Miss World TT to return home as pageant postponed

ANDREW GIOANNETTI DEC 17, 2021

Miss World TT delegate Jeanine Brandt holds one of the gifted boxes of Montanos chocolates for Miss World contestants. The competition in Puerto Rico has been postponed for three months owing to an outbreak of covid19. - File photo/Lincoln Holder

MISS WORLD TT Jeanine Brandt will wait at least three months to stake her claim to the global title, after the Miss World 2021 contest was postponed.

The organisers gave notice of the postponement on Thursday, the day the finale was to take place in Puerto Rico, owing to the latest surge of the covid19 pandemic in the US territory.

Once cleared by health officials, Brandt will return to TT, as will all contestants to their respective countries.

A statement from the organisation read, "Miss World 2021 temporarily postpones global broadcast finale in Puerto Rico due to health and safety interest of contestants, staff, crew and general public."

It said the finale will be rescheduled at Puerto Rico Coliseum Jose Miguel Agrelot within the next 90 days.

"After meeting with the virologists and medical experts hired to oversee the Miss World 2021 event and discussing with the Puerto Rico Health Department, the decision has been made by the organisers of the event to postpone the globally broadcast finale at the Puerto Rico Coliseum Jose Miguel Agrelot to be held within the next 90 days.

"As of yesterday," the statement continued, "additional safety measures were implemented in the best interest of the contestants, production team and spectators, understanding the event increased risks on the stage and in the dressing room.

But after additional cases were confirmed on Thursday, after consulting with health officials and experts, it was decided to postpone the event.

The statement said the next step was "immediate quarantine, pending observation, and further testing, according to best practices in situations like this."

It said only contestants and related staff would only return to their home countries when they and staff were cleared by health officials.

Julia Morley, Miss World CEO, said in the statement: "We are very much looking forward to the return of our contestants (who we have grown to know and love), to compete for the Miss World crown."

Newsday was unable to reach the national director for Miss World TT, Brian Gopaul, for comment up to the time of publication.

https://newsday.co.tt/2021/12/16/miss-world-tt-to-return-home-as-pageant-postponed/