Miss Gibraltar is crowned by MISS World - WHAT AN HONOUR!What a unique experience!

SPG

The Miss Gibraltar show is, and will always be the main attraction of Gibraltar's Calendar of events as our local beauties take to the catwalk and show not only their beautiful figures but also their attractiveness which is pretty unique due to the amount of mixed blood from our ancestors - as there is a saying that goes "Children from mixed marriages turn out more beautiful!" Women in Gibraltar are beautiful! It is also a pleasure to see the advancement of today's female species, as contestants are by far more career minded women than ever before, who have a lot to say and a lot of possibilities of changing and helping humanity by their examples.

This year we had 10 contestants, and judging by their comments about how they wanted to represent Gibraltar abroad and to promote it, showing that they can be our best representative to the world at large about our culture. It is a fundamental asset in a beauty queen who represents her country and travels to the Miss World Pageant, to be able to know how to express herself and to know the history of Gibraltar inside out, the best way of promoting our Rock.

I have, and will always belief, that a beauty contest is to see the girls on stage, it is like a window display were each and everyone of them shows off her best assets, it gives us the opportunity to see each detail, good legs, great smile, shapely figure, great walk, good deportment, elegance and glamour, the ability to dance is also an added incentive to the self assurance of the girl and the style and gracefulness. It is also very important to see how they express themselves, but not in an interview which is pre-rehearsed like the script of a play, but more with a series of spontaneous questions, with the view of really finding out if each contestant can and will represent Gibraltar as a beauty queen should, the world media awaits them and they have to be prepared for questions that are not pre-rehearsed! The capacity and ability to speak in public is part and parcel of a good representative and therefore I am very happy that the winner herself did a very good interview as did Miss Best Interview, Contestant No 5, Tina Sawyer, who also happened to win the Miss Photogenic award. Another lady that needs to be mentioned is Katiuska Hollands whose charm and ability to interact with the other 9 contestants won her the title of Miss Friendship!

The show was for the third time running produced by Christian Santos, who together with Davina Camilleri presented the evening's entertainment. I felt that Christian tended to speak a little loudly at times, not necessary when you have a mike, but then again it was undoubtedly due to excessive excitement about having 10 beautiful contestants and for the very first time our very own Miss World, a unique experience for this event…and one that could or may not happen again!

The evening started at dusk, at the Alameda Theatre and although it was difficult to gauge which of the three dance groups the dancers belonged to, the amalgamation of talent was latent and extremely entertaining as Transitions, the Gibraltar Academy and Urban Dance performed with an impact number that brought the house down! Unfortunately I was not as impressed by the set, or should I say the non-set. We owe our Ministry of Culture the very best of shows for they help us by sponsoring many local shows during the spring and autumn festival, and very generously fork out a far more substantial amount of money so a more elaborate show can be produced for this, our most special event of the year. So it would have been nice to see a more elaborate set, and not just the one that we see in most productions at the Alameda with it's natural setting, a beautiful one at that, but surely a Miss Gibraltar Show, and even more so this year with the unique visit of MISS WORLD it needed a more spectacular one. When the silver curtain fell I was expecting something else behind to appear, even if that had only been just another set of curtains in gold, for a golden opportunity that we had in our hands for the very first time with Miss World crowning Miss Gibraltar!

The Contestants looked wonderful, walked well as Gina Victory is a professional coach at that, they looked glamorous in every gear but the most important factor was that they seemed to be enjoying every minute, and this is what it is all about too! I think this year it was more of a beauty pageant again! Their dance routines were well rehearsed and effective and the evening wear parade was by far the best of the evening with glamorous dresses, some by our prestigious dress designer. Ten beautiful contestants, indeed a difficult task this year to choose the winner, and as the judges needed time we were entertained with Moe Town music, dancing and singing, by international singers, who adapted so well to our local dancers most professional choreography and delightful performances.

The appearance of Miss World 2009, Kianne Aldorino, at home on the same stage where she obtained her Miss Gibraltar crown last year, but now as the reigning Miss World was again a pleasurable moment for us all. She looked, as usual, STUNNING! I would have loved to see a throne on stage and have seen Kianne sitting centre stage to wait for the winners to be announced, still she gracefully stood and waited to hand over the crown to this year's winner, Miss Gibraltar 2010, Larissa Dalli, whose catwalk technique and ability to carry herself was well acclaimed when she was also chosen as "Miss Catwalk" - Larissa's smile is bound to take her places, and her enthusiasm and her gift of getting on with people will also help her in this year's reign.

The Minister for Culture Edwin Reyes proudly handed over the trophies to the three beautiful winners. First Princess was Leandra Howes, Second Princess Jemma Rocca, and the Miss Gibraltar title, as mentioned above, went to Larissa Dalli whose turn it will be to represent Gibraltar at the next Miss World Pageant, a dream every girl wants to make a reality!

Congratulations to all concerned and good luck to Miss Gibraltar 2010 for the year ahead!

<< Back