Miss Universe vs Miss World

In a previous article, we tried to show you the differences between the two biggest beauty contests based solely on analytical data in order to know which of the two was greater. We will continue this report by focusing on facts that oppose them.

The differences between Miss Universe and Miss World are subtler than that. Get your tiaras and sashes ready, because the answers to your burning beauty pageant questions will be revealed below.

by the residence and the prizes

Traditionally, Miss Universe lives in an apartment with Miss USA in New York during her reign, whereas Miss World lives in London.

Miss Universe home a year-long salary, an apartment in New York rent-free, a one-year scholarship to the New York Film Academy, a modeling portfolio, professional and PR representation, invitations to events, clothing, beauty products, and a bunch of other prizes for winning the title of Miss Universe. As for Miss World, it’s unclear what the champion of this competition wins. It looks like there may be some sort of prize money given to the winner.

by the pageant participation

In the first ever contest of Miss Universe, 30 contestants competed for the crown, whereas 26 participants vied for the Miss World title. In 2019, 111 delegates took part at Miss World, while 90 tried to win the Miss Universe crown. Miss World wins hands down in this area by being for years the beauty pageant that attracts the most candidates.

To compete in Miss Universe and Miss World, the delegate has to win a national pageant. This varies by country, but in the United States, you need to win Miss USA to compete in Miss Universe and Miss World America to compete in Miss World. Clearly, when girls pick a pageant track, she choose wisely according to their values or the competition where they have a higher chance of winning.

by the fee and TV rights

Miss Universe makes considerable money off TV ads and international broadcast rights, but it also rakes in franchising fees; countries or states that wish to hold qualifying pageants must pay for the privilege.

We must note here that the Miss Universe pageant has a higher average franchise fee than Miss World, hence the higher number of countries being able to afford the relatively cheaper Miss World franchise fee.

by the judging criteria

You may think that all beauty pageants are the same since so many of them feature women gliding across the stage in evening gowns and fumbling interview questions. And if you thought this, you’d be wrong. Both Miss Universe and Miss World have rounds where the contestants are evaluated based on their appearance in their fancy dress or their answers to interview questions. However, one major difference between the two pageants is that the Miss World Competition no longer features a swimsuit round in an effort to have the contestants come off more like ambassadors rather than beauty queens. Miss World also features challenges where contestants are evaluated on their charity work, use of multimedia, athleticism, and talent.

by the country who most crown won

With eight wins so far, the USA boasts the highest number of Miss Universe wins. Venezuela and India top the list at Miss World with six wins.

by the double crown

While no one woman has ever claimed both titles, there have been five instances when both the Miss Universe crown and Miss World title were claimed by the same country in the same year.

The double win was first achieved by France in 1953 and then by Australia in 1972. In 1981 it was Venezuelan’s turn when Irene Saez was named Miss Universe, the same year that compatriot Pilín León won Miss World. The most recent two occurrences both fall to India, first in 1994 when Sushmita Sen (bottom left) took Miss Universe while fellow countrywoman Aishwarya Rai was crowned Miss World and again in 2000.

by the scandals

These contests have seen their share of scandals and controversies. While Miss Colombia 2010, Catalina Tobayo was accused of making official appearances without wearing any underwear, former Miss USA Rima Fakih who competed in Miss Universe, made headlines in 2012 for her arrest on suspicion of drunk driving.

Miss World 1974—UK’s Helen Morgan—had to resign days after her win when it was discovered that she had a child. The next such incident came in 1980, when Germany’s Gabriella Brum (Miss World 1980) resigned after 18 hours of her reign, citing her boyfriend’s disapproval as one of the reasons.

After Their Reign

Over the years a number of the winners have gone on to prove there is a lot more to them than just their looks. Miss Universe 1981, Irene Sáez made a transition from pageants to politics. She also ran for presidential elections in Venezuela in 1998. Aishwarya Rai, Miss World 1994, went on to become a successful actress and a UN ambassador. In 2014, she was also presented with the award for outstanding contribution for “Beauty with Purpose” by the Miss World Organization, in recognition of her commitment to humanitarian causes.

In conclusion, how you interpret the question “which is the bigger pageant” may vary based on your personal biases. Free to you to love the one you want according to your tastes.