Miss World 1975 was the 25th edition of the Miss World pageant, held on 20 November 1975 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom.
At the conclusion of the event, Anneline Kriel of South Africa crowned Wilnelia Merced of Puerto Rico as her successor. This marked the country's first title in the pageant's history. Runner-Up was Germany's Marina Langer, and third place was Vicki Harris of the United Kingdom, fourth place was Cuba's Maricela Maxie Clark, and fifth was Yugoslavia's Lidijia Velkovska.
Background Selection of participants
Replacements Anna Vitale of Italy was replaced by Vanna Bortolini, her first runner-up of the Miss Italy, because she decided to return home to take care of her ill mother and Rhoda Rademeyer of South Africa was the second runner-up of Miss South Africa. The official titleholder, Helga Vera Johns, was disqualified by the Miss World organizers when it was discovered that she came from Rhodesia. Her Rhodesian nationality apparently violated the pageant's rules. The first runner-up, Crystal Coopers, went to London, but her father would not allow her to compete there because it was discovered that Vera Johns was not going to be officially stripped of her title. This was the second time Helga Vera Johns was barred from competing in the Miss World contest and still to this day remains the only contestant to be barred at least twice from competing at Miss World. The first time was in 1972 when she tried to compete as Miss Rhodesia but was not allowed to compete due to her Rhodesian nationality.
Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals This edition marked the debut of Curaçao, El Salvador, Haiti, Saint Lucia and Swaziland and the return of Bolivia, Cuba, Iceland, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Peru, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey and Uruguay. Cuba, which last competed in 1955, Bolivia and Uruguay last competed in 1965, Trinidad and Tobago last competed in 1971 and Iceland, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Peru, Seychelles and Turkey last competed in 1973.
Botswana, Ecuador, Jamaica, Madagascar, and Zambia, withdrew from the competition for unknown reasons. Olga Fernández Pérez of Spain promptly withdrew from the competition, after an announcement that Francisco Franco, the ruler of Spain, had died on the morning of the pageant date. Pageant organizers concerned that she had been too upset by Franco's death to appear in the finals.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss World 1975 – Wilnelia Merced 1st Runner-Up – Marina Langner 2nd Runner-Up – Vicki Harris 3rd Runner-Up – Maricela Maxie Clark 4th Runner-Up – Lidija Velkovska Top 7 – Joelle Apollon – María Conchita Alonso Top 15 – Anne Davidson – Leena Kaarina Vainio – Anjana Sood – Ramona Keram – Mariella Tse-Sik-Sun – Sophia St. Omer – Rhoda Rademeyer – Carmen Abal
Contestants
– Lilian Noemí De Asti – Cynthia Marlene Bruin – Anne Davidson – Rosemarie Holzschuh – Ava Marilyn Burke – Peta Hazel Greaves – Christine Delmelle – Donna Louise Wright – María Mónica Guardia – Zaida Souza Costa – Normande Jacques – Amanda Amaya Correa – María Mayela Bolaños Ugalde – Maricela Clark – Elvira Nelly Maria Bakker – Pia Isa Lauridsen – Carmen Rosa Arredondo Pou – Ana Stella Comas Durán – Leena Kaarina Vainio – Sophie Perin – Lillian Anne Lara – Bella Adamopoulou – Dora Ann Quintanilla Camacho – Carol Dawn Le Billon – Joelle Apollon – Barbara Ann Neefs – Etelinda Mejía Velásquez – Teresa Chu Tsui-Kuen – Halldóra Björk Jónsdóttir – Anjana Sood – Elaine O'Hora – Atida Mor – Vanna Bortolini – Chiharu Fujiwara – Susan Maxwell de Gruchy – Ramona Karam – Marie Thérèse Manderschied – Fauziah Haron – Marie Grace Ciantar – Marielle Tse Sik-Sun – Blanca Patricia López Esparza – Janet Nugent – María Auxiliadora Paguaga Mantilla – Sissel Gulbrandsen – Mary Orfanides Canakis – Suzanne Gonzalez – Wilnelia Merced – Sophia St. Omer – Amelie Lydia Michel – Maggie Siew Teen Sim – Lydia Gloria Johnstone – Rhoda Rademeyer – Lee Sung-hee – Angela Seneviratne – Vinah Thembi Mamba – Agneta Catharina Magnusson – Franziska Angst – Raevadee Pattamaphong – Donna Sandra Dalrymple – Monia Dida – Harika Değirmenci – Vicki Ann Harris – Annelise Ilschenko – Carmen Abal – María Concepción "María Conchita" Alonso – Marina Langner – Lidija Velkovska
Notes
References