2019 Miss World, Toni-Ann Singh, says positive impact more important than beauty

2019 Miss World, Toni-Ann Singh, says positive impact more important than beauty

 

2019 Miss World,  Singh, says good work more important than beauty

 Toni-Ann Singh, a Jamaican who won the 2019 Miss World on Saturday in London, has said impacting the lives of women positively is more important to her than her beauty.

 “It’s OK to celebrate things like beauty and attributes like strength and those things. But this is so much more,” she said as she hugged her proud parents, Jahrine and Bradshaw.

Describing herself as a “changed woman” after the experience of taking part in the Miss World competition, Singh added: “There’s no way I could chalk it up to just being about beauty, because that’s the last on the list, honestly.”

She was crowned as Miss World 2019 on Saturday and said she wanted to use her title to work for “sustainable change” for women and their children.

Asked about the value of beauty contests in today’s world of MeToo# and the drive for equality and respect for women, the 23-year-old graduate of Florida State University said beauty for her was the least important aspect of her achievement.

“I want to make a change that’s sustainable. So if we’re talking women… it needs to be something that will make sure that their children and their children’s children have a different value of life,” an overjoyed Singh told reporters after winning the title in London.

Toni-Ann Singh was born 1996. She was previously crowned Miss Jamaica World 2019, and is the fourth woman from Jamaica to win Miss World.

She was born in Morant Bay, but immigrated to the United States at age nine, settling in Florida.She attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida, where she graduated with a degree in women’s studies and psychology

Singh left for London in November 2019, to participate in the Miss World pre-pageant activities. Singh placed in the top 40 of the Top Model competition and won the talent competition, which granted her direct entry into the top 40 semifinals.[3] Finals night was held on 14 December at ExCeL London, where Singh advanced from the top 40 to the top 12, and ultimately to the top five. She was then crowned the winner, besting first runner-up Ophély Mézino of France and second runner-up Suman Rao of India. With her win, Singh became the fourth Jamaican woman to hold the title, with the last being Lisa Hanna who was crowned Miss World 1993, and the first black woman to win Miss World since Agbani Darego of Nigeria won Miss World 2001.

Editorial Chief, Nigerian Bureau

Kings UBA is a Nigerian journalist and writer. I have reported for major local and international news organisations. I write satire. In 2017, I started contributing stories primarily to Discover Africa News Network. I can be reached on editorkingsuba@gmail.com. I currently manage Discover Africa News social media handles