Miss World


Miss World is the oldest existing 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 chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss International, and Miss Earth, it is one of the Big Four beauty pageants.
The current Miss World is Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand who was crowned on 31 May 2025 in Hyderabad, India.

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, which dubbed it "Miss World". The swimsuit competition was intended as a promotion for the bikini, which had only recently been introduced to the market and 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 Morley decided to make the Miss World pageant annual. He registered the "Miss World" name as a trademark, and all future pageants were held under that name. But 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 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 was intended to keep the tension up, and avoid the anticlimax if Nos. 2 and 3 are announced after the winner.
In 1959 the BBC began to broadcast the pageant. Its popularity grew with the advent of television. During the 1960s and 1970s, Miss World was among the most watched programs of the year on British television. In 1970, the contest in London was disrupted by women's liberation protesters armed with flour bombs, stink bombs, and water pistols loaded with ink. The 1970 contest was also controversial when South Africa sent two contestants. Henceforth, South Africa was banned from the contest until apartheid was abolished. 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. In 1984, BBC1 controller Michael Grade announced that the corporation would cease to broadcast beauty pageants the next January, after it had shown Miss Great Britain, saying, "I believe these contests no longer merit national air time." He added, "They are an anachronism in this day and age of equality and verging on the offensive." Thames Television broadcast Miss World between 1980 and 1988, when ITV dropped it.
During the early 1990s mainstream television broadcasts of the event declined in popularity 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.
Eric Morley died in 2000, and his wife, Julia, succeeded him as chair of the Miss World organisation.

21st century

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 phone in or vote online for their favourites. It also sells broadcasters its Talent, Beach Beauty and Sports events as television specials. 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 to host its final in Abuja, 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 used the publicity surrounding its presence to bring greater global awareness and action to Lawal's plight. No British channel agreed to broadcast the event, and there were objections to the contest.
Former Miss World Aishwarya Rai attended the Miss World 2014 ceremony with her husband Abhishek Bachchan, daughter Aaradhya and mother Brinda Rai. The pageant 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 £1 billion for children's charities that help disabled and underprivileged children. Miss World is franchised in more than 100 countries.

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. Miss World's organizers did not elect someone to serve in her place.
  • In 1976, several countries boycotted the pageant because it included both a white and a black contestant from South Africa.
  • The 1980 winner, Gabriella Brum of Germany, resigned one day after winning. A few days later it emerged that she had been forced to resign after it was discovered that she had posed naked for a magazine.

    Nigeria 2002

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. Among the other boycotting nations were Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Panama, Belgium and Kenya. 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 proceeded 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, said, "there is no question about it ." But the trouble did not end there. 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 and many houses of worship were burned by religious zealots. Because of these riots, the 2002 pageant was moved to London, following widely circulated reports that Canada's and Korea's representatives 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 Britain, many of the boycotting contestants chose to attend, including Miss Norway, Kathrine Sørland, who was ironically tipped in the last few days as the favourite for the crown she had previously boycotted.
The eventual winner of the pageant was Azra Akın of Turkey.

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 a visa to travel in China and hence missed the official deadline of 20 November 2015 for entry to the 2015 pageant, and was declared persona non grata by the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa for openly criticizing China's human rights violations. The Miss World Organization later allowed her to compete at Miss World 2016.

Thailand 2020 and cancellation

After the 2019 pageant, the organization chose Thailand as the host country of Miss World 2020, to be held in Phuket. But due to the spread of COVID-19, most national organizations and the Miss World organization agreed to cancel the 2020 pageant to assure the delegates' safety.

Puerto Rico 2021 and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

The edition was originally scheduled for the end of 2020 but postponed indefinitely due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. On 8 March 2021, the date was set for 16 December 2021. The threat of the Omicron variant had already been detected in some parts of the world during the pre-pageant activities, as the disease started swept across the island. On 14 December, Miss World Indonesia Carla Yules tested positive for COVID-19. As a precaution, her roommate Miss World India Manasa Varanasi and five others were classified as suspected cases. Miss World Organization chair Julia Morley confirmed that the delegates were isolated and quarantined and would not be onstage for the final show if they did not produce a negative PCR test. On 15 December, the Puerto Rico Department of Health confirmed 17 positive cases for COVID-19 related to the Miss World pageant activities, including contestants and technical personnel. On 16 December, it was announced that Miss World Malaysia Lavanya Sivaji had tested positive for COVID-19. She was required to be isolated for 10 days and not permitted onstage during the finals. The finale, originally slated for 16 December, was postponed. During a 16 December Puerto Rico Department of Health press conference, epidemiologist Melissa Marzán confirmed 15 staff and 23 contestant positive cases associated with Miss World. She added that pageant organizers, not the island's authorities, decided to postpone. The rescheduled 70th Miss World pageant took place on 16 March 2022, at Puerto Rico's Coca-Cola Music Hall.

Recent titleholders

Winners gallery

Fast-track events

Fast-track events of Miss World is a set of competition to decide the semi-finalist or the placement of Miss World. Fast-track events was one of deciding factor to choose semi-finalist beside Preliminary Interview by combining those rounds with using points system table. Prior to 2016 the winner of the fast-track events received huge amount of points but not securing semi-finalist spot, however since 2016 the points system table in fast-track were abolished. Since then the winners of the "fast-track" competitions automatically make it to the quarter- or semi-finals. The Miss World fast-track categories are: Beauty With a Purpose, Multimedia Challenge, Sports Challenge, Talent, and Top Model. Miss World Talent added in 2001, Miss World Sports added in 2003, Miss World Top Model added in 2004, Miss World Beauty With a Purpose added in 2005, and Miss World Multimedia added in 2012. There was a fast-track named Miss World Beach Beauty but it is a discontinued event due to dissatisfaction and cons in many conservative countries, this event was replacing Miss World Best in Swimsuit.

Miss World Beauty With a Purpose

The Beauty with a Purpose is an event established in 1972 that is celebrated before the Miss World pageant. It awards the contestant with the most relevant and important charity project in her nation. The first winner of Beauty With a Purpose was Miss World Korea 2005 Oh Eun-young. Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar is the first and only Beauty With a Purpose recipient to win Miss World.
YearWinnerCountryPlacement at Miss World
2005Oh Eun-youngSouth KoreaTop 6
2006Lamisi MbillahGhanaTop 17
2007Valeska SaabEcuadorTop 16
2007Kayi CheungHong KongTop 16
2008Gabrielle WalcottTrinidad and Tobago2nd Runner-up
2009Pooja ChopraIndiaTop 16
2010Natasha MettoKenyaTop 25
2011Astrid YunadiIndonesiaTop 15
2011Stephanie KarikariGhana
2012Vanya MishraIndiaTop 7
2013Ishani ShresthaNepalTop 10
2014Julia GamaBrazilTop 11
2014Rafieya HusainGuyanaTop 11
2014Koyal RanaIndiaTop 11
2014Maria RahajengIndonesiaTop 25
2014Idah NgumaKenyaTop 11
2015Maria HarfantiIndonesia2nd Runner-up
2016Natasha Mannuela HalimIndonesia2nd Runner-up
2017Manushi ChhillarIndiaMiss World 2017
2017Achintya Holte NilsenIndonesiaTop 10
2017Laura LehmannPhilippinesTop 40
2017Adè van HeerdenSouth AfricaTop 10
2017Đỗ Mỹ LinhVietnamTop 40
2018Shrinkhala KhatiwadaNepalTop 12
2019Anushka ShresthaNepalTop 12
2021Shree SainiUnited States1st Runner-up
2023Leticía FrotaBrazilTop 8
2025Monica Kezia SembiringIndonesiaTop 40

Miss World Top Model

The Miss World Top Model is a modeling fast-track competition. It was first held in 2004, but not in 2005–2006. It has been held since 2007; since 2016 the winner of the competition automatically qualifies for the semi-finals.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2004Yessica RamírezMexicoTop 15
2007Zhang ZilinChinaMiss World 2007
2008Ksenia SukhinovaRussiaMiss World 2008
2009Perla BeltránMexico1st Runner-up
2010Mariann BirkedalNorwayTop 7
2011Zhanna ZhumaliyevaKazakhstanTop 15
2012Atong DemachSouth SudanTop 7
2013Megan YoungPhilippinesMiss World 2013
2014Isidora BorovčaninBosnia and Herzegovina
2015Mireia LalagunaSpainMiss World 2015
2016Jing KongChinaTop 11
2017Ugochi IhezueNigeriaTop 15
2018Maëva CouckeFranceTop 12
2019Nyekachi DouglasNigeriaTop 5
2021Olivia YacéCote d'Ivoire2nd Runner-up
2023Axelle RenéMartiniqueTop 40
2025Nandini GuptaIndiaTop 20
2025Jasmine GerhardtIrelandTop 20
2025Selma KamanyaNamibiaTop 8
2025Aurélie JoachimMartinique3rd Runner-up

Miss World Talent

Miss World Talent is a talent or fast-track competition in which contestants show their abilities in singing, dancing, poetry, etc. Introduced in Miss World 1978, the winner of the event automatically makes it into the semi-finals starting 2016. The award returned at Miss World 2001.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2001Stephanie ChaseBarbados
2002Rebekah RevelsUnited StatesTop 10
2003Irina OnashviliGeorgiaTop 20
2004Shermain JeremyAntigua and BarbudaTop 15
2005Kmisha CountsUnited States Virgin IslandsTop 15
2006Catherine Jean MilliganNorthern IrelandTop 17
2007Irene DwomohGhanaTop 15
2008Natalie GriffithBarbadosTop 15
2009Lena MaCanada4th Runner-up
2009Mariatu KargboSierra LeoneTop 16
2010Emma Britt WaldronIreland3rd Runner-up
2011Gabriela PulgarChileTop 20
2012Yu WenxiaChinaMiss World 2012
2013Vania LarissaIndonesiaTop 10
2014Dewi Liana SeriesthaMalaysiaTop 25
2015Lisa PunchGuyanaTop 11
2016Bayartsetseg AltangerelMongoliaTop 11
2017Michela GaleaMaltaTop 40
2018Kanako DateJapanTop 30
2019Toni-Ann SinghJamaicaMiss World 2019
2021Burte-Ujin AnuMongoliaTop 40
2023Imen MehrziTunisiaTop 40
2025Monica Kezia SembiringIndonesiaTop 40

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 semi-finals. In 2005, there was no Miss Sports winner because it was held as a continental team competition. Starting in 2006, the individual competition returned.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2003Nazanin Afshin-JamCanada1st Runner-up
2004Amy GuyWalesTop 15
2005Asia-PacificAsiaTeam Challenge
2006Malgosia MajewskaCanadaTop 17
2007Abigail McCarryUnited StatesTop 15
2008Alexandra Ívarsdóttir+Iceland+Top 15
2009Erusa SasakiJapanTop 16
2010+Lori Moore+Northern Ireland+Top 25
2011Marianly TejedaDominican Republic
2012Sanna JinnedalSwedenTop 30
2013Jacqueline Steenbeek+Netherlands+Top 20
2014+Krista Haapalainen+Finland+Top 25
2015Steffi Van Wyk+Namibia+
2016Natalia ShortCook IslandsTop 20
2017Aletxa MuesesDominican RepublicTop 40
2018Marisa ButlerUnited StatesTop 30
2019Rikkiya BrathwaiteBritish Virgin IslandsTop 40
2021Karolina VidalesMexicoTop 6
2023Lucija BegićCroatiaTop 40
2025Eliise RandmaaEstoniaTop 40

Multimedia Award (''Social Media Award'')

Miss World Multimedia or Social Media Award is a title and award given to the winner of a Multimedia Challenge. It is a fast-track or preliminary event, giving the winner automatic entry into the semi-finals. The score is based on the contestant's likes on Mobstar and Facebook.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2012Vanya MishraIndiaTop 7
2013Navneet DhillonIndiaTop 20
2014Elizabeth SafritUnited States2nd Runner-up
2015Hillarie ParungaoPhilippinesTop 11
2016Catriona GrayPhilippinesTop 5
2017Enkhjin TseveendashMongoliaTop 15
2018Shrinkhala KhatiwadaNepalTop 12
2019Anushka ShresthaNepalTop 12
2021Olivia YacéCôte d'Ivoire2nd Runner-up
2023Huỳnh Nguyễn Mai PhươngVietnamTop 40
2025Issie PrincesseCameroonTop 40
2025Mayra DelgadoDominican RepublicTop 40
2025Andrea NikolićMontenegroTop 40
2025Suchata ChuangsriThailandMiss World 2025

Miss World Beach Beauty (''Discontinued Event'')

Miss World Beach Beauty was a swimsuit or fast-track competition. The Beach Beauty event started in 2003, when the Miss World Organization first held fast-track events to automatically give a semi-final spot to some of the delegates. This event allowed the Miss World delegates to have a chance to be in the semi-finals. The winner made the semi-finals automatically. The Beach Beauty event showcased different swimsuits designed by Miss World 1975, Wilnelia Merced. In 2013,The Beach Beauty event replaced swimsuit with Balinese sarong. While in 2015, the organisation eliminated the swimsuit competition from the pageant.
YearWinnerRepresentedPlacement at Miss World
2003Rosanna DavisonIrelandMiss World 2003
2004Nancy RandallUnited States2nd Runner-up
2005Yulia IvanovaRussiaTop 15
2006Federica GuzmánVenezuelaTop 17
2007Ada de la CruzDominican RepublicTop 16
2008Anagabriela EspinozaMexicoTop 15
2009Kaiane AldorinoGibraltarMiss World 2009
2010Yara LasantaPuerto RicoTop 25
2011Alize Lily MounterEnglandTop 7
2012Sophie MouldsWales1st Runner-up
2013Sancler FrantzBrazilTop 6
2014Olivia AsplundSwedenTop 25

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
1961 1962,David Coleman, Peter WestBob Hope
1963Peter West
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 FordyceLionel Blair
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