| Main Performers | Miss World contestants:
Pearl Gladys Jansen (Africa South),
Patricia Maria Charre Salazar (Argentine),
Valli Kemp (Australia),
Rosemarie Resch (Austria),
June Justina Brown (Bahamas),
Francine Martin (Belgium),
Miss Bermuda,
Sonia Yara Guerra (Brazil),
Norma Joyce Hickey (Canada),
Yolande Shahzadi Ahlip (Ceylon),
Carmelina Bayona Vera (Colombia),
Louiza Anastasiades (Cyprus),
Winnie Hollmann (Denmark),
Fatima Scheker (Dominican Republic),
Sofia Virginia Monteverde (Ecuador),
Hannele Hamara (Finland),
Micheline Beaurain (France),
Miss Gambia,
Daguiar Eva Ruthenberg (Germany),
Carmen Gomez (Gibraltar),,
Julie Vardi (Greece)
Jennifer Josephine Hosten (Grenada),
Jennifer Diana Evan Wong (Guyana),
Patricia Hollmann (Holland),
Ann Lay (Hong Kong),
Anna Scheving Hansdottir (Iceland),
Miss India,
Mary Elizabeth McKinley (Ireland),
Irith Lavi (Israel),
Marika De Poi (Italy),
Elizabeth Ann Lindo (Jamaica),
Hisayo Nakamura (Japan),
Jung Hee Lee (Korea),
Miss Lebanon,
Miss Liberia,
Rita Massard (Luxembourg),
Miss Malaysia,
Marthese Galea (Malta),
Florence Muller (Mauritius),
Miss Mexico,
Glenys Elizabeth Treweek (New Zealand),
Miss Nicaragua,
Stella Owivri (Nigeria),
Aud Fosse (Norway),
Miss Panama,
Miss Peru,
Minerva Cagatao (Philippines),
Miss Portugal,
Alma Doris Perez (Puerto Rico),
Nicole Barallon (Seychelles),
Miss Singapore,
Jillian Elizabeth Jessup (South Africa),
Josefina Roman Gutierrez (Spain),
Maj Christel Johansson (Sweden),
Sylvia Christina Weisser (Switzerland),
Tuanjai Armnakamart (Thailand),
Kaltoum Khouildi (Tunisia),
Afet Tugbay (Turkey),
Miss Uganda,
Yvonne Anne Ormes (UK),
Sandra Anne Wolsfeld (USA),
Tomasa Nina De Las Casas (Venezuela),
Tereza Djelmis (Yugoslavia) |
| Secondary Performers | Eric D Morley
Alan B Fairley,
Bob Hope - speakers |
| Orchestra or Band | Phil Tate and The Miss World Orchestra |
| Set List | 'God Save the Queen' (The National Anthem) |
| Performance Notes | There was controversy before the contest began because the organisers had allowed two entries from South Africa, one black (Miss Africa South), one white (Miss South Africa). On the evening of the contest, a bomb exploded under a BBC outside-broadcast van in an unsuccessful attempt by the anti-aparthied campaigners, the Angry Brigade to prevent the contest being televised. There were no injuries. The event's audience and contestants were forced to enter the Royal Albert Hall past additional Women's Liberation Movement demonstrators who were penned behind barricades.
During the evening there were protests by Women's Liberation Movement activists who had bought tickets in seats across the Hall and dressed-up to be admitted into the building. Once Bob Hope was first introduced and began making misogynist jokes, the WLM protestors used a football rattle to give the signal to hold up placards, shout, blow whistles, throw flour bombs, ink bombs and leaflets onto the stage. Eventually the protestors were removed but the had achieved their goal of broadcasting their feminist voice to millions watching the event on live television. Five women were later charged with offences related to disturbance of the event.
Even greater controversy then followed after the result was announced. Jennifer Hosten (Miss Grenada) won becoming the first ever black woman to win the title, and the black contestant from South Africa (Miss Africa South) was placed second. The BBC and newspapers received numerous protests about the result and accusations of racism were made by all sides. Four of the nine judges had given first-place votes to Miss Sweden, while Miss Grenada received only two firsts, yet the Swedish entrant finished fourth. Furthermore the Prime Minister of Grenada, Sir Eric Gairy, was on the judging panel. Inevitably there were many accusations that the contest had been rigged. Some of the audience gathered in the street outside Royal Albert Hall after the contest and chanted "Swe-den, Swe-den".
Original photographs are held by Mirrorpix.
The event was filmed by BBC Television.
A BBC programme, 'Miss World: Beauty Queens and Bedlam', was partially filmed at the Royal Albert Hall and followed original protestors back to the Hall, water pistols in hand, as they recalled the surprise and impact of their protests. The programme was first broadcast on BBC Two on 16 March 2020. |
| Related Archival Material | Programme (RAHE/1/1970/166),
Digital Photographs,
Press cuttings |