Womanizers

Berlusconi Puts Forward Sexy Candidates

Backs weather girl, beauty queen.

No surprise here: Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi is drawing criticism for unveiling a list of candidates for regional elections that includes an ex-weathergirl, a beauty pageant contestant, and a former showgirl. Nicole Minetti, 25, is the daughter of an English dance instructor; Italia Caruso competed to be Miss Italy; and Giovanna Del Giudice worked at one of Berlusconi’s nighttime hangouts and later became a weathergirl on one of the former prime minister’s TV stations. "I have my CV, I am prepared and I am up to fulfilling the role," Minetti said, and then asked reporters, "Can you stop publishing photos from when I worked in TV?" (She wore a gold bikini.) Del Giudice was dropped from Berlusconi’s candidate list last year after he drew negative press for pushing several showgirls. At the time, Berlusconi’s wife declared the move “shamelessly trashy” and asked for a divorce. Berlusconi now calls himself a “single man.”