Season 58
The Miss World pageant is the oldest surviving major international beauty pageant run by the Miss World Organisation in which women from around the world compete to win the title of Miss World, which they hold for a year until the following pageant.
The telecast of the final competition is the world's largest live annual beauty pageant television event with global viewers in more than 200 countries.
The winner spends a year travelling to represent the Miss World Organisation and its various causes. Traditionally, Miss World lives in London during her reign.
Miss World 2008, the 58th Miss World Final, was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday 13 December, 2008. Miss Russia, Ksenia Sukhinova, was crowned Miss World 2008.
It was broadcast live in South Africa on SABC3, from 17h00-1900 (CAT).
Miss World 2008
Johannesburg hosted the Miss World pageant for the first time. Originally, the pageant was going to take place in Kiev, Ukraine, but because of the ongoing crisis between Georgia and Russia in neighbouring South Ossetia, the Miss World Organisation decided to move the pageant away from Eastern Europe.
Johannesburg beat Seoul, London, Hong Kong and China's San Yang Island to win the hosting rights to the event after it was moved from Kiev.
According to Miss World Limited co-founder and chairperson Julia Morley, it was the rich cultures and endless possibilities of Johannesburg that set the city apart.
She also said Miss World Limited would be making use of top South African designers, including jewellery company African Romance, to dress and adorn the contestants.
109 contestants from all over the world competed for the crown, marking the biggest turnout in the 58 years of the pageant, surpassing the previous record of 107 during Miss World 2004.
At the conclusion of the final night of competition, outgoing titleholder Zhang Zilin crowned her successor - Miss Russia, Ksenia Sukhinova.
The show was broadcast live to over two billion people in almost 220 countries. Featured musical performers were McFly and Alesha Dixon.
South Africa was represented by Tansey Coetzee, who placed second in the Miss World Beach Beauty and in the Top 10 in the Top Model competitions which formed part of the build-up to the finale. She was a Top 15 finalist in the Miss Universe 2008 pageant.
The contestants were in South Africa from 18 November and were involved in a number of events, including the FIFA confederations cup draw. All countries that will be participating in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010 were also represented by their local "Miss Country" winners.
Julia Morley coined the phrase "Beauty With A Purpose" more than 25 years ago and since then more than $400-million has been raised in its name in support of children's charities across the globe, bring help and hope to hundreds of thousands in need.
Among the many recipients of this fund-generating activity has been the Nelson Mandela Trust, Operation Hunger, and the SOS Children's Villages which cares for orphaned and abandoned children in 132 countries.
Created in 1951, the Miss World competition was introduced as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations. It is owned and managed by UK-based Miss World Limited.
South Africa hosted the event successfully on three previous occasions - at Sun City in 1992, 1995 and 2001.
Miss World was brought to television audiences by SABC3 in association with the Johannesburg Tourism Company.
Winners
Five semi-finalists were automatically fast-tracked to the semi-finals after winning their respective "fast-track" events.
Miss World Top Model: Russia
Miss World Beach Beauty: Mexico
Miss World Talent: Barbados
Miss World Sportswoman: Iceland
Beauty with Purpose: Trinidad and Tobago
The remaining 10 semi-finalists were chosen by the judges, announced in the following order:
Venezuela
Ukraine
Croatia
Brazil
Angola
Kazakhstan
Puerto Rico
Spain
South Africa
India
The 15 semi-finalists were thus as follows:
Russia
Mexico
Barbados
Iceland
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela
Ukraine
Croatia
Brazil
Angola
Kazakhstan
Puerto Rico
Spain
South Africa
India
The Top 5 were announced in the following order:
India
Trinidad and Tobago
Angola
Russia
South Africa
Winners
2nd Runner-up: Trinidad and Tobago (Gabrielle Walcott)
1st Runner-up: India (Parvathy Omanakuttan)
Miss World 2008: Russia (Ksenia Sukhinova)
United States of America