Miss World Contestants Tour South Africa

THE 112 Miss World contestants yesterday departed Johannesburg, for a tour of South Africa for location and beachwear filming.

Today the beauties will tour the host country until Friday 28, November when they return to Jozi. On November 29, there will be a Beach Beauty fast track event where the winner will automatically advance to the semi finals of the Miss World contest.

The following day, there will be a Miss World Talent Show and on World AIDS Day (December 1), they will pay a visit to a hospice.

A Top Model and World Designer Fashion Show is scheduled for Wednesday December 3. On Friday December 5, Miss World sports will be held and the winner in this category also gains automatic entry to the semi-finals. Monday December 8, the beauties will have an annual Miss World party and on December 11, 12 they will have dress rehearsals which will precede the finals the following day at Sandton Convention Centre. On Sunday 14 December, the beauties leave Johannesburg for their respective countries.

Continental Queens of Beauty

The judges of the Continental Queens of Beauty, a fast event in the Miss World contest in Johannesburg have selected their favourite 40 so far.

The ranking is updated every three or four days. All the judges are Miss World followers and will be paying close attention to all candidates as the competition unfolds.

Each of the judges was requested to divide his/her top 40 favourites in eight groups of five candidates. The five contestants in the first group (top favourites) get eight points each, the five in the second group, get seven points and so on, until the five contestants in the eighth group, each earning one point.

All the others do not receive any points. The highest scored in each region will become Continental Queen of Beauty for her region regardless of overall placement.

In the Africa region, Miss Angola, Miss Uganda, Miss Namibia and Miss South Africa are in the judges' top 40.

By Nombulelo Matsebula (In the picture is Miss Swaziland, Tiffany Simelane, to Miss World 2008.) 

Miss World: Vietnamese contestants in top five bet to win

Online betting groups are active also during international pageants especially in Miss Universe and Miss World. Now, that Miss World is heating up, these online betting houses are now up again. As early as now they have chosen some of their favorites to win the contest. I've read in a Vietnamese paper that their representative is one of the earliest shoo in. Let's take a look and observe.

Miss World: Vietnamese contestants in top five bet to win

Vietnamese representative at the Miss World pageant contest in South Africa, Duong Truong Thien Ly, is now in top five contestants who are bet to be the winners of the contest by seven bankers.

Thien Ly and Miss Trinidad & Tobago are bet for 1/12 and 1/15 by two bankers Bet 365 and Betfair.

Banker Stan James ranks Thien Ly at the third position at the betting rate of 1/14. Centrebet put Thien Ly at the 15th position, with betting rate of 1/25.

Thien Ly is in the top 5 for banker Paddy Power, at the rate of 1/12. She shares the fourth position with Miss Ecuador, with banker Boylesport, at betting rate 1/12, and also at the fourth position with Miss Trinidad & Tobago, betting rate 1/13, with banker Gamebookers.

Thien Ly is appreciated more highly by bankers than other Vietnamese contestants at Miss World, like Miss Vietnam Pham Thi Mai Phuong in 2002, and Miss Vietnam Mai Phuong Thuy in 2006.

According to the official website of the Miss World 2008, one more title – Miss People’s Choice - will be presented to the contestant who wins the highest votes by the audiences. This contestant will admit the semi-final round (15 best contestants).

Miss Canada to Miss World 2008

Leah Ryerse, a 19-year-old resident of Hamilton Ontario and the Canadian representative for the 2008 Miss World Competition, the largest beauty spectacular on the planet, has high hopes.

"I am thrilled to be a new ambassador for Canada," she said. "I have grown so much this year and trained very hard to be Canada's first Miss World." Canada has never won and Leah is hoping that she can make MWC proud and bring home the crown.

Miss World is the longest running major international pageant launched in Britain in 1951 by Eric Morley. The telecast of the final competition is the world's largest live annual beauty pageant television event with global viewers in more than 200 countries. Aside 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. Canada no longer broadcasts this popular program.

"I guess there just wasn't enough motor oil in the mascara. No one hot wired the hot rollers" said Connie McNaughton with a smile, president of Miss World Canada.

Leah Ryerse is the first Hamiltonian to win the Miss World Canada title since Connie Fitzpatrick, now McNaughton, won the title in 1984 and finished second at Miss World that year.

McNaughton now runs the Miss World Canada event here in Toronto. "We believe Leah has the right mix of beauty, magic, compassion and intelligence to really make an impact as our delegate on an international stage. Canada is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world with some of the most beautiful women and it is criminal that we have not yet won at Miss World."

A second-year student at McMaster University, Leah is pursuing an Honors degree in Health Studies and Social Work. She is also a professional model and has graced the catwalks of many designers' fashion shows and the famous Fashion Cares gala in Toronto.

True to the head office motto, "Beauty with a Purpose", Ryerse and all her fellow contestants diligently fundraised in the months prior to the contest for the Miss World Canada Charity of Choice, S.O.S. Children's Villages, an international organization dedicated to bringing homes, clean water and the essentials of life to orphaned and abandoned children in over 130 countries. All proceeds raised for this worthy cause were donated to an All-Canadian community revitalization project in rural Namibia.

Ryerse departs this Saturday, from Toronto Pearson, Nov. 15th, at 6:00 PM via KLM ROYAL DUTCH AIR692 to compete in the 58th Annual Miss World event. Leah will spend one month in South Africa, where numerous festivals and fund raising events in celebration of women's beauty, talent, fashion and culture will take place. The final competition will be held in Johannesburg on Saturday, 13th December 2008.

Miss World 2008 Welcomed in Joburg

 

  

The City of Joburg today welcomed the first group of contestants of the Miss World 2008 Festival at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg.

The Miss World 2008 Festival hosted by the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC ), is a month-long affair comprising of several pageants within a pageant culminating in the Finals scheduled for 13 December at the Sandton Convention Centre.

In a press conference attended by among other dignitaries the Mayor of Joburg, Amos Masondo, CEO of the JTC, Lindiwe Mahlangu, reiterated the positive spin-offs an event of this magnitude will have on the socio-economic landscape of the country.

"One of the reasons we were so excited when the appointment to host the event came, is the massive marketing opportunities and global exposure of the beauty, variety and cultural diversity of our country.

"We have a detailed activity schedule for the ladies which includes, amongst others, visitation of various provinces, a tour of Johannesburg, a Charity Ball, a photoshoot at the iconic Mandela Bridge, tree planting in Soweto, a hospice visit on World Aids Day (1 December) and many others.

"Remember that beauty pageants have gone beyond their classic definition and have become much more involved in many other worthy causes, hence the phrase 'beauty with a purpose'", Miss World 2008 will have a direct impact on a number of Joburg NGO's ranging from those focused on the empowerment of disabled people to those whose mission is to better the lives of troubled youth, says Mahlangu.

According to Julia Morley, CEO and Chairperson of the Miss World Organisation (MWO), MWO looks forward to working with the city of Joburg to promote their world class facilities.

"Our goal is to bring more visitors to your vibrant city so that they too can enjoy the sights and sounds of Joburg and its hospitality," says Morley.

Southern Sun Brings Home Miss World

Southern Sun has been awarded the naming rights as the ‘Home of Miss World 2008'. This was announced today at the official welcoming of the 112 Miss World 2008 contestants at the Sandton Sun last week.

The world's most beautiful country ambassadors are getting ready to strut their stuff in South Africa for the title of Miss World 2008. Southern Sun will host all the Miss World 2008 contestants at their exclusive hotels during their month-long stay in South Africa. The final event will also be held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Southern Sun's prestigious congress venue in Johannesburg, South Africa on, 13 December 2008.

Graham Wood, MD of Southern Sun said “The Miss World Pageant 2008 promises to be the most prestigious international event this year in South Africa and we are looking forward to rolling out the red carpet for our illustrious guests. We know the world's eyes will be on them, and of course us. Southern Sun offers world class accommodation and service and we know this will truly be their home away from home”.

Sandton Sun will be the official ‘home' of the contestants and general manager, Peter Davidson and his team will make every effort to ensure that the Miss World 2008 a spectacular success as official hosts. The swimwear photo shoot will take place at the glamorous Beverly Hills Hotel. Sebastian Berinato, the general manager and his team will have the superbly envious task of hosting the Miss World in these exclusive surrounds.

Furthermore, Southern Sun invites the public to get special access to the Miss World contestants through a variety of exciting and innovative ways - namely via tailor-made web pages that will be updated on a daily basis. “The Miss World event calendar will be available to the public and we will all be able to witness the ladies enjoying our beautiful environment - indoors and outdoors”, continues Wood.

To access the Miss World schedule of events please go to www.southernsun.com. During December, there will also be a variety of special Miss World special deals.