Miss World Beauty show protest that brought cause of women’s liberation to a TV audience of 100 million

Uproar when the first black woman won

page.” Jo remembers: “The first ever women’s liberation conference had been held at Ruskin College, Oxford, nine months earlier, put together by women historians.

“Sally Alexander was a student there and one of the prime organisers. They had the novel idea of looking at the history of women, which was really studying the history of sexism.”

Sarah adds: “A conference about women’s history had been laughed at and they thought it was a joke to have only women discussing women’s history. Far more women came than they expected, about 500, and it became not just about the past but about the present and the future.

THERE was even more controversy at the 1970 Miss World – because of the result.

Miss Grenada, 22-year-old Jennifer Hosten, became the first black woman crowned the winner. And a black contestant from South Africa was placed second.

Four of the nine judges had given first-place votes to Miss Sweden compared to only two firsts for Miss Grenada. Miss Sweden came fourth.

Some of the audience who insisted Miss Sweden should have won gathered outside the Royal Albert Hall chanting “Swe-den, Swe-den”.

A deluge of complaints were received by the BBC and newspapers. Some accused the allegedly corrupt Minister of Grenada, who was on the judging panel, of rigging the result. Others said the outcry over the result was motivated by racism as white contestants had typically won before.

Under intense pressure, organising director, Julia Morley resigned.

Husband Eric, who was chairman of the company which owned the franchise, showed the judging panel’s ballot cards which proved Jennifer Hosten had more place markings in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions over Miss Sweden and the other five finalists. Julia then resumed her job.

Years later Miss Sweden, Marjorie Christel Johansson, said she felt she had been cheated out of the title. Winner Miss Grenada Jennifer Hosten went on to join legendary comedian Bob Hope on his annual tour of American forces overseas.

She finally went on to have the career she truly wanted as a dipolmat and became Grenada’s High Commissioner to Canada.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES Crowd made feelings known outside ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT Contestants walk over flour

M06 CXPTION dgdgdgddgddgdgdgd CAME FOURTH Miss Sweden

PAPER VIEW Women throw leaflets into the audience