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 the year leading up the finals in Nigeria, several European title holders lobbied their governments and the EU parliament to support Amina Lawal's cause. A number of contestants followed the lead of Kathrine Sørland of Norway in boycotting the 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 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.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2003Rosanna DavisonMiss World 2003
2004Nancy Randall2nd Runner-up
2005Yulia IvanovaTop 15 semifinalist
2006Federica GuzmánTop 17 semifinalist
2007Ada De La CruzTop 16 semifinalist
2008Anagabriela EspinozaTop 15 semifinalist
2009Kaiane AldorinoMiss World 2009
2010Yara LasantaTop 20 semifinalist
2011Alize Lily MounterTop 7 finalist
2012Sophie Moulds1st Runner-up
2013Sancler FrantzTop 6 finalist
2014Olivia AsplundTop 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.
YearWinnerCountryPlacement at Miss World
2001Piarella Peralta
2002Nozipho Shabangu
2003Denisa Kola
2004Tonoya Anne Toyloy
2005Oh Eun-youngTop 6
2006Lamisi MbillahTop 17
2007Valeska SaabTop 16
2007Kayi CheungTop 16
2008Gabrielle Walcott2nd Runner-up
2009Pooja ChopraTop 16
2010Natasha MettoTop 25
2011Astrid YunadiTop 15
2011Stephanie Karikari
2012Vanya MishraTop 7
2013Ishani ShresthaTop 10
2014Julia GamaTop 11
2014Rafieya HusainTop 11
2014Koyal RanaTop 11
2014Idah NgumaTop 11
2014Maria RahajengTop 25
2015Maria Harfanti2nd Runner-up
2016Natasha Mannuela2nd Runner-up
2017Manushi ChhillarMiss World 2017
2017Achintya Holte NilsenTop 10
2017Laura LehmannTop 40
2017Adè van HeerdenTop 10
2017Đỗ Mỹ LinhTop 40
2018Shrinkhala KhatiwadaTop 12
2019Anushka ShresthaTop 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.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
1978Louvette Monzon HammondUnplaced
2001Stephanie ChaseUnplaced
2002Rebekah RevelsTop 10
2003Irina OnashviliTop 20
2004Shermain JeremyTop 15
2005Kmisha CountsTop 15
2006Catherine Jean MilliganTop 17
2007Irene DwomohTop 15
2008Natalie GriffithTop 15
2009Lena Ma4th Runner-up
2009Mariatu KargboTop 16
2010Emma Britt Waldron3rd Runner-up
2011Gabriela Pulgar Top 20
2012Yu WenxiaMiss World 2012
2013Vania LarissaTop 10
2014Dewi Liana SeriesthaTop 25
2015Lisa PunchTop 11
2016Bayartsetseg AltangerelTop 11
2017Michela GaleaTop 40
2018Kanako DateTop 30
2019Toni-Ann SinghMiss 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.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2004Yessica RamírezTop 15
2007Zhang ZilinMiss World 2007
2008Ksenia SukhinovaMiss World 2008
2009Perla Beltrán1st Runner-up
2010Mariann BirkedalTop 7
2011Zhanna ZhumaliyevaTop 15
2012Atong DemachTop 7
2013Megan YoungMiss World 2013
2014Isidora BorovčaninUnplaced
2015Mireia LalagunaMiss World 2015
2016Jing KongTop 11
2017Ugochi IhezueTop 15
2018Maëva CouckeTop 12
2019Nyekachi DouglasTop 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.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World\
2003Nazanin Afshin-Jam1st Runner Up
2004Amy GuyTop 15
2005Asia-PacificAsiaTeam Challenge
2006Malgosia MajewskaTop 17
2007Abigail "Abby" McCarryTop 15
2008Alexandra Ívarsdóttir++Top 15
2009Erusa SasakiTop 16
2010+Lori Moore++Top 25
2011Marianly TejedaUnplaced
2012Sanna JinnedalTop 30
2013Jacqueline Steenbeek++Top 20
2014+Krista Haapalainen++Top 25
2015Steffi Van Wyk++Unplaced
2016Natalia ShortTop 20
2017Aletxa MuesesTop 40
2018Marisa ButlerTop 30
2019Rikkiya BrathwaiteTop 40

Miss World hosts and artists

The following is a list Miss World hosts and invited artists through the years.
YearHostsArtists
1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958Eric Morley
1959Bob Hope
1960Bob HopeHerald Trumpeters of the Royal Artillery
1961Michael AspelBob Hope
1962, 1963, 1964Michael Aspel
1965David Jacobs, Michael AspelRonnie Carroll, Lionel Blair
1966Peter West, Michael AspelThe Three Monarchs, Mark Wynter
1967Simon Dee, Michael AspelMalcolm Roberts, Los Zafiros
1968Michael Aspel, commentary by Keith FordyceGene Pitney
1969Michael Aspel, Pete MurrayFrank Ifield, The Roy Budd Trio, Lionel Blair
1970Bob Hope, Michael Aspel, Keith Fordyce
1971, 1972, 1973, 1974Michael Aspel and David Vine
1975David Vine and Ray Moore
1976Sacha Distel, Patrick Lichfield, and Ray Moore
1977Andy Williams, and Ray Moore
1978Sacha Distel and Paul Burnett
1979Sacha Distel, Esther Rantzen, Germaine Greer and Ray Moore
1980Peter Marshall, Judith Chalmers and Anthony NewleyAnthony Newley and The Dougie Squires Dancers
1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985Peter Marshall and Judith Chalmers
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