Miss World In Every Nation
2001 Miss World In Nigeria
Chief Ibiagbanidokibubo Asenite ‘Agbani’ Darego, MFR (born 22 December 1982) is a Nigerian model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World in 2001. She was the first black African to win Miss World. Abonnema-native Darego was born in Lagos to a family as the sixth of eight children.
At age two, her family relocated to Port Harcourt, where she was raised in D-Line . Darego attended Bereton Montessori Nursery and Primary School, and at ten was sent to boarding school in a bid to shield her from her mother, er who battled breast cancer. Her mother, Inaewo, owned a rice trading business and a clothing boutique, but died two years after her daughter’s move to boarding school. Darego has spoken of how the loss prepared her for tough challenges in the future.
As a teenager, Darego longed to be a model and auditioned for the M-Net Face of Africa modelling competition despite her conservative father’s wishes, but was not chosen as a finalist. Darego attended Federal Government Girls’ College, Abuloma. Upon completing her secondary education, she attended the University of Port Harcourt, where she studied Computer Science and Mathematics. In 2001, Darego was crowned Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria.
Contrary to popular belief, Darego did not replace Valerie Peterside after the latter was dethroned; Peterside had competed in the rival pageant Miss Nigeria. A few months later, Darego was a contestant at Miss Universe and became the first Nigerian to place among the top 10 semi-finalists, finishing seventh overall. She was the only top ten contestant to wear a modest maillot as opposed to a revealing bikini during the swimsuit competition.
In November that year, she became the first Indigenous African to claim the Miss World title (Past winners Penelope Coelen and Anneline Kriel, both of South Africa, are of European descent, and Antigone Costanda, who represented Egypt in 1954, is of Greek heritage). Darego’s victory was widely welcomed in her home country, and her one-year tenure included goodwill trips and scheduled appearances on behalf of the pageant and an MFR.
Before winning MBGN, Darego featured in print commercials for boutique chain Collectables. After Miss Universe, she was invited by Naomi Campbell to participate in Frock ‘n’ Roll, a charity fashion show in Barcelona, and soon negotiated a modelling deal with Trump Model Management in America . Shortly after her reign as Miss World, she was represented by the London and Paris branches of Next Model Management and landed a three-year contract with L’Oréal, becoming only the second Black model to accomplish this feat after Vanessa Williams, and was photographed by Annie Leibovitz, a big name in the American portrait photography sphere, for Vogue.
Other brands she has modelled for include Avon, Christian Dior, Sephora, Target, and Macy’s. Darego has also appeared in Elle, Marie Claire, Allure, Trace, Stitch, Cosmopolitan, and Essence magazines, working with numerous designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Marc Bouwer, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Gianfranco Ferre. In her homeland, Darego has appeared in advertising campaigns for hair care brand Gentle Touch with model Oluchi, and served as the face of Arik Air.
She has also graced the covers of Complete Fashion, Mania, ThisDay Style, Genevieve, True Love, and TW Magazine. A gbani Darego, pictured by Michael Spafford at the House of Commons in 2001Darego, has judged numerous pageants, fashion, and modelling competitions, including Miss World 2014.
Miss England 2002, Mr. Scotland 2002, and Elite Model Look Nigeria 2012 and 2014. In 2010, she launched a style and fashion reality show Stylogenic on Nigerian television, and three years later announced her denim range, AD by Agbani Darego, which includes jeans, dresses, sunglasses, and bags. In the aftermath of her win in 2001, Darego was awarded an honorary chieftaincy by the Council of Chiefs of Lagos. At the time of her investiture, she was one of the youngest chiefs in the country.
Due to her busy work schedule, Darego left the University of Port Harcourt, but after moving to New York, where she was signed to Next Model Management, Ford Models, and Trump Models, she enrolled at New York University to study Psychology, graduating in May 2012.
In April 2017, Darego married her longtime partner, Ishaya Danjuma, son of billionaire General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma, in a ceremony held in Marrakesh. Together, they have a son who was born in September 201, and welcomed another child in December 2020.
2002 Miss World In Turkey
Azra Akın (born 8 December 1981) is a Turkish-Dutch actress, dancer, model, and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2002 in London on 7 December 2002. She is best known for the series Yağmur Zamanı. Akın was born in Almelo, Netherlands, to Turkish parents.
Her father (Nazım) and mother (Ayda) emigrated from Turkey to the Netherlands in 1971. Akın has one younger sister named Doruk.In 1998, at the age of 17, Akın was selected Elite Model of Turkey; she then participated in the European Elite Model competition in Nice, France, where she reached the final 15.
She continued modelling in Germany for the German catalogue Otto. In 2002, Azra won Star TV’s Miss Turkey. Thus, she represented Turkey in the Miss World beauty pageant, which was held on December 7, 2002, at Alexandra Palace, London, and she also won. Akin accepted the tiara and $156,000 prize from the previous year’s winner, Agbani Darego.
During her reign, Akın travelled to the United Kingdom, Turkey, the United States, New Zealand, Ireland, Jamaica, Australia, China, and many more countries. In 2003, she won a gold medal when she participated in the British reality TV sports game show The Games. In 2004,
Akın modelled for the postcards of the Eurovision Song Contest 200,4, which were shown before each song. In 2010, she won on the TV dance show Yok Boyle Dans, the Turkish version of Dancing With the Stars. In 2017, she married Turkish male dancer and model Atakan Koru. The couple has two children.
2003 Miss World In Ireland
Rosanna Diane Davison, born 17 April 1984, is an Irish actress, singer, writer, model, and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2003. She is the daughter of musician Chris de Burgh, and the song “For Rosanna” was written by her father for his eighth studio album, Into the Light (1986), in her honour. Davison is a qualified nutritional therapist and promotes the health benefits of a plant-based diet.
In August 2003, she entered the Miss Ireland finals in Dublin, and, winning the competition, found herself competing for the title of Miss World. December 2003 saw Davison, along with 106 other contestants, compete in the Miss World competition in Sanya, China. Rosanna went on to win the crown and is the first Irish entrant to win the Miss World title since it started in 1951. During Davison’s reign, she visited the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, China, and Sri Lanka.
In February 2012, she came second in a poll to find Ireland’s most desirable Valentines. In the same year, she appeared on the October German issue of Playboy magazine. From October 2013, she started presenting slots on LFC TV, the dedicated television channel for Liverpool F.C.In December 2023, Davison was announced as one of the eleven celebrities taking part in the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars. Born in County Dublin, Ireland, Davison’s primary school education was at Aravon School in County Wicklow.
She then attended Rathdown School in Glenageary, County Dublin. She was class prefect before graduating and completing her Leaving Certificate examinations in 2002. Davison has been in a relationship with Wesley Quirke since 2006. They were engaged in 2013 and wed in the summer of 2014. They had their honeymoon in the Seychelles.
They have one daughter and twin sons. Davison is a graduate of the College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is a qualified nutritional therapist and obtained her MSc degree in personalised nutrition from Middlesex University. In February 2015, she signed a publishing deal with Gill Books for her first cookbook, Eat Yourself Beautiful, which was released in August 2015 and went on to be a best-seller. The book advocates plant-based nutrition.
Davison has previously collaborated with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on multiple occasions to promote the benefits of vegetarian and vegan diets. In 2019, Davison was criticised by vegan activists for taking part in a paid campaign for Naas Racecourse. In response, Davison stated that although she eats a plant-based diet for both health and ethical reasons, she has never claimed to be a “lifestyle vegan”.
2004 Miss World In Peru
María Julia “Maju” Mantilla García (born 10 July 1984) is a Peruvian actress, dancer, model, teacher, and beauty queen who won Miss World 2004 in China. Born in Trujillo, Mantilla is the youngest of the seven sons of Olmedo Lucio Mantilla Mayer and the youngest of Elvia Elizabeth GarcíLinares’es two daughters.
She was studying to become a high school teacher and planned to start a second degree in Tourism. One of her dreams was to own an online tourism company to promote her native town and country all over the world.
Her city, Trujillo, is a mixture of colonial and pre-Columbian architecture. In 2001, Mantilla became the Peruvian national champion of Triathlon and Pentathlon and was elected national athlete of the year. She is a professional dancer in the Marinera, a typical local dance. With a group of ladies, she developed a program in Trujillo to give breakfast to hundreds of children in poor areas. She is a professional dancer.
In 2004, she was Miss La Libertad and won the right to represent Peru in the Miss World contest and was one of the major favorites in the run-up to the pageant, which was decided by a global television/telephone/online vote. Popularly known in her country as “Maju” Mantilla, her aunt María Julia Mantilla Mayer was Miss Peru 1969. On 4 December 2004, in the Beauty Crown Theatre located in the Chinese beach city of Sanya, she was crowned Miss World 2004 by the winner from the year before, Rosanna Davison of Ireland, becoming the second winner from Peru since Madeline Hartog-Bel in 1967.
Mantilla was a record breaker for Peru during the competition, and was among the semifinalists in three fast track events. In Miss World Sports, she tied for third place with Kenisha Thom of Trinidad and Tobago.
In Miss World Talent, she was among the Top 25 semifinalists with a traditional Peruvian dance, The Marinera Norteña. And finally, in Contestants’ Choice, she placed second runner-up p.Claudia Cruz of the Dominican Republic and Nancy Randall of the United States were the first and second runners-up, respectively. Other contestants who made it into the final five were 20-year-old Karla Bautista of the Philippines and 19-year-old Katarzyna Borowicz of Poland.
During her reign, Mantilla performed a variety of duties focused on fundraising for charitable organizations. She traveled to Indonesia, Russia, Peru, the United States, the Czech Republic, China, Tibet, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and many other countries during her reign. On 10 December 2005, she crowned her successor, Unnur Vilhjálmsdóttir of Iceland.
2005 Miss World In Iceland
Unnur Birna Vilhjálmsdóttir (born 25 May 1984) is an Icelandic actress, lawyer, police officer, model, and beauty queen who won Miss Iceland 2005 and later won the Miss World 2005 pageant. She was crowned Miss World 2005 on 10 December 2005 in the Crown of Beauty Theatre, located in the Chinese beach city of Sanya, by the reigning beauty queen, 2004’s Miss Peru Maju Mantilla.
Mexico (Dafne Molina Lona) and Puerto Rico (Ingrid Marie Rivera) were the first and second runners-up. Other contestants who made it into the final six were Miss Italy (Sofia Bruscoli), Miss Korea (Oh Eun-young), and Miss Tanzania (Nancy Abraham Sumari).In 2005, she studied anthropology at the University of Iceland and planned to proceed with studies to become a lawyer. During the summer of 2005, Unnur Birna did temporary work as a police officer at Keflavík International Airport.
She was the chairperson of the college social club and taught dance. She enjoys acting, singing, all types of dancing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, horsemanship, and has a special talent for choreography and playing the piano.
Her mother, Unnur Steinsson, won the Miss Iceland pageant in 1983 and was a finalist at the Miss World 1983 pageant. Unnur’s mother was 3–4 months pregnant during the pageant. This was against the pageant rules and warrants disqualification.
However, this was not found out until after the pageant was over. Unnur is the third Miss World from Iceland; the former two were Linda Pétursdóttir in 1988 and Hólmfríður Karlsdóttir in 1985. Unnur Birna’s reign as Miss World was the shortest ever, which only lasted nine months since the 2006 edition was scheduled in September. During her reign, she traveled to the United Kingdom, the United States, Iceland, Poland, Sweden, China, Brazil, and many other countries. She crowned her successor, Taťána Kuchařová of the Czech Republic, on 30 September 2006.
Unnur has starred in the movie The Higher Force as Anna, the girl on the dance floor. In 2009, she portrayed a character named Tóta in a movie named Jóhannes.In 2011, Unnur featured in an advert promoting The Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa and tourist attraction in Iceland. Unnur hosted the “Miss Reykjavik 2010” pageant. On 4 August 2009, Unnur married her long-term partner, Pétur Rúnar Heimisson.
2006 Miss World In the Czech Republic
Taťána Kuchařová, formerly Taťána Gregor Brzobohatá (Czech pronunciation: [ˈtacaːna ˈkuxar̝ovaː]; born 23 December 1987) is a Czech model and beauty queen who won the title of Miss Czech Republic and Miss World 2006. In doing so, she made history to become the first woman from the Czech Republic ever to win the title at the final event of the Miss World competition, held on 30 September 2006, in Warsaw, Poland. She finished in second place in StarDance, the Czech version of Dancing with the Stars, in 2013.
Kuchařová was born on 23 December 1987 in Czechoslovakia. Her hometown is Trnava, nowadays located in Slovakia. She lives in Opočno, a small town in the north of the Czech Republic. In 2006, aged 18, whilst studying at a grammar school, Kuchařová competed in the Czech Miss 2006 competition, and won it.
This triumph guaranteed participation in Miss World, which took place in Warsaw. Kuchařová won Miss World too, which made her well-known all over the world. Kuchařová beat 103 other women in voting among a panel of judges and from television viewers around the world during a two-hour finals ceremony in the Polish capital, where the president of Warsaw watched the finals, and presented the new Miss World with a scroll, dubbing her as an honorary ambassador of Warsaw, and asking her to carry a message of peace around the world . Kuchařová, a 177 cm tall high school student with long blond hair, was born in Trnava, Slovakia, and grew up in the town of Opočno, Czech Republic. She told the judges that she wants to attend university and then become a model, which she hopes will enable her to travel.
In December 2006, she appeared in a fashion video, directed and produced by Alexander Schukoff in Vienna for Fashion TV. Kuchařová handed over her crown on 1 December 2007 to the next Miss World, Zhang Zilin of China, in Sanya, China.
Amongst the countries she travelled to during her reign were Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, the United States, China, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Ireland, Iceland, Croatia, San Marino, Northern Ireland, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Latvia. She subsequently graduated from high school nine months after winning the title.On 30 July 2016, Kuchařová married Czech musician Ondřej Gregor Brzobohatý. They got divorced in March 2022.
2007 Miss World In China
Zhang Zilin (simplified Chinese: 张梓琳; traditional Chinese: 張梓琳; pinyin: Zhāng Zǐlín, born 22 March 1984) is a Chinese actress, singer, fashion model, and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2007; she was previously crowned Miss China World 2007.
Biography
Zhang was born in Weihai, Shandong, on March 22, 1984. She then moved to Haidian District, Beijing, where she attended high school from 1996 to 2002. She later completed her studies at the University of Science and Technology Beijing and obtained a degree in business administration in 2006.
Zhang is now working as a fashion model. Having grown up in an academically oriented family, Zhang has always valued her education and has had many achievements in her studies. Both a scholar and an athlete, Zhang Zilin began training in various types of sports at the age of eight. She excels in the Triple Jump and Hurdles and has undergone professional training in the 100-meter Hurdles, having won in the 10th Beijing City Youth Games in 1999.
In 2002, Zhang finished high school and commenced her studies at the University of Science and Technology Beijing, where she graduated in 2006. As an undergraduate, she competed in and won many athletic competitions. In 2005, she won the “Sports Advance Distinction Award” at her university. Zhang’s career in modeling and pageantry started in 2003 when she participated in a beauty pageant organized by New Silk Road Modeling Agency.
As a first timer in pageantry, Zhang only managed to land herself in the top 10 due to a lack of experience. However, she was later discovered by the executive manager of the agency, Lee Xiaobai. Since then, Zhang has graced the runways in major fashion capitals of the world, including Paris and Berlin. In 2006, she was shortlisted as one of the top ten professional supermodels during the Chinese Fashion and Culture Awards. After that, she participated in Giorgio Armani’s 2007 Autumn/Winter Collection show in Paris and later earned herself the title of “Top Model of the Year” from the New Silk Road modeling agency.
On December 1, 2007, she was crowned Miss World 2007 at the Crown of Beauty Theatre in Sanya, Hainan. During her reign, she traveled to over 80 cities in 20 countries. Some of these countries are the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and South Africa. Zhang made her debut in the 2011 film He-Man and the 2014 Hong Kong fantasy film The Monkey King. In 2013, she married Nie Lei in Phuket, Thailand. In April 2016, she gave birth to a daughter.
2008 Miss World In Russia
Ksenia Vladimirovna Sukhinova (Russian: Ксе́ния Влади́мировна Сухи́нова; born 26 August 1987) is a Russian TV host, model, and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2008. She was the second Russian woman to be crowned Miss World and had previously been crowned Miss Russia 2007.Sukhinova was born in Nizhnevartovsk, Russian SFSR. Sukhinova’s height is 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) and she has blonde hair and blue eyes. Her first name is often romanized as Ksenya or Kseniya.
Her favorite book is The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. In 2022, her son, Artem, was born; the father was Yuri Shefler, her boyfriend, businessman, and the owner of a large manufacturer of alcoholic beverages, SPI Group. Before Ksenia Sukhinova became Miss Russia 2007 and Miss World 2008, she entered Miss Tyumen and won the title, which made her the new Miss Tyumen to become representative in Miss Russia 2007. Sukhinova won the 2007 Miss Russia pageant on 14 December 2007 in Moscow, where she represented Tyumen.
She surpassed 50 other contestants from all over Russia. She was unable to represent Russia at Miss Universe 2008 due to her college work, so her 1st runner-up, Vera Krasova, replaced her in the pageant. Vera placed as the 3rd runner-up to Venezuela’s Dayana Mendoza. On 13 December 2008, Sukhinova was crowned the new Miss World at the finals in Johannesburg, South Africa, after beating 108 contestants. In a press conference after her victory, she said, “I am very glad to have brought this crown to Russia.
I am proud that it is Russia that got the crown, and I devote my victory to the whole country and to its every citizen… and to my grandmother.” She also said that she hoped to improve Russia’s international image to show the world that a girl from Russia could personify kindness, beauty, and happiness.
2009 Miss World In Gibraltar
Kaiane Loise Aldorino Lopez, GMH (née Aldorino; born 8 July 1986) is a Gibraltarian politician and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World 2009. From 2017 to 2019, she held the ceremonial position of Mayor of Gibraltar, after previously serving as Deputy Mayor since 2014. Aldorino previously was a beauty pageant titleholder, being crowned Miss Gibraltar 2009, and later winning Miss World 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
She was the first Gibraltarian woman ever to reach the semi-finals of a major international pageant, and is the only one ever to win one, as well. Aldorino was born and raised in Gibraltar. Before becoming Miss Gibraltar 2009, she had been working as a human resources clerk at St Bernard’s Hospital for five years. Aldorino was raised bilingually, speaking both English and Spanish, like most Gibraltarians. Aldorino began dancing at the age of 14 with Urban Dance Group. She participated in the 2008 International Dance Organization World Showdance Championships in Riesa, Germany, where she represented Gibraltar in the Formation category as part of the Gibraltar National Dance Team. They placed 17th and made history by being the first Gibraltar formation team to pass the first round.
Aldorino married fellow Gibraltarian Aaron Lopez in June 2015. They have one daughter, born in 2016. On 27 June 2009, Aldorino was crowned Miss Gibraltar 2009, succeeding Krystle Robba at the Alameda Open Air Theatre. Miss World 2009 during her homecoming celebrations in Gibraltar, 17 December 2009. Aldorino made history on 12 December 2009, by becoming the first ever Miss Gibraltar to be crowned Miss World. She was also the first Gibraltarian contestant to have reached the semi-finals of one of the major international pageants after receiving the title of Miss World Beach Beauty.
Shortly after Aldorino was crowned by her predecessor, Ksenia Sukhinova of Russia, Gibraltar burst into celebration as many Gibraltarians took to the streets. Supporters waved the flag of Gibraltar, chanted as cars honked their horns, and fireworks were set off. Chief Minister of Gibraltar Peter Caruana hailed her win as a “wonderful achievement for her and for Gibraltar” and promised a “homecoming fit for a queen”.
In 2010, she was a guest judge in the final Mister World 2010 beauty pageant in Incheon, South Korea. During her reign, Lopez travelled to over 40 countries. Some of these countries include: the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Brunei, Hong Kong, Canada, the United States, Spain, Germany, Korea, Italy, Indonesia, South Africa, Ireland, and China. On 15 December 2009, the HM Government of Gibraltar announced Aldorino would be flown into Gibraltar from London on a private jet the following afternoon. On 16 December 2009, the government issued a press release in which it detailed the events that would take place upon Aldorino’s arrival.
These included a public greeting at Gibraltar Airport, a parade through Main Street where Aldorino would ride in the same convertible car as Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles during their honeymoon visit to Gibraltar. On 17 December 2009, Aldorino paraded down Main Street, preceded by the band of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, and then appeared at the City Hall balcony. This was followed by a press conference and reception at the Rock Hotel. The celebrations culminated with a fireworks display from Gibraltar Harbour.
The Government also requested that all businesses in Gibraltar that were reasonably able to do so close between 4 pm and 6 pm on this day to allow their staff to take part in the welcoming celebrations. In March 2014, Aldorino was appointed deputy to the Mayor of Gibraltar, Adolfo Canepa, as a result of a motion by the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, passed by the Parliament. On 4 April 2017, she became the mayor of the territory. Among her first acts as mayor were opening a website and social media accounts for the position and creating photo albums for visitors of the Mayor’s Office. On May 2,018, she donated ten thousand dollars received from the Miss World Organization to the Rainbow Ward at St Bernard’s Hospital and St Martin’s School.
A “twinning ceremony” was held on 11 September 2018, between Gibraltar and Jamaica, hosted by Aldorino and attended by the Mayor of Kingston, Delroy Williams. In February 201,9, a delegation, including Aldorino, Steven Linares, and Charles Azzopardi, went to Jamaica to consolidate the “twinning agreement”.During this visit, Aldorino received the keys to the city of Kingston. She was succeeded in her role as mayor on 4 April 2019 by John Gonçalves.
Kaiane Aldorino on 15 September 2011On 7 July 2011, Aldorino was awarded both the Freedom of the City of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Medallion of Honour by a unanimous vote in the Gibraltar Parliament. The motion, which was tabled by Chief Minister of Gibraltar Peter Caruana, recognised her extraordinary personal achievement in becoming Miss World 2009, and … the enormous pride and global recognition that her achievement has represented for Gibraltar as a whole. Aldorino became the first woman to receive the Freedom of the City in Gibraltar.
2010 Miss World In the United States
Alexandria Nichole Mills (born February 26, 1992) is an American model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2010 on October 30, 2010, in Sanya, China. Mills is the third woman from the United States to win Miss World. Millss, a resident of Shepherdsville, Kentucky, had an interest in modeling at least as early as the eighth grade; following Mills’ victory in Miss World 2010, a counselor at her middle school recalled that she had a modeling portfolio even then.
The counselor also recalled her as being “very outgoing and very confident”, and that Mills had demonstrated fearlessness by volunteering to sing “God Bless America” over the school intercom. Beforeo participating in Miss World, 18-year-old Mills was homeschooled for high school, graduating shortly before the competition, and wanted to become a teacher. According to her mother, she also has an interest in landscape photography. A vegetarian, Mills was also a fashion model and was listed with the Elite Models agency.
Mills was appointed as Miss World America 2010 to represent her country at the 2010 Miss World pageant held in Sanya, China.
She placed first runner-up during the Miss World Beach Beauty fast track event held on October 19, and second runner-up in Miss World Top Model was held on October 23, becoming the eventual winner of Miss World 2010 on October 30 Ea rly favourite Mariann Birkedal of Norway, listed by British bookmaker William Hill as the woman to beat ahead of Mills, finished in the top seven. Mills wept as the outgoing Miss World Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar placed the tiara on her head.