Despite only being the 91st edition, the 2021 edition was celebrated as the centenary of Miss France, as the competition was first held in 1920, before being paused from 1922 to 1926 and 1941–46, the latter due to World War II.
On 2 September 2020, it was confirmed by the Miss France Committee that Miss France 2021 would be held on 12 December 2020 at Puy du Fou in Les Epesses, Pays de la Loire. This would be the second time the competition has been held at Puy du Fou, following Miss France 2009.[1][2] The competition was later postponed to 19 December after Emmanuel Macron announced a nationwide lockdown in France for the month of November due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3]
While the Miss France contestants typically embark on an overseas trip during preparation for the competition, their planned trip to Guadeloupe was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they instead traveled to Versailles, Yvelines to visit the Palace of Versailles.[4][5]
Selection of contestants
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the region of Tahiti withdrew from the competition after deciding to cancel their regional pageant for Miss France 2021.[6] The 2021 edition saw the return of Wallis and Futuna to Miss France; the region had only competed four times in history, and not since 2005.[7][8]
On 14 October, it was confirmed that Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy would not compete after their selected candidate Naïma Dessout was disqualified by the Miss France Committee for having previously participated in a nude photoshoot.[9] Additionally, no representative was selected to replace Dessout at Miss France. This came after Anastasia Salvi, the original winner of Miss Franche-Comté, resigned amidst a nude photo scandal, and Anaëlle Guimbi, a competitor in Miss Guadeloupe, was disqualified ahead of the regional pageant for nude photos taken in support of a breast cancer awareness campaign.[10][11][12]
A jury composed of partners (internal and external) of the Miss France Committee selected fifteen delegates during an interview that took place on 16 December to advance to the semifinals.
Top 15
In the top fifteen, a 50/50 split vote between the official jury and voting public selected five delegates to advance to the top five. Each delegate was awarded an overall score of 1 to 15 from the jury and public, and the five delegates with the highest combined scores advanced to the top five. The delegates with the sixth and seventh highest combined scores were afterwards designated as the fifth and sixth runners-up, respectively, despite not advancing in the competition. In the case of a tie, the jury vote prevailed.[13]
In the top five, a 50/50 split vote between the official jury and voting public determined which contestant was declared Miss France. This was the first time the jury could vote in the top five since Miss France 2010. Each contestant was ranked from first to fifth by the jury and public, and the two scores were combined to create a total score. In the case of a tie, the public vote prevailed. If this rule change had not occurred, Normandy still would have won, while Alsace would have been first runner-up, followed by Provence, Burgundy, and then Côte d'Azur.[13]
While the edition was not given a titled theme like in previous years, on 4 December 2020, it was announced that the theme for the 2021 competition would revolve around French influence in the world, with competition rounds inspired by aspects of French culture and history that have received international popularity and recognition.[15] On 15 December, it was announced that instead of the winner being decided by public voting as it had been since Miss France 2010, there would instead be a rule change where the winner would be decided by a 50/50 split of jury voting and public voting, much like how the top five has been chosen in past editions.[16]
The 29 contestants were initially separated into three groups, two consisting of ten contestants and one of nine, with each group taking part in an initial presentation round. The three presentation rounds were themed after the Palace of Versailles, French cuisine, and the Moulin Rouge, respectively. Afterwards, the 29 contestants presented their regional costumes, created by local designers from their home regions. The 29 contestants subsequently participated in the one-piece swimsuit round, inspired by French cinema.
After the one-piece swimsuit round, the top fifteen were announced. The top fifteen then competed in the two-piece swimsuit round, inspired by Bastille Day and French landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. After the two-piece swimsuit round, the top five were announced. The top five then presented their evening gowns, in a round inspired by fairy tales, and then participated in the final question round. After the final question round, the top five participated in their final presentation round, inspired by French art, before the final results were revealed.[17]
Judges
To celebrate the centenary of Miss France, the Miss France Committee announced that the jury would consist of only former Miss France titleholders.[18]
^The Top 15 semifinalists are listed in the order that they placed according to the official results.[13]
^The General Culture Award is given to the contestant with the highest score on the general culture exam, which tests contestants' grasp of topics such as history, politics, current events, and pop culture. Miss Burgundy received the highest score of 17.5 and was thus given the award.
^Perdrix, Caroline (27 June 2020). "L'élection Miss Tahiti 2020 est annulée" [The selection of Miss Tahiti 2020 is cancelled]. Radio1 Tahiti (in French). Retrieved 27 June 2020.
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