Miss World
Miss World is the oldest-running international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth, this pageant is one of the Big Four international beauty pageants—the most coveted beauty titles when it comes to international pageant competitions.
The current Miss World is Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica, who was crowned on 14 December 2019 in London, England. She is the fourth Jamaican to win Miss World.
History
20th century
In 1951, Eric Morley organised a bikini contest as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations that he called the Festival Bikini Contest. The event was popular with the press, and was dubbed "Miss World" by the media. The swimsuit competition was intended as a promotion for the bikini which had only recently been introduced onto the market, and which was still widely regarded as immodest. When the 1951 Miss World pageant winner, Kerstin "Kiki" Hakansson from Sweden, was crowned in a bikini, it added to the controversy.The pageant was originally planned as a Pageant for the Festival of Britain, but Eric Morley decided to make the Miss World pageant an annual event. Morley registered the "Miss World" name as a trademark, and all future pageants were held under that name. However, because of the controversy arising from Håkansson's crowning in a bikini, countries with religious traditions threatened not to send delegates to future events, and the bikini was condemned by the Pope. Objection to the bikini led to its replacement in all future pageants with what was accepted as more modest swimwear, and from 1976 swimsuits were replaced by evening gowns for the crowning. Håkansson remains the only Miss World crowned in a bikini. In Miss World 2013 all participants wore a one-piece swimsuit plus a traditional sarong below the waist as a compromise with local culture.
Morley announced the Miss World winners in the order No. 3, No. 2 and No. 1. This keeps the tension up and avoids the anticlimax if Nos. 2 and 3 are announced after the winner.
In 1959, the BBC started broadcasting the pageant. The pageant's popularity grew with the advent of television. During the 1960s and 1970s, Miss World would be among the most watched programs of the year on British television. However, in 1970, the Miss World contest in London was disrupted by women's liberation protesters armed with flour bombs, stink bombs, and water pistols. More than 18 million people watched the pageant at its peak during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In the 1980s, the pageant repositioned itself with the slogan Beauty With a Purpose, with added tests of intelligence and personality. However, there have been various objections to the contest. Although it still "enjoys success worldwide", it was no longer broadcast on BBC with the last mainstream broadcast on UK television in 1988. ITV's Thames Television took over the UK broadcasting rights between 1980 and 1988. During the early 1990s, there was a decline in the popularity of mainstream television broadcasts of the event after it became "increasingly unfashionable" in the late 1980s. The pageant returned on satellite channel Sky One in 1997, before moving to Channel 5 for three years.
21st century
Eric Morley died in 2000, and his wife, Julia, succeeded as chairwoman of the Miss World organisation.The first black African Miss World winner, Agbani Darego of Nigeria, was crowned in 2001. As part of its marketing strategy, Miss World came up with a "Vote For Me" television special during that edition, featuring the delegates behind the scenes and on the beach, and allowing viewers to either phone in or vote online for their favourites. It also sells its Talent, Beach Beauty and Sports events as television specials to broadcasters. ITV broadcast the 2001 pageant from South Africa on digital channel ITV2, with the special airing a week earlier on the main ITV channel.
In 2002 the pageant was slated for Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria to host its final. This choice was controversial, as a northern Nigerian woman, Amina Lawal, was awaiting death by stoning for adultery under Sharia law there, but Miss World chose to use the publicity surrounding its presence to bring greater global awareness and action to Lawal's plight . No British channel agreed to broadcast the event.
In the Miss World 2014 ceremony, Aishwarya Rai the most successful crowned Miss World by the Miss World Organization attended the celebration with her husband Abhishek Bachchan, daughter Aaradhya and mother Brinda Rai. It has been broadcast on local TV channel London Live since 2014.
Miss World Organization
The Miss World Organization owns and manages the annual Miss World Finals, a competition that has grown into one of the world's biggest. Since its launch in 1951, the Miss World organisation has raised more than £250 million for children's charities that help disabled and underprivileged children. Miss World is franchised in more than 100 countries. Miss World, Limited is a privately held firm, and thus figures for its earnings, expenses and charitable contributions are not publicly available.1970s–1990s
The Miss World pageant has been the target of many controversies since its inception.- In 1970, feminist protesters threw flour bombs during the live event at London's Royal Albert Hall, momentarily alarming the host, Bob Hope.
- The 1973 winner, Marjorie Wallace, was stripped of her title on 8 March 1974, because she had failed to fulfill the basic requirements of the job. The Miss World organizers did not elect someone to serve in her place.
- In 1976, several countries went on a boycott, because the pageant included both a Caucasian and African representative for South Africa. South Africa competed for the last time in 1977, before returning in 1991 as Apartheid disintegrated.
- The 1980 winner Gabriella Brum of Germany resigned one day after winning, initially claiming her boyfriend disapproved. A few days later it emerged that she had been forced to resign after it was discovered that she posed naked for a magazine.
- In 1996, wide-scale protests took place in Bangalore, India, over the hosting of the beauty contest. The swimsuit shootings were moved to the Seychelles, and heavy security was in place. Despite the chaos, the pageant's live telecast went smoothly.
Nigeria 2002
Despite the increasing international profile the boycott was garnering in the world press, the contest went ahead in Nigeria after being rescheduled to avoid taking place during Ramadan, with many prominent nations sending delegates. Osmel Sousa of Venezuela, one of the world's most influential national directors, famously said "there is no question about it." The trouble did not end there, however. A ThisDay newspaper editorial suggesting that Muhammad would probably have chosen one of his wives from among the contestants had he been alive to see it, resulted in inter-religious riots that started on 22 November in which over 200 people were killed in the city of Kaduna, along with many houses of worship being burned by religious zealots. Because of these riots, the 2002 pageant was moved to London, following widely circulated reports that the representatives of Canada and Korea had withdrawn from the contest and returned to their respective countries out of safety concerns. A fatwa urging the beheading of the woman who wrote the offending words, Isioma Daniel, was issued in Nigeria, but was declared null and void by the relevant Saudi Arabian authorities. Upon the pageant's return to England, many of the boycotting contestants chose to attend, including Miss Norway, Kathrine Sørland, who was ironically tipped in the last few days as the number one favourite for the crown she had previously boycotted.
The eventual winner of the pageant was Azra Akın of Turkey, the first predominantly Muslim country to hold the title since Egypt in 1954.
Indonesia 2013
In Miss World 2013, protests by Islamic groups began a few weeks before the contest began, resulting in the pageant's finale and all pre-pageant activities being isolated to Hindu-majority Bali.China 2015
, Miss World Canada, was not given visa to travel in China and hence missed the official deadline of 20 November 2015 for entry to the Miss World 2015 pageant, and was declared persona non grata by the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa since she openly criticized China's human rights violations. She was later allowed by the Miss World Organization to compete at Miss World 2016.Titleholders
Winners gallery
Fast track events
The winner of these events, called "fast track" competitions, automatically make it into the quarter or semifinals of Miss World. The fast track categories are Miss World Beach Beauty, Beauty With a Purpose, Sports Challenge, Talent and Top Model. Miss World Beach Beauty, replacing Miss World Best in Swimsuit, and Miss World Sports were added in 2003. Miss World Top Model was added in 2004. Miss World Multimedia was added in 2012.Miss World Beach Beauty
Miss World Beach Beauty was a swimsuit or fast track competition in the Miss World pageant. The Beach Beauty event first started in 2003, when the Miss World Organization decided to have preliminary or fast track events to automatically give a semifinal spot to some of the delegates. This event allowed the Miss World delegates to have a chance of being in the semifinals. The winner goes on to make the semifinals automatically. The Beach Beauty event showcased different swimsuits designed by Miss World 1975, Wilnelia Merced. In 2014, the organisation eliminated the swimsuit competition from the pageant.Year | Winner | Represented | Placement at Miss World |
2003 | Rosanna Davison | Miss World 2003 | |
2004 | Nancy Randall | 2nd Runner-up | |
2005 | Yulia Ivanova | Top 15 semifinalist | |
2006 | Federica Guzmán | Top 17 semifinalist | |
2007 | Ada De La Cruz | Top 16 semifinalist | |
2008 | Anagabriela Espinoza | Top 15 semifinalist | |
2009 | Kaiane Aldorino | Miss World 2009 | |
2010 | Yara Lasanta | Top 20 semifinalist | |
2011 | Alize Lily Mounter | Top 7 finalist | |
2012 | Sophie Moulds | 1st Runner-up | |
2013 | Sancler Frantz | Top 6 finalist | |
2014 | Olivia Asplund | Top 25 semifinalist |
Miss World Beauty With a Purpose
The Beauty with a Purpose is an event established in 1972 that is celebrated during the activities prior to the Miss World pageant. It awards the contestant with the most relevant and important charity project in her nation. Since 2005 the winner automatically makes the quarter finals. Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar from India is the first and only Beauty With a Purpose recipient to eventually win the Miss World crown.Year | Winner | Country | Placement at Miss World |
2001 | Piarella Peralta | ||
2002 | Nozipho Shabangu | ||
2003 | Denisa Kola | ||
2004 | Tonoya Anne Toyloy | ||
2005 | Oh Eun-young | Top 6 | |
2006 | Lamisi Mbillah | Top 17 | |
2007 | Valeska Saab | Top 16 | |
2007 | Kayi Cheung | Top 16 | |
2008 | Gabrielle Walcott | 2nd Runner-up | |
2009 | Pooja Chopra | Top 16 | |
2010 | Natasha Metto | Top 25 | |
2011 | Astrid Yunadi | Top 15 | |
2011 | Stephanie Karikari | ||
2012 | Vanya Mishra | Top 7 | |
2013 | Ishani Shrestha | Top 10 | |
2014 | Julia Gama | Top 11 | |
2014 | Rafieya Husain | Top 11 | |
2014 | Koyal Rana | Top 11 | |
2014 | Idah Nguma | Top 11 | |
2014 | Maria Rahajeng | Top 25 | |
2015 | Maria Harfanti | 2nd Runner-up | |
2016 | Natasha Mannuela | 2nd Runner-up | |
2017 | Manushi Chhillar | Miss World 2017 | |
2017 | Achintya Holte Nilsen | Top 10 | |
2017 | Laura Lehmann | Top 40 | |
2017 | Adè van Heerden | Top 10 | |
2017 | Đỗ Mỹ Linh | Top 40 | |
2018 | Shrinkhala Khatiwada | Top 12 | |
2019 | Anushka Shrestha | Top 12 |
Miss World Talent
Miss World Talent is a talent or fast track competition in the Miss World pageant, in which a number of contestants show their abilities in singing, dancing, poetry, etc. Introduced in Miss World 1978, the winner of the event automatically makes it into the semifinals starting 2003. The award returned at Miss World 2001.Being a Miss World doesn't just require a person to be beautiful, but also exceptionally smart and a good human being.Year | Winner | Represented | Placement at Miss World |
1978 | Louvette Monzon Hammond | Unplaced | |
2001 | Stephanie Chase | Unplaced | |
2002 | Rebekah Revels | Top 10 | |
2003 | Irina Onashvili | Top 20 | |
2004 | Shermain Jeremy | Top 15 | |
2005 | Kmisha Counts | Top 15 | |
2006 | Catherine Jean Milligan | Top 17 | |
2007 | Irene Dwomoh | Top 15 | |
2008 | Natalie Griffith | Top 15 | |
2009 | Lena Ma | 4th Runner-up | |
2009 | Mariatu Kargbo | Top 16 | |
2010 | Emma Britt Waldron | 3rd Runner-up | |
2011 | Gabriela Pulgar | Top 20 | |
2012 | Yu Wenxia | Miss World 2012 | |
2013 | Vania Larissa | Top 10 | |
2014 | Dewi Liana Seriestha | Top 25 | |
2015 | Lisa Punch | Top 11 | |
2016 | Bayartsetseg Altangerel | Top 11 | |
2017 | Michela Galea | Top 40 | |
2018 | Kanako Date | Top 30 | |
2019 | Toni-Ann Singh | Miss World 2019 |
Miss World Top Model
The Miss World Top Model is a modeling fast track competition at the Miss World Pageant. The competition was first held in 2004, but not in 2005-2006. It has been held since 2007; the winner of the competition automatically qualifies for the semifinals.Year | Winner | Represented | Placement at Miss World |
2004 | Yessica Ramírez | Top 15 | |
2007 | Zhang Zilin | Miss World 2007 | |
2008 | Ksenia Sukhinova | Miss World 2008 | |
2009 | Perla Beltrán | 1st Runner-up | |
2010 | Mariann Birkedal | Top 7 | |
2011 | Zhanna Zhumaliyeva | Top 15 | |
2012 | Atong Demach | Top 7 | |
2013 | Megan Young | Miss World 2013 | |
2014 | Isidora Borovčanin | Unplaced | |
2015 | Mireia Lalaguna | Miss World 2015 | |
2016 | Jing Kong | Top 11 | |
2017 | Ugochi Ihezue | Top 15 | |
2018 | Maëva Coucke | Top 12 | |
2019 | Nyekachi Douglas | Top 5 |
Miss World Sports Challenge
Miss World Sports or Sportswoman is a title and award given to the winner of a sports event at Miss World. It is a fast track or preliminary event, giving the winner automatic entry into the semifinals. So far there are 5 Miss World Sports winners starting at 2003. In 2005, there was no Miss Sports winner because it wasn't held as an individual fast track event, but rather a continental team competition. Starting in 2006, the individual competition was back again.Year | Winner | Represented | Placement at Miss World\ |
2003 | Nazanin Afshin-Jam | 1st Runner Up | |
2004 | Amy Guy | Top 15 | |
2005 | Asia-Pacific | Asia | Team Challenge |
2006 | Malgosia Majewska | Top 17 | |
2007 | Abigail "Abby" McCarry | Top 15 | |
2008 | Alexandra Ívarsdóttir+ | + | Top 15 |
2009 | Erusa Sasaki | Top 16 | |
2010+ | Lori Moore+ | + | Top 25 |
2011 | Marianly Tejeda | Unplaced | |
2012 | Sanna Jinnedal | Top 30 | |
2013 | Jacqueline Steenbeek+ | + | Top 20 |
2014+ | Krista Haapalainen+ | + | Top 25 |
2015 | Steffi Van Wyk+ | + | Unplaced |
2016 | Natalia Short | Top 20 | |
2017 | Aletxa Mueses | Top 40 | |
2018 | Marisa Butler | Top 30 | |
2019 | Rikkiya Brathwaite | Top 40 |
Miss World hosts and artists
The following is a list Miss World hosts and invited artists through the years.Year | Hosts | Artists |
1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958 | Eric Morley | |
1959 | Bob Hope | |
1960 | Bob Hope | Herald Trumpeters of the Royal Artillery |
1961 | Michael Aspel | Bob Hope |
1962, 1963, 1964 | Michael Aspel | |
1965 | David Jacobs, Michael Aspel | Ronnie Carroll, Lionel Blair |
1966 | Peter West, Michael Aspel | The Three Monarchs, Mark Wynter |
1967 | Simon Dee, Michael Aspel | Malcolm Roberts, Los Zafiros |
1968 | Michael Aspel, commentary by Keith Fordyce | Gene Pitney |
1969 | Michael Aspel, Pete Murray | Frank Ifield, The Roy Budd Trio, Lionel Blair |
1970 | Bob Hope, Michael Aspel, Keith Fordyce | |
1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 | Michael Aspel and David Vine | |
1975 | David Vine and Ray Moore | |
1976 | Sacha Distel, Patrick Lichfield, and Ray Moore | |
1977 | Andy Williams, and Ray Moore | |
1978 | Sacha Distel and Paul Burnett | |
1979 | Sacha Distel, Esther Rantzen, Germaine Greer and Ray Moore | |
1980 | Peter Marshall, Judith Chalmers and Anthony Newley | Anthony Newley and The Dougie Squires Dancers |
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 | Peter Marshall and Judith Chalmers |