It’s 70 years ago this week that Swedish beauty Kiki Hakansson, 22, was crowned the first Miss World dressed in a daring bikini.
Organised by Eric Morley for the 1951 Festival of Britain, the beauty pageant saw 27 contestants compete at London’s Lyceum Ballroom.
The event would go on to become a TV hit and continues to this day, with the anniversary contest taking place in Puerto Rico in November.
The current Miss World is Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica.
But over the years the event has been dogged by controversy – from controversial swimwear, to protests and even a grisly murder.
Here, the Daily Star rounds up moments that have rocked the contest through the decades…
Costume drama
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When the first Miss World was given her crown in the latest two-piece swimwear, it triggered a storm of protest with some countries threatening to pull out from future events and even a telling off from the Pope.
More modest swimming costumes were used for many years afterwards and no Miss World ever took her winner’s sash in a bikini again.
Bombshell moment
The 1970 contest at the Royal Albert Hall, was disrupted by scores of feminists who hurled flour bombs and on to the stage. Bemused host Bob Hope later said: “I thought they’d eat me alive.”
The protest was featured in the 2020 movie Misbehaviour starring Keira Knightley and Keeley Hawes.
Eventually, amid a voting row, Grenada’s Jennifer Hosten became the first black woman to become Miss World.
Stripped down
American Marjorie Wallace won the 1973 contest at 19, but was the first winner to be fired, 104 days later for “failing to fulfil the basic requirements of the job.”
Miss World officials stripped her of the title after she was spotted snogging married singer Tom Jones while engaged to racing driver Peter Revson – who was tragically killed in a crash two weeks later.
Marjorie, who was also known for dating football lothario George Best, survived an overdose of sleeping pills.
Brit difficult
There have been five British Miss Worlds including Rosemarie Frankland, Ann Sidney, Lesley Langley and Sarah-Jane Hutt.
But Welsh winner Helen Morgan became the first to resign after it was revealed that she was the unmarried mum of an 18-month-old son – even though this didn’t technically break the competition’s rules.
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Naked truth
Germany’s Gabriella Brum, 18, who was Miss World in 1980, resigned the following day saying that her boyfriend disapproved.
But it later emerged that she had posed naked for photos.
Murder and mayhem
Maria Jose Alvarado, 19, was set to represent Honduras at the 2014 contest but was murdered – along with her sister – by her sister’s boyfriend, just days beforehand.
The 1998 winner, Israel’s Linor Abargil, was raped at knifepoint and stabbed just before competing by a travel agent who was later convicted.
And a 1966 contestant, South Africa’s Johanna Carter, was the victim of an attempted kidnapping by students who hoped to ransom her for charity.
Catwalk-outs
The 1976 competition was boycotted by several nations over Apartheid policies in South Africa as there were separate black and white contestants.
The 2002 Miss World had to be re-located to the UK from Nigeria after religious riots, while it was moved to Bali form Jakarta, Indonesia in 2013 after Islamic protests, with a sarong replacing swimwear.
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