**The Brazilian samba group which chose a seven-year-old to be the queen of its drum section has finished last in the Rio Carnival parade competition.**Julia Lira was reduced to tears under the media glare, but eventually danced on at the helm of Viradouro’s parade.
Viradouro came last in the drum corps category and also fared badly in the float category. The poor finish saw it relegated to the second division.
The winning parade had skiers dressed like Batman and a pregnant drum queen.
The Unidos da Tijuca samba group took home the trophy for the first time in 74 years for their parade entitled, It’s a Secret!
Its winning entry also featured a Michael Jackson impersonator and a four-month pregnant television presenter, Adriane Galisteu, as its drum corps queen.
“It was a beautiful carnival and my congratulations to all the other groups,” Tijuca’s artistic director Paulo Barros told AP news agency.
“But this one is ours!”
Each year, 12 samba schools take part in the fiercely-competitive parade that is watched by millions on live television across Brazil.
The groups spend between $3-$5m (£2-3m) on elaborate costumes and extravagant floats.
The winners receive no cash prize - just a trophy and bragging rights for a year.