Miss World: Difference between revisions

{{other uses}}

{{Blacklisted-links|1=

*http://archive.is/vOuB

*:''Triggered by <code>\barchive\.is\b</code> on the local blacklist''|bot=Cyberbot II|invisible=false}}

{{EngvarB|date=November 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}

{{Infobox Organization

|name = Miss World

|image = Miss World logo.svg

|image_border =

|size = 250px

|caption = Logo of the Miss World Pageant

|motto = [[Beauty with a Purpose]]

|formation = [[Miss World 1951|1951]]

|type = [[Beauty pageant]]

|headquarters = [[London]]

|location = {{flag|United Kingdom}}

|language = [[English language|English]]

|leader_title = President

|leader_name = [[Julia Morley]]

|key_people = [[Eric Morley]]

|website ={{url|missworld.com/}}

The '''Miss World''' pageant is the oldest surviving major international [[beauty pageant]]. It was created in the United Kingdom by [[Eric Morley]] in [[Miss World 1951|1951]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/miss-world-competition-says-no-to-bikini-yes-to-sarong/|title=Miss World Competition Says No to Bikini Yes to Sarong|author=Michael Smith|work=Guardian Liberty Voice|accessdate=26 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090814/world-news/miss-universe-on-august-23 |title=Miss Universe on August 23 |publisher=Timesofmalta.com |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> Since his death in [[Miss World 2000|2000]], Morley's widow, [[Julia Morley]], has co-chaired the pageant.<ref>{{cite news|author=Paul Lewis|title=Eric Morley, 82, Miss World Promoter, Dies|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/11/world/eric-morley-82-miss-world-promoter-dies.html|date=11 November 2000|website=nytimes.com|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=11 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pageant.com/archive/world.html |title=Pageant News Bureau – Miss World: A long, glittering history |publisher=Pageant.com |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> Alongside with its rival, the [[Miss Universe]] and [[Miss Earth]] contests, Miss World pageant is one of the three most publicised beauty contests in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/tianjin/e/2009-08/28/content_8629097.htm |title=Tianjin Miss World China Pageant comes to a close |work=China Daily |date=28 August 2009 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/22-01-2009/106992-mariana_miss_world-0 |title=Brazil's Miss World finalist has her hands and feet amputated |publisher=English.pravda.ru |date=22 January 2009 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Sylvia Toh Paik Choo|title=MISS Singapore Universe|url=http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,168817,00.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080628013220/http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,168817,00.html|archivedate=28 June 2008|date=24 June 2008|accessdate=11 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spicezee.com/missuniverse08/article5354.htm |title=Tracing the regal existence of 'Miss Universe' |publisher=Spicezee.com |date=7 October 2008 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

The current Miss World is [[Mireia Lalaguna]] of [[Spain]] who was crowned on 19 December 2015 in [[Sanya]], [[China|China PR]].

== 20th century ==

[[File:Missworld1951.jpg|thumbnail|right|The first Miss World, 1951 – Kiki Håkansson from Sweden]]

In 1951, [[Eric Morley]] organised a [[bikini contest]] as part of the [[Festival of Britain]] celebrations that he called the Festival Bikini Contest.<ref>{{cite book|first1= Elissa |last1=Stein |first2=Lee |last2= Meriwether |title=Beauty Queen |page=45 |publisher=Chronicle Books |year= 2006|isbn=0-8118-4864-7}}</ref> 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]]<ref>{{cite book|first=Susan |last= Dewey |title=Making Miss India Miss World|page=46|publisher=Syracuse University Press|year= 2008|isbn=0-8156-3176-6}}</ref> which had only recently been introduced onto the market, and which was still widely regarded as immodest. When the 1951 Miss World pageant winner, [[Kiki Håkansson|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/nigeria/1950s.html |title=Frontline World: A Pageant is Born |publisher=Pbs.org |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.covers.com/articles/articles.aspx?theArt=166289&article&t=0 |title=Bet on Miss World Pageant |publisher=Covers.com |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> Morley registered the "Miss World" name as a trademark,<ref name="Keith Lovegrove 1967">{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Lovegrove|title=Pageant: The Beauty Contest|page=1967|publisher=teNeues|year=2002|isbn= 3-8238-5569-7}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Selvedge: The Fabric of Your Life|page=39|publisher= Selvedge Ltd. |year=2005}}</ref> Objection to the bikini led to its replacement in all future pageants<ref>{{cite book|first1=Ben |last1=Marcus|first2=Jeff |last2=Divine |title=Surfing USA!: An Illustrated History of the Coolest Sport of All Time |page= 60|publisher=MVP Books|year=2005|isbn= 978-0-89658-690-1}}</ref><ref name=magnanti>{{cite web|last=Magnanti|first=Brooke|title=Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/10105935/Miss-World-2013-bikini-ban-why-its-no-victory-for-feminists.html|publisher=Telegraph|accessdate=22 August 2013 |date=7 June 2013}}</ref> with what was accepted as more modest swimwear, and from 1976 swimsuits were replaced by [[evening gown]]s for the crowning.<ref>{{cite book|first=Han |last=Shin |title=Beauty with a Purpose|page= 193 |publisher=iUniverse|year=2004|isbn= 0-595-30926-7}}</ref> Håkansson remains the only Miss World crowned in a bikini.<ref name="Keith Lovegrove 1967"/> In Miss World 2013 all participants wore a [[one-piece swimsuit]] plus a traditional [[sarong]] below the waist as a compromise with local culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/08/bikini-ban-miss-world-pageant.html |title=Bikini ban at Miss World pageant |accessdate=8 June 2013}}</ref>

'''Miss World Order''' or ''I’ll give you the results in reverse order''. 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.

<ref> *{{cite book |last= Rees |first= Nigel |title= The Bloomsbury Dictionary of Popular Phrases |accessdate= |edition= |origyear= |year= 1990 |publisher= Bloomsbury |location= London |isbn= 0747503443 |oclc= |page= 116 |pages= }} </ref>

In 1959, the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Miss World gets a makeover |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/167816.stm |date=9 September 1998 |website=news.bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=9 October 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/timeline/1960.shtml |title=BBC Radio 4 – Woman's Hour – Women's History Timeline: 1960 – 1969 |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date= |accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref>

In the 1980s, the pageant repositioned itself with the [[Advertising slogan|slogan]] ''Beauty With a Purpose'', with added tests of [[intelligence (trait)|intelligence]] and [[personality tests|personality]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tiza.com/pageant-archives/Miss_World/ |title=Tiza.com. Miss World |publisher=Tiza.com |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> However, there have been various objections to the contest.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/2553049.stm |title=Should the Miss World pageant have gone ahead? |publisher=BBC News |date=9 December 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/uk_news/england/2515189.stm |title=Mayor's frosty reception for Miss World |publisher=BBC News |date=26 November 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> Although it still "enjoys success worldwide, it was last broadcast on UK televisions in 1998."<ref name=Magnanti>Brooke Magnanti. Miss World bikini ban: why it's no victory for feminists. Telegraph Media Group 07 Jun 2013 [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/10105935/Miss-World-2013-bikini-ban-why-its-no-victory-for-feminists.html]</ref>

== 21st century ==

Eric Morley died in 2000, and his wife, Julia, succeeded as chairwoman of the Miss World organisation.<ref>[http://www.missworld.tv/history_of_contest Miss World contest history] {{wayback|url=http://www.missworld.tv/history_of_contest |date=20140308132644 |df=y }}</ref>

The first black African Miss World winner, [[Agbani Darego]] of Nigeria, was crowned in [[Miss World 2001|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldcountrylink.com/miss_world.htm |title=Miss World facts |publisher=Worldcountrylink.com |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

In [[Miss World 2002|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 Amina's plight ''(see [[#The 2002 Nigeria contest|Controversies section]])''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.democracynow.org/2002/11/27/miss_world_2002_will_be_the |title=Miss World Riots in Nigeria |publisher=Democracynow.org |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2116540.stm |title=Nigerian woman fights stoning |publisher=BBC News |date=8 July 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

In 2014, the organisation eliminated the swimsuit competition from the pageant.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lange |first1=Maggie |title=Miss World Pageant Axes Swimsuit Portion |url=http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/12/miss-world-pageant-axes-swimsuit-portion.html |accessdate=22 December 2014 |work=New York Magazine |date=18 December 2014}}</ref>

== Miss World organisation ==

[[File:Ivian sar..jpg|thumb||200px|[[Ivian Sarcos]] in a school in [[Mumbai]], India]]

The Miss World Organisation owns and manages the annual Miss World Finals, a competition that has grown into one of the world's biggest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eleconomista.es/empresas-finanzas/noticias/60487/06/06/Miss-World-Organisation-and-Mauj-Telecom-Ink-Global-Deal-on-Mobile-Content-and-Applications.html |title=ElEconomista.es. Miss World Organisation and Mauj Telecom Ink Global Deal on Mobile Content and Applications |work=El Economista |date=6 June 2006 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> Since its launch in 1951, the Miss World organisation has raised more than £250&nbsp;million for children's charities<ref>[http://www.philanthropymagazine.com/Articles/11-1-miss-world.htm Philanthropy World. Beauty with a Purpose]</ref> that help disabled and underprivileged children.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1291&dat=19861114&id=sBdVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gpMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5834,4513645&hl=en|title=Miss Trinidad and Tobago is new Miss World|date=November 14, 1986|publisher=''[[Boca Raton News]]''|accessdate=26 January 2016}}</ref> Miss World is [[franchising|franchised]] in more than 100 countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.economist.com.na/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=17097:newly-crowned-miss-namibia-2009-happie-ntelamo-&catid=542:headlines&Itemid=62 |title=Newly crowned Miss Namibia 2009, Happie Ntelamo |work=The Economist .na |date=19 June 2009 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warsaw-life.com/poland/miss-world-2006 |title=Warsaw-life.com. Miss World comes to Warsaw |publisher=Warsaw-life.com |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> Miss World, Limited is a privately held firm, and thus figures for its earnings, expenses and charitable contributions are not publicly available.

==Titleholders==

{{For|full list and details|List of Miss World titleholders}}

{| class="sortable" border="5" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #FFFFFF; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" style="text-align:center"

|- bgcolor="#787878" colspan=10 align="center"

|width="50"|<span style="color:white">Year</span>||width="180"|<span style="color:white">Country</span>||width="180"|<span style="color:white">Miss World</span>||width="180"|<span style="color:white">National Title</span>||width="180"|<span style="color:white">Location</span>||width="180"|<span style="color:white">Number of Entrants</span>

| [[Miss World 2015|2015]]

| {{flag|Spain}}

| [[Mireia Lalaguna]]

| [[Miss Spain]]

| [[Sanya]], [[China|China PR]]

| 114

| [[Miss World 2014|2014]]

| {{flag|South Africa}}

| [[Rolene Strauss]]

| [[Miss South Africa]]

| [[London]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]

| 121

| [[Miss World 2013|2013]]

| {{flag|Philippines}}

| [[Megan Young]]

| [[Miss World Philippines]]

| [[Bali]], [[Indonesia]]

| 127

| [[Miss World 2012|2012]]

| {{flag|China|name=China PR}}

| [[Yu Wenxia]]

| [[Miss China World]]

| [[Ordos City]], [[China|China PR]]

| 116

===Winners gallery===

<gallery>

File:Megan Young.jpg|'''Miss World 2013'''<br/>[[Megan Young]], [[Philippines]]

File:Miss World at the Expo in Shanghai.jpg|'''Miss World 2009'''<br/>[[Kaiane Aldorino]], [[Gibraltar]]

File:Miss Russia 08 Ksenia Sukhinova.jpg|'''Miss World 2008'''<br/>[[Ksenia Sukhinova]], [[Russia]]

File:Miss World 07 ZiLin Zhang.jpg|'''Miss World 2007'''<br/>[[Zhang Zilin]], [[China PR]]

File:Miss World 06 Tatiana Kucharova.jpg|'''Miss World 2006'''<br/>[[Taťána Kuchařová]], [[Czech Republic]]

File:MajuMantillaHuanchaco.jpg|'''Miss World 2004'''<br/>[[María Julia Mantilla]], [[Peru]]

File:Rosanna Davison 2003.jpg|'''Miss World 2003'''<br/>[[Rosanna Davison]], [[Ireland]]

File:Priyanka Chopra at Dil Dhadakne Do promotions.jpg|'''Miss World 2000'''<br/>[[Priyanka Chopra]], [[India]]

File:Yukta mookhey lfw.jpg|'''Miss World 1999'''<br/>[[Yukta Mookhey]], [[India]]

File:Linor.jpg|'''Miss World 1998'''<br/>[[Linor Abargil]], [[Israel]]

File:Diana Hayden launches her own book on women's grooming 03 (cropped).jpg|'''Miss World 1997'''<br/>[[Diana Hayden]], [[India]]

File:Aishwarya Rai Cannes 2013.jpg|'''Miss World 1994'''<br/>[[Aishwarya Rai]], [[India]]

File:Silvana Suárez caption.jpg|'''Miss World 1978'''<br/>[[Silvana Suárez]], [[Argentina]]

File:Mary Stavin.jpg|'''Miss World 1977'''<br/>[[Mary Stavin|Mary Stävin]], [[Sweden]]

File:Madeleine Hartog Bel.jpg|'''Miss World 1967'''<br/>[[Madeline Hartog-Bel]], [[Peru]]

File:Ann Sidney 1965.jpg|'''Miss World 1964'''<br/>[[Ann Sidney]], [[United Kingdom]]

File:Miss Jamaica World 1963.png|'''Miss World 1963'''<br/>[[Carole Joan Crawford]], [[Jamaica]]

File:Rina Lodders (1963).jpg|'''Miss World 1962'''<br/>[[Catharina Lodders]], [[Netherlands]]

File:Rosemarie Frankland.jpg|'''Miss World 1961'''<br/>[[Rosemarie Frankland]], [[United Kingdom]]

File:Corine Rottschäfer (miss World 1959).jpg|'''Miss World 1959'''<br/>[[Corine Rottschäfer]], [[Netherlands]]

File:Pennyanne1958.jpg|'''Miss World 1958'''<br/>[[Penelope Coelen]], [[South Africa]]

File:Maritalindahl57.jpg|'''Miss World 1957'''<br/>[[Marita Lindahl]], [[Finland]]

File:Petra Schürmann.jpg|'''Miss World 1956'''<br/>[[Petra Schürmann]], [[Germany]]

File:Antigonecostanda1954.jpg|'''Miss World 1954'''<br/>[[Antigone Costanda]], [[Egypt]]

File:Missworld1951.jpg|'''Miss World 1951'''<br/>[[Kiki Håkansson]], [[Sweden]]

</gallery>

==Pageant controversies==

{{update|section|date=November 2015}}

The Miss World pageant has been the target of many controversies since its inception.

* In [[Miss World 1970|1970]], feminist protesters threw flour bombs during the live event at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]], momentarily alarming the host, [[Bob Hope]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mw2006.pl/index.php?id=216&eng|title=Miss World 2006|publisher=|accessdate=26 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-29-2003-43584.asp |title=Last milestone on a record-breaking comedy Road ... Bob Hope dies at 100 |publisher=Buzzle.com |date=29 July 2003 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

* The [[Miss World 1973|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.<ref>[http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2206&dat=19740307&id=vsIlAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wPMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5690,3958787 Miss World is stripped of her title]</ref>

* In [[Miss World 1976|1976]], several countries went on a [[boycott]], because the pageant included both a Caucasian and African representative for South Africa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/world_1976.htm |title=Miss World 1976 |publisher=Pageantopolis |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> South Africa competed for the last time in 1977, before it was welcomed back in 1991 as [[Apartheid in South Africa|Apartheid]] disintegrated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/world_1977.htm |title=Miss World 1977 |publisher=Pageantopolis |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

* The [[Miss World 1980|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.<ref name="Pageantopolis - Miss World 1980">{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/world_1980.htm |title=Miss World 1980 |publisher=Pageantopolis |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

* In [[Miss World 1996|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 placed. Despite the chaos, the pageant's live telecast went on smoothly.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20031217161734/http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/23/miss.world/index.html CNN – Miss Greece now Miss World, despite pageant protests]</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/22/india.miss.world/index.html#links |title=Indian police prepare for worst in beauty pageant clash |publisher=CNN |date=22 November 1996 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9611/17/miss.world/index.html |title=Beauty pageant in India becomes a contest of wills |publisher=CNN |date=22 November 1996 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

=== Nigeria 2002 ===

{{Main|Miss World 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/doc/20021223/pollitt |title=As Miss World Turns |work=The Nation |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/africa/09/07/nigeria.france/index.html |title=CNN – Miss World boycott over Nigerian stoning |publisher=CNN |date=7 September 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011|archiveurl=http://archive.is/vOuB|archivedate=7 July 2012}}</ref> 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 semi-finalist 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/World_2002.htm |title=Miss World 2002 |publisher=Pageantopolis |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/09/25/nigeria.stoning/ |title=Woman sentenced to stoning freed |publisher=CNN |date=26 September 2003 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

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 participation of Miss Venezuela in the contest)." The trouble did not end there, however. A ''ThisDay'' ([[Lagos]], Nigeria) 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2508131.stm |title=Nigeria riots toll 'passes 200' |publisher=BBC News |date=24 November 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.isioma.net/sds03002.html |title=Miss World 2002 – The World at their Feet |publisher=Isioma.net |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Isioma Daniel |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/feb/17/gender.pressandpublishing |title=Nigerian journalist Isioma Daniel tells her story |work=The Guardian |location=UK |accessdate=24 May 2011 |date=17 February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2518977.stm |title=Nigeria's journalist on the run |publisher=BBC News |date=27 November 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nigeriaworld.com/columnist/brisibe/112602.html |title=Miss World and Islam: "Fatwa" and Isioma Daniel a Nigerian "Fatwa" |publisher=Nigeria World |date=26 November 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.moderngent.com/articles/miss_world_2002.php |title=Contestants boycott Miss World |work=Modern Gent |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/10/27/wstone27.xml |title=– Don't boycott Nigeria's Miss World contest, begs mother facing stoning |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=7 December 2013 |accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/09/01/wmiss01.xml |title=– Contestants threaten Miss World boycott over stoning |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=7 December 2013 |accessdate=8 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2219661.stm |title=Nigeria faces Miss World boycott threat |publisher=BBC News |date=27 August 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2240790.stm |title=Miss World Nigeria boycott spreads |publisher=BBC News |date=6 September 2002 |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

The eventual winner of the pageant was [[Azra Akın]] of Turkey, the first predominantly Muslim country to hold the title since Egypt in 1954.<ref name="Pageantopolis - Miss World">{{cite web|url=http://www.pageantopolis.com/international/world.htm |title=Miss World |publisher=Pageantopolis |accessdate=24 May 2011}}</ref>

===China 2015===

{{Main|Miss World 2015}}

[[Anastasia Lin]], a [[Falun Gong]] practitioner, was willing and entitled to participate in the event as [[Miss World Canada]], and the pageant still listed her as a contestant. However, up to the last minute, Lin waited for an official invitation that was necessary for Chinese visa application, but to no avail and hence missed the official deadline of 20 November 2015 for entry to the pageant and was declared [[persona non grata]] by the Chinese Government. Lin had openly criticized [[Human rights in China|China's human rights violations]]. She is allowed by the Miss World Organization to compete at Miss World 2016.<ref name=theglobeandmail27471171>http://www.theglobeandmail.com//news/national/miss-world-canada-blocked-from-contest-due-to-china-visa-denial/article27471171</ref>

==See also==

* [[List of beauty pageants]]

{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category|Miss World}}

* [http://www.missworld.com/ Miss World official website]

{{Miss World}}

{{MissWorlds}}

{{MissWorldCountries}}

{{Big Four Pageants}}

[[Category:Miss World|*]]

[[Category:Recurring events established in 1951]]