Perhaps, they were right in biding their time, even if it wasn’t completely by choice. As most would recall, the 70^th contest in Puerto Rico ended in chaos. What was meant to be a milestone edition was tainted with several mishaps. It began on December 15, 2021, when several contestants and crew members tested positive with COVID-19 right before the original coronation night. That, of course, put safety protocols in question, given how the Omicron variant was already at large. This left organizers with no recourse but to send everyone home and stall the proceedings for 90 days.

So, imagine the cost of having to restart three months later, even with only the Top 40 on board. They still had to spend for airfare and accommodations, regardless of the reduced roster. By the first quarter of 2022, more anomalies surfaced, leading to the withdrawal of 2016 titleholder Stephanie del Valle from the finale. The end result was a flustered mix of gaffes and miscues. Even incumbent titleholder Toni Ann Singh couldn’t stay on key through her intermission numbers. At that point, everyone just wanted to get it over with.

But on the upside, the winner was breathtaking. While never the undisputed frontrunner, Karolina Bielawska’s victory was widely embraced. It was Poland’s second win after 33 years.

++++++++++

No follow-up pageant was announced that night. For one thing, they wanted to spend more time with the new queen, instead of subjecting her to a truncated reign (remember 69^th Miss Universe Andrea Meza’s?). But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Obviously, Miss World needed to recalibrate.

Months passed with nary a clue. Still, countries carried on appointing delegates. Then came a rumor that the pageant was going to be purchased by a Nepali-born businessman for a hefty sum, with his regime kicking off in Singapore. That rumor was quickly refuted. It wasn’t until February 2023 when fans had semblance of update, that the pageant was heading to UAE. Now, if the concept of an Arab land hosting the pageant feels foreign, take note: the 1995 edition filmed sequences in Dubai, with Sun City, South Africa still the coronation site.   

But that return didn’t transpire either and no reason was ever revealed. Pin it down, perhaps, on conservatism still prevailing or the red tape involved in making it possible. It was in June 2023 when a new host country was announced. After more than a quarter century, Miss World was returning to India.

Months progressed and it was clear they were skipping another calendar year. By December, the coronation date was finally announced: March 2, 2024, which was delayed yet again by the impending national elections. One final adjustment later, the pageant was finally underway. By February 18, 2024, the delegates started to arrive.

++++++++++

It was 1996 when Miss World first made it to India, 30 years after Reita Faria won the country its first crown and two after Aishwarya Rai won its second. As many visualized, the Bangalore staging courtesy of Amitabh Bachchan’s ABCL was nothing short of spectacular.

Yet, it wasn’t entirely smooth either. Prior to the contest, protest groups rallied against the competition and what they feel it stood for. Naturally, Julia Morley, then spokeswoman, went on to defend the platform, saying that they were glorifying Indian culture. 7,000 policemen gathered around the M. Chinnaswammy Stadium come pageant day, which went on without major incident. In the end, Greece captured its first crown, thanks to Irene Skliva. And, proving there were no hard feelings, the crown returned to India a year later, courtesy of Diana Hayden.

++++++++++

In contrast, this year’s return is much more well received. After all, the contest did go on to crown three more Indians, including a millennium-crossing two-peat with Yukta Mookhey (1999) and now-superstar Priyanka Chopra (2000) and, much more recently, Manushi Chhillar (2017), who recently made her Bollywood debut and is now set to grace the finale.

Chillar won’t be the only former queen in attendance. Apart from outgoing queen Karolina, also set to appear are Jamaica’s Toni Ann Singh (2019), Mexico’s Vanessa Ponce (2018), and, in an apparent sign of healing, Puerto Rico’s Stephanie del Valle (2016). And, in a development that will thrill local fans, the Philippines’ Megan Young (2013) will be there to mark her tenth anniversary (somewhat). She’ll host the pageant, together with filmmaker and TV personality Karan Johar.

Considering the chaotic previous edition and succeeding two-year delay, it’s nice to see the roster surpass the hundred mark again. This, despite the absence of former champs Iceland, Guam, and, quite understandably, Russia and Israel. This significant increase is thanks to the surge of returnees, including one who hasn’t seen action since 1969. So, despite the last-minute pullout of Albania (they sure did that a lot this year), the final tally is at 112.  

This year’s pre-pageant activities are noticeably a lot tighter. Gone is the play-off element of the Head-to-Head Challenge. Instead, they went straight to announcing the 25 short-listers, from which five winners were announced. So with the cumbersome groupings out of the way, geography once again takes the lead in clustering. And, as such, the contestants will be reviewed according to region.

COMING NEXT: The Americas