The leadership of the Miss America Organisation has resigned, sweeping out officials implicated in an email scandal that targeted past pageant winners for abuse based on their appearance, intellect and sex lives.

CEO Sam Haskell resigned from the group, based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, a day after he was suspended by the board.

Also on Saturday, the organisation's president Josh Randle and chairman Lynn Weidner resigned.

The internal emails include name-calling, slut-shaming and fat-shaming of some of the contestants who had taken part in the pageant.

Former Miss New York Mallory Hagan's appearance and sexual habits were among those mocked in the emails.

In other emails, a former writer for the pageant notes the death of one former Miss America, and muses that he wished it had been 1998 Miss America Kate Shindle who had died instead.

The emails were leaked to the Huffington Post, which first reported on them Thursday.

Mr Haskell said he made "a mistake of words".

The organisation announced the resignations a day after dozens of former Miss Americas signed a petition calling on the group's leadership to step down.

His resignation is effective immediately, while Mr Randle and Ms Weidner will remain for a few weeks to help with the leadership transition.