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The Miss World pageant is one of the oldest major international beauty pageants, which was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since 2000, Morley's wife, Julia Morley, co-chairs the pageant. Similar to its rivals Miss Universe and Miss Earth contests, this pageant is one of the most publicised beauty contests in the world. The winner of this contest spends a year travelling, and represents the Miss World Organization and its various causes. Traditionally, Miss World lives in London during her reign.
History
Miss World started as the Festival Bikini Contest, in honour of the swim wear that was newly introduced at that time. However, it was called "Miss World" by the press. It was originally planned as an one-off event. Upon learning about the upcoming Miss Universe pageant, Morley decided to make the pageant an annual event. Opposition to the wearing of bikinis led to their replacement with more modest swim wear after the first contest. In 1959, BBC started broadcasting the competition. The pageant's popularity grew with the advent of television.
In the 1980s, the pageant re-established itself with the slogan "Beauty With a Purpose", and with added tests of intelligence and personality. However, the competition has been seen as old-fashioned and rather politically incorrect in Britain. Despite the global appeal, the show was not broadcast on any major terrestrial British TV network for several years, until Channel 5 aired it in 1998.
Eric Morley died as the pageant entered the 21st century. His wife, Julia, succeeded as chairwoman of the Miss World Organization.
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 Organization has raised more than £250 million for children's charities. Miss World is franchised in more than 140 countries. Apart from raising millions of pounds for charities around the globe under the banner of its 'Beauty with a Purpose' program, Miss World is also credited with directly influencing a dramatic increase in tourism in Sanya, China, host of the Miss World finals from 2003-05.
The pageant
In the year preceding the global finals, each candidate needs to win her national title or a specially designated Miss World national preliminary. Miss World's national preliminaries are conducted by their licence-holders, who hold the franchise to use the "Miss World" name in their country. The annual final is typically a month long event, with several preliminary galas, dinners, balls and activities, culminating in a globally telecast final show in which the field is narrowed to between 15-20 candidates.
Controversies surrounding the pageant
• In 1970, feminist protesters threw flour bombs during the live event at London's Royal Albert Hall, momentarily scaring the host, Bob Hope.
• The 1974 winner Helen Morgan was forced to resign 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.
• The 1980 winner Gabriella Brum from 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 placed. Despite the chaos, the pageant's live telecast went on smoothly.
• 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 1998 Pageant, Miss Ghana slipped in the middle of the stage, but was unharmed.
Trivia
• 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).
• Eight Miss Universe delegates placed as runner-up or semi-finalist in that pageant and later won the Miss World title.
They were: Susana Duijm - semi-finalist, Venezuela 1955; Corine Rottsch?fer - semi-finalist,
Holland 1958; Rosemarie Frankland - First Runner-up, Wales 1961; Madeleine Hartog Bell - semi-finalist,
Peru 1966; Eva Rueber-Staier - semi-finalist, Austria 1969; Helen Morgan - first runner-up,
Wales 1974 (dethroned); Gina Swainson - First Runner-up, Bermuda 1979 and Agbani Darego - semi-finalist, Nigeria 2001.
• The longest reign by any Miss World titleholder belongs to the first winner, Kiki Hakansson, which lasted for 475 days
(almost 16 months, from July 29, 1951 to November 15, 1952).
• The shortest reign by any Miss World titleholder belongs to Gabriella Brum, which lasted just 18 hours before she resigned in 1980.
• Miss World 2004 had the whole world voting for the new Miss World for the first time.
• The first Miss World, Sweden's Kiki Haakonson, was the first and last winner to be actually crowned in a two-piece swimsuit.
• In 1966, India enjoyed its first success and Reita Feria proved to be a popular winner.
• In 1970 Miss World, two black women - Jennifer Hosten of Grenada and Pearl Jansen of Africa South claimed first and second place,
something that had never happened before at a major international pageant.
• Miss World 2001, Agbani Darego was the first black African winner of 21st century.
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