Miss World
The
Miss World pageant is an international
beauty pageant founded in the
United Kingdom by
Eric Morley in
1951.
It started as the
Festival Bikini Contest, in honour of the recently introduced swimwear of the time, but was called
Miss World by the press. It was originally planned as a one-off event. Upon learning about the upcoming
Miss Universe pageant, Morley decided to make the pageant an annual event.
|
Map of Miss World-winning countries as of 2005. |
Opposition to the wearing of
bikinis led to their replacement with more modest swimwear after the first contest. In
1959, the
BBC started broadcasting the competition. The pageant's popularity grew as the popularity of television grew.
Along with the rival
Miss Universe pageant, Miss World has grown to be the most sought after and prestigious title in beauty pageantry. It is the most widely attended and broadcast such event, with over a hundred delegates in competition (Miss Universe, by comparison, welcomes approximately 80 delegates). The road to the Miss World crown is a long one. In the year preceding the global finals, each delegate must win her national title or a specially designated Miss World national preliminary. Miss World's national preliminaries are conducted by their license-holders, who hold the franchise to use the "Miss World" name in their country. The annual world final is typically a month long extravaganza, with several preliminary events, galas, dinners, balls and activities, culminating in a globally telecast final show in which the field is narrowed to between 15-20 delegates.
As part of its marketing strategy, Miss World came up with a "You Decide" television special in 2001, featuring the delegates behind the scenes and on the beach, and allowing viewers to either phone in or vote online for their favorites. It also sells its Talent, "Beach Beauty" and Sports events as television specials to broadcasters.
The international winner spends a year travelling the globe representing the Miss World organization in its various causes. MW has an explicitly altruistic agenda, and has raised over 250 million pounds for various global charities (Information furnished by MWO, Ltd.). Traditionally, Miss World lives in London during her reign and uses it as her base for world travel.
:''Main article:
Miss World 2006The
56th Miss World pageant will take place in
Warsaw,
Poland on Saturday, September 30th at Sala Kongresowa, the main 2,897-seat auditorium at the
Palace of Culture and Science. This is the first time ever that the pageant will be held in an European city other than
London,
United Kingdom, having previously been held there in 2002 after the
Nigeria Controversy.
The Miss World pageant seems to have 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, temporarily scaring host
Bob Hope.
* The first winner from the
United States,
1973's
Marjorie Wallace, was forced to resign because of her high-profile
serial dating.
* The
1974 winner
Helen Morgan resigned four days later after it was discovered she was a
single mother.
* In
1976, several countries went on a
boycott, because the pageant included both a Caucasian and African representative for
South Africa. In yet another shut-out for the nation for its apartheid policy, South Africa competed for the last time in 1977, before it was welcomed back in 1991 as that policy disintegrated.
* The
1980 winner
Gabriela 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 Seychelles, and heavy security was in place for every move the contestants made. Despite the chaos, the pageant's live telecast went on without a problem.
* Just days after her 1998 crowning, Israel's
Linor Abargil revealed that she had been raped only two months before the pageant. One of the highlights of her year was seeing her accused rapist convicted. In the
1980s, the pageant repositioned itself with the
slogan Beauty With a Purpose. The contest added tests of
intelligence and
personality. By the
1990s, the pageant was reaching two billion viewers from almost every country in the world. The competition has been seen as old-fashioned and rather
politically incorrect in its native Britain. Despite the global appeal, the show was not broadcast on any major terrestrial British TV network for several years, until Channel Five aired it in 1998.
*1951-1958 -
Eric Morley*1959-1974 -
Bob Hope*1975-1985 -
Peter Marshall and
Judith Chalmers*1986-1990 -
Peter Marshall and
Alexandra Bastedo*1991-1992 -
Peter Marshall and
Gina Marie Tolleson*1993 -
Pierce Brosnan and
Gina Marie Tolleson*1994-1997 -
Richard Steinmetz*1998 -
Ronan Keating and Eden
*1999 -
Ulrika Johnson and
Melanie Sykes*2000 -
Jerry Springer and
Rebecca de Alba*2001 -
Jerry Springer and
Claire Elizabeth Smith*2002 -
Sean Kanan and
Claire Elizabeth Smith*2003 -
Phil Keoghan,
Amanda Byram, and
Angela Chow*2004 -
Troy McClain,
Angela Chow, and
Lisa Snowdon*2005 -
Tim Vincent and
Angela ChowEric Morley died as the pageant entered the new century. The century saw its first black African winner,
Agbani Darego, in 2001. In
2002 the competition was slated for
Abuja, the
capital city of
Nigeria. 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 Amina's plight.
In the year leading up the finals in Nigeria, several European title holders lobbied their governments and the EU parliament to support Amina's cause. A number of contestants followed the lead of Kathrine Sørland of
Norway in boycotting the contest (despite the controversy Sørland would go on to become a semifinalist in both the Miss World and Miss Universe contest), while others such as
Costa Rica were instructed by their national governments and parliaments not to attend the contest. Among the other boycotting nations were
Denmark,
Spain,
Switzerland,
Panama,
Belgium and
Kenya. There was further controversy over the possibly suspended participation of
France and
South Africa, which may or may not have been due to the boycott. For her part, Lawal asked that contestants not suspend their participation in the contest, saying that it was for the good of her country and that they could, as the representative of
Sweden had earlier remarked, make a much stronger case for her on the ground in Nigeria.
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 their delegates. Osmel Sousa of
Venezuela, one of the world's most influential national directors, famously said "there is no question about it (the participation of Miss Venezuela in the contest)." The trouble did not end there, however. A
ThisDay (
Lagos,
Nigeria) newspaper editorial suggesting that
Muhammad, the prophet of
Islam, would probably have chosen one of his wives from among the contestants had he been alive to see it, resulted in interreligious riots that started on
November 22 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 fled to their home countries. 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 favorite for the crown she had previously boycotted.The eventual winner of the pageant was Azra Akin of
Turkey, the first predominantly Muslim country to hold the title since
Egypt in 1954.
Akin was followed by Ireland's
Rosanna Davison, daughter of the "Lady in Red" singer
Chris de Burgh. In 2004 the crown was decided for the first time by a global vote, resulting in the victory of
Peru's Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia and the return of the title to Latin America after nine years.
Miss World â€" The Final is the World's largest live annual TV event with global viewing figures topping two billion across more than 200 countries (Real data from every country broadcasting the event is impossible to obtain, and therefore, not furnished. These figures are stated by the Miss World Organization).
Miss World has raised millions of pounds for charities around the globe under the banner of its ‘Beauty with a Purpose' programme, and is credited with directly influencing a dramatic increase in tourism in Sanya, China, home to Miss World for the past three years.
THE MISS WORLD ORGANIZATION owns and manages the annual Miss World Finals, a competition that has grown into one of the World's biggest and most loved events. Since its launch is 1951, the Miss World Organization has raised more than £250m for children's charities. Miss World is franchised in more than 140 countries and commands the World's largest annual live TV audience. (This information is provided by Miss World, Ltd.) Miss World, Limited is a privately held firm, and thus figures for its earnings, expenses and charitable contributions are not publicly available.
| Year | Miss World | Country | Venue |
|---|
| 1951 | Kicki HÃ¥kansson | | Lyceum Theatre, London, U.K. |
| 1952 | May Louise Flodin | | London, UK |
| 1953 | Denise Perrier | | London, UK |
| 1954 | Antigone Costanda | Egypt | London, UK |
| 1955 | Carmen Susana Duijim Zubillaga | | London, UK |
| 1956 | Petra Susanna Schürmann |  | Germany |
West Germany | London, UK |
| 1957 | Marita Lindahl | | London, UK |
| 1958 | Penelope Anne Coelen | South Africa | London, UK |
| 1959 | Corinne Rottschafer | | London, UK |
| 1960 | Norma Gladys Cappagli | | London, UK |
| 1961 | Rosemarie Frankland | | London, UK |
| 1962 | Catharina Johanna Lodders | | London, UK |
| 1963 | Carole Joan Crawford | | London, UK |
| 1964 | Ann Sydney | | London, UK |
| 1965 | Lesley Langley | | London, UK |
| 1966 | Reita Faria | | London, UK |
| 1967 | Madeleine Hartog Bell | | London, UK |
| 1968 | Penelope Plummer | | London, UK |
| 1969 | Eva Von Rueber-Staier | | Royal Albert Hall, London, UK |
| 1970 | Jennifer Josephine Hosten | | London, UK |
| 1971 | Lucia Tavares Petterle | | London, UK |
| 1972 | Belinda Roma Green | | London, UK |
| 1973 | Marjorie Wallace | | London, UK |
| 1974 | Helen Morgan | | London, UK |
| Anneline Kriel | South Africa |
| 1975 | Wilnelia Merced Cruz | | London, UK |
| 1976 | Cynthia Jane "Cindy" Breakspeare | | London, UK |
| 1977 | Mary Ann Catrin Stavin | | London, UK |
| 1978 | Silvana Rosa Suárez | | London, UK |
| 1979 | Gina Ann Cassandra Swainson | | London, UK |
| 1980 | Gabriela Brum | | Germany |
West Germany | London, UK |
| Kimberley Santos | |
| 1981 | Carmen Josefina "Pilin" Leon Crespo | | London, UK and Miami, U.S. |
| 1982 | Mariasela Alvarez Lebron | | London, UK |
| 1983 | Sarah-Jane Hutt | | London, UK |
| 1984 | Astrid Carolina Herrera Irrazábal | | London, UK |
| 1985 | HólmfrÃður Karlsdóttir | | London, UK |
| 1986 | Giselle Jeanne-Marie Laronde | | London, UK and Macau |
| 1987 | Ulla Weigerstorfer | | London, UK and Malta |
| 1988 | Linda Pétursdóttir | | London, UK and Málaga, Spain |
| 1989 | Aneta Beata Kreglicka | | Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong and Taipei, Taiwan |
| 1990 | Gina Marie Tolleson | | Palladium Theatre, London, UK and Norway |
| 1991 | Ninibeth Beatriz Leal Jimenez | | Atlanta Superdome, Atlanta, U.S.A. and South Africa |
| 1992 | Julia Alexandrovna Kourotchkina | | Sun City Entertainment Centre, Sun City, South Africa |
| 1993 | Lisa Hanna | | Sun City, South Africa |
| 1994 | Aishwarya Rai | | Sun City, South Africa |
| 1995 | Jacqueline Maria Aguilera Marcano | | Sun City, South Africa, United Arab Emirates and Comoros |
| 1996 | Irene Skliva | | Bangalore Cricket Stadium, Bangalore, India and Seychelles |
| 1997 | Diana Hayden | | Lake Berjaya Mahe Resort, Mahe, Seychelles |
| 1998 | Linor Abargil | | Baie Lazare, Seychelles and Paris, France |
| 1999 | Yukta Mookhey | | Olympia Hall, London, UK and Malta |
| 2000 | Priyanka Chopra | | Millennium Dome, London, UK and the Maldives |
| 2001 | Ibiagbanidokibubo "Agbani" Asenite Darego | | Sun City Entertainment Centre, Sun City, South Africa and Zambia |
| 2002 | Azra Akin | | Alexandra Palace, London, UK and Nigeria |
| 2003 | Rosanna Davison | | Crown of Beauty Theatre, Sanya, China, Beijing, China, Shanghai, China, andXi'an, China |
| 2004 | MarÃa Julia Mantilla | | Sanya, China |
| 2005 | Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir | | Sanya, China |
| 2006 | | | Sala Kongresowa at the Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw, Poland |
Best performances by country
As of 2005:
| Titles | Country | | 5 | India, Venezuela |
|---|
| 4 | United Kingdom |
|---|
| 3 | Iceland, Jamaica, Sweden |
|---|
| 2 | Argentina, Australia, Austria, Netherlands, Peru, South Africa, United States |
|---|
| 1 | Brazil, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guam, Ireland, Israel, Nigeria, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey |
|---|
Best performances by continental region
As of 2005:
| Continent | Best Performance | | Europe | 23 titles won by United Kingdom (4), Iceland and Sweden (3), Austria and Netherlands (2), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Poland, Russia and Turkey (1). |
|---|
| Americas | 12 titles won by Venezuela (5), Argentina, Peru and United States (2), Brazil (1). |
|---|
| Asia-Pacific | 8 titles won by India (5), Australia (2), Guam (1) |
|---|
| Caribbean | 7 titles won by Jamaica (3), Dominican Republic, Grenada, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago (1). |
|---|
| Africa | 4 titles won by South Africa (2), Egypt and Nigeria (1). |
|---|
From 1981-1989:
From 1990-2004:
From 2005-present:
Queens of Beauty titles
As of 2005:
* Miss World remains the only
major beauty pageant where a country successfully held the title for consecutive years: Sweden (1951-52), United Kingdom (1964-65), and India (1999-2000).
* France, Australia, and Venezuela have won both Miss World and Miss Universe crowns in the same year: 1953, 1972 and 1981 respectively. India achieved the feat twice, in 1994 and in 2000.
* In 2000,
Aishwarya Rai, Miss World 1994 from
India, was named the Most Beautiful Miss World of All Times - receiving a score of 9.911.
* Though unplaced in Miss World, contestants
Georgina Rizk (Miss Universe 1971),
Angela Visser (Miss Universe 1989), and
Mpule Kwelagobe (Miss Universe 1999) were all Miss Universe title holders.
Michelle McLean (Miss Universe 1992) from Namibia was a finalist at the 1991 Miss World pageant in Atlanta and went on to win the 1992 Miss Universe crown in Bangkok.
* Miss World has title holders who placed as finalist or runners-up in Miss Universe. They were
Carmen Duijm Zubillaga (Miss World 1955),
Corinne Rottschafer (Miss World 1959),
Rosemarie Frankland (Miss World 1961),
Madeline Hartog-Bel Houghton (Miss World 1967),
Eva Rueber-Staier (Miss World 1969),
Helen Morgan (Miss World 1974) (dethroned),
Gina Ann Swainson (Miss World 1979),
Agbani Darego (Miss World 2001).
* Several Miss World alumna have been cast as
Bond girl or made appearances in the Bond movies: They are: Claudine Auger (France, first runner-up, 1958), Michele Mok (Hong Kong, 1958), Eva Rueber-Staier (Austria, Miss World 1969), Denise Perrier (France, Miss World 1953), Mary Stavin (Sweden, Miss World 1977), Michelle Yeoh (Malaysia, 1983), Ruddy Rodriguez (Venezuela, finalist 1985), Lou-Anne Ronchi (Australia, second runner-up 1984) and Halle Berry (USA, finalist 1986).
* In 1989, Miss World beauty pageant was held in an overseas location for the first time, in
Hong Kong.
* The
55th staging of Miss World in
Sanya,
China in 2005 meant that for the first time, all the
major beauty pageants were staged in the same
continent (
Asia): Miss Universe in
Thailand, Miss Earth in the
Philippines, and Miss International in
Japan.
* "Miss World" is a song by the American grunge band
Hole. It was released as a single in April 1994, followed by "
Doll Parts" in June.
* Miss World has yet to crown a winner from the
Far East.
*
Miss Universe*
Miss World website*
Official Miss World Publicity/PR website*
Guardian story on Nigeria
*
Warsaw-life Miss World 2006
