Miss World pageant nixes swimsuit round from competition

Saying that the Miss World pageant should be focused more on "outreach, and what a woman could do with a title like Miss World," the organization announced that future pageants will not include a swimsuit round.

"It isn't the path they're trying to take," Chris Wilmer, the national director of Miss World America, told ABC News. "It's not just a beauty contest, it's 'beauty with a purpose.' There didn't seem to be a purpose to have the swimsuit."

The pageant plans to replace the bikini round with a "beachwear round," instead, which Wilmer described as "more of a fashion competition." The 64th Miss World pageant was held on Dec. 14 in London, so it now marks the final competition that included swimsuits.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up