Miss World 2018 kicked off in Sanya, China with 118 contestants — the largest among the major Beauty Pageants this year. Again, Miss World was graved by top caliber girls, beautiful, accomplished, and boast amazing resumes. 

In spite of all these amazing quality of pageant girls, Miss World’s format allowed for another year of dragging and uneventful crowning ceremony. 

With Miss World fast track events taking place ahead of the final show, much of the pageant’s action and excitement was held outside the stage. This resulted to a lackluster finale and a quiet stadium, except some enthusiastic family members of the contestants. 

As a Beauty pageant, the core of a final show is to have the contestants compete in several segments designed to select the best girl for a pageant’s cause or purpose. Such on-stage competition is patently absent in Miss World that the show has become more of a variety show, which is more quiet and solemn than those we usually see on TV. 

In short, Miss World’s changing of formats to respond to critics and feminists has led to the abolition of certain elements that make it a “beauty pageant”. Watching the show has become more of guessing game rather than actually trying to score the girls by yourself and have it validated by the judges’ decision at the end of the show. 

Despite of this, Miss World still gets a big chunk of online views and social engagement still ahead than its competitors like Miss Earth and Miss International. The YouTube views of the crowning of the winners still rake millions of views hours immediately the final show.

But Miss World should rethink its format as the quality and the declining excitement of its finals show will not hold much longer against its aggressive rivals. Miss Grand International is fast getting traction among fans, especially among the Latin countries, because of its Miss Universe-style preliminary competitions and finals format. 

2018 Format

The Miss World 2018 Format was really weird and goes against the very essence of beauty pageants. The Head to Head Challenge introduced last year was basically judging the girls based on their speaking and interview skills. 

Instead of competing against everyone, the Head To Head Challenge divide the girls, allowing unfair advancement to some girls. The winner of one group may not necessarily a better candidate that the one losing in another group. 

Lastly, the Fast Track events has become insignificant as winners of these events have continuously failed to win or make it to the Top 2. Thus, judging has become more dubious and the results a shocker.

Suggestions for 2019

If Miss World is really decided to not resurrect the swimsuit competition, might as well replace it with something that would be headline grabbing without antagonizing its critics and the feminists. 

Miss World could start with a Top 30 of the highest scoring girls from the Fast Track Events. The announcement should be made on the finals with the excitement and bravado ala Miss Universe. 

Then the Top 30 will parade in pantsuits or tuxedos, instead of bikinis or swimsuits. The women will be judged based on their confidence, presentation, and empowering aura.

Next, the Top 30 will be cut into Top 15. The Top 15 will then compete in Evening Gowns, where they will be judged in poise, elegance, confidence, and beauty. Looking beautiful in an evening gown is important since a Miss World would be attending charity gals and fundraisers. 

The Top 15 will then be cut into Top 5 for the Final Interview. From this Top 5 will come the 2 runner-ups and the new Miss World. 

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