A Beauty Pageant that has Been Attracting Attention Since its Humble Beginnings

The following article will briefly introduce the “Miss World” competition, whose latest winner is Krystyna Pyszkova.

Current Miss World

On March 9, 2024, the World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India, hosted the grand coronation of the 71st edition of Miss World 2023, won by Krystyna Pyszková, representing the Czech Republic. She was crowned by the previous Miss World, Karolina Bielawska from Poland.

Second Czech Winner

For the Czech Republic, the victory of its representative (who is the holder of the Miss Czech Republic 2022 title) marks the second success in this prestigious beauty pageant. The first time the most beautiful girl in the world was crowned was in 2006 when Taťána Kuchařová (1987) won the title, being crowned by Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir in Warsaw, Poland.

First Competition in Its Long History

The competition, which was attended by women from 112 countries this year, is the oldest beauty pageant. It was founded by English television host Eric Morley in 1951 when he organized a bikini contest as part of the national exhibition and market “Festival of Britain”, which he named the “Festival Bikini Contest”. The event, which journalists dubbed “Miss World,” aimed to increase the popularity of bikinis, which were considered daring to wear at that time.

Bikini Scandal and Rule Adjustments

Eric Morley decided that the competition would take place annually, and he registered its name “Miss World” as a trademark. Due to the controversy that arose from the crowning of the first Miss Kiki Håkansson in a bikini, in the following years, bikinis were replaced with more conservative swimsuits, and in 1976, crowned girls began wearing evening gowns. Morley also established that the names of the girls would be announced first for the third and then the second place to prevent revealing the winner prematurely.

Since 1951, the “Miss World” competition has undergone significant development. In 1959, it began broadcasting on the BBC, and eleven years later, it was disrupted by protesters. Its popularity has fluctuated over the years, but because people worldwide still have the desire to know which woman is deemed the most beautiful of all, it is likely to continue to exist.