to know what your weaknesses are and focus on your strengths.’
Isabelle spent four to six hours, five days a week, practicing her routines, and worked with four different choreographers.
All her hard work paid off. Not only was Isabelle named Miss Nude World 2018, she also won best aerial show, most unique show, best overall production, and best props.
Although she’s had great success, Isabelle is retiring from competitions for good.
‘I’ll never compete again, and I’m going to stick to it this time,’ she said. ‘I’m the only Australian to have two Miss Nude World titles, and I can’t top that.’
Now Isabelle is looking ahead, hoping to continue nabbing headline slots at adult lifestyle expositions and branching out into the US.
And she’s still laughing at those men who come into the club or message her on Twitter, hoping to save her or cure her from what they believe are ‘daddy issues’.
‘I have a very normal life,’ she said. ‘I have no drug dependency or alcohol addiction, I’ve got a normal relationship with a normal person. I’m really boring at home!’
‘I just wanted to be good at something, and I happened to be good at this.’