Miss Franceis a nationalbeauty pageantin France held annually in December. The competition was first held in 1920, and has been organized continuously since 1947. The trademark for the pageant is owned by the company Miss France SAS, and is a subsidiary ofEndemol Shine France.The competition is currently aired onTF1.
 | |
| Type | Beauty pageant |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Country represented | France |
| Qualifies for | |
| First edition | 1920 |
| Most recent edition | 2025 |
| Current titleholder | Angélique Angarni-Filopon Martinique |
President | Frédéric Gilbert |
| Language | French |
| Website | miss-france |
The Miss France pageant was first organized in 1920, under the nameLa plus belle femme de France(English:The most beautiful woman of France), and was held for one additional year before being abandoned until 1927. That year, the competition was rebranded into Miss France, and was held annually until it was disrupted in 1940, due toWorld War II.In 1947, following the end of the war, the competition was revived and has been held annually since. In 1954, Guy Lévy founded the Miss France Committee (French:comité Miss France) to organize the competition.Geneviève de Fontenaytook over the Miss France Committee in 1981, until departing in 2007. Following the departure of de Fontenay,Sylvie Tellierserved as the national director of Miss France until August 2022, when she was replaced byCindy Fabre.In October 2021,Alexia Laroche-Joubertwas announced as the new president of the Miss France Committee, working alongside Tellier and later Fabre. In March 2023, Frédéric Gilbert, a longtime producer of Miss France, was appointed by Laroche-Joubert as director-general. Laroche-Joubert departed from the Miss France Committee in December 2023, and was replaced by Gilbert. Fabre later departed as well in January 2025.
Contestants of Miss France must meet a number of eligibility requirements and first win a regional title which qualifies them for the national competition, representing their region. A number of these regions also organize local competitions corresponding with cities anddepartmentswithin the region, which must be won first before one can progress to competing in the regional competition. The winner of Miss France resides inParisduring her year of reign in a rent-free apartment, in addition to winning a number of additional prizes and sponsorship deals while receiving a monthly salary. Typically, the winner represents France at eitherMiss UniverseorMiss World,while her first runner-up competes at the other pageant. In some instances, the predecessor of the reigning titleholder would compete at the other pageant or the two would switch years in order to avoid any scheduling conflicts between their assigned international pageant and the next Miss France competition.
The current Miss France isAngélique Angarni-Filopon,who was crowned on 14 December 2024 atMiss France 2025.She had previously been crownedMiss Martinique 2024,and is the first woman from Martinique to win the title.
History
editThe Miss France was first organized in 1920, under the nameLa plus belle femme de France(English:The most beautiful woman of France). The competition was founded by journalist Maurice de Waleffe, who chose to have the winner be decided by French filmgoers.[1]After more than 1,700 women applied for the competition, 49 finalists were chosen. The competition was held over the course of several weeks, with filmgoers being given a ballot with seven women, and asked to select their favorite.Agnès Souretwas selected as the inaugural winner. The following year, the competition was held again, with Pauline Pô winning the competition. However,La plus belle femme de Francewas later abandoned after 1921.[2]
Six years later the competition was revived under the name Miss France, with a new format organized by Robert and Jean Cousin.[2]Miss France continued to be held annually until 1940, whenWorld War IIdisrupted entertainment events. The competition resumed in 1947, and has been held annually since then.Geneviève de Fontenay,who had begun her career with the Miss France Committee in 1954, became its president in 1981, transforming it into a company, and bringing it to a live broadcast in 1986, when the competition became the first edition of Miss France to be broadcast live on national television onTF1,where it has remained since.[3]In 2011, a dissident competition,Miss Excellence Francewas launched by Geneviève de Fontenay after her resignation from the Miss France Society in April 2010.[4][5]
In October 2021,Alexia Laroche-Joubertwas announced as the new president of the Miss France Committee, working alongsideSylvie Tellier,the national director.[6]In August 2022, Tellier was reported to have resigned her position as national director of Miss France, and was replaced byCindy Fabre.Tellier continued to serve in an advisory role with the organization, until her departure at the conclusion ofMiss France 2023.[7]In March 2023, Frédéric Gilbert, a longtime producer of Miss France, was appointed by Laroche-Joubert as director-general.[8]In November 2023, Laroche-Joubert announced she would resign from her leadership role with Miss France following the conclusion ofMiss France 2024,due to her responsibilities as CEO ofBanijay France;she was replaced by Gilbert as president upon her departure.[9]Fabre later departed as well in January 2025.[10][11]
Osez le féminisme, a French feminist organization, sued Miss France and its parent company, Endemol Production, in 2021 for sexist and discriminatory regulations.[12]The lawsuit argued that the contestants in the pageant should be considered employees of the competition, thereby forbidding Miss France and Endemol from engaging in discrimination.[13]A Paris court later dismissed the group's claims and threw out the lawsuit in January 2023.[14]
In April 2024, it was revealed that a museum dedicated to Miss France would open in the town ofSaint-Raphaëlin theVardepartmentin 2025.[15][16]
Contestants
editEach year, contestants are chosen through a series of regional pageants held throughoutmetropolitanandoverseas Francein the summer and autumn before the national competition. Over time, the regions represented at Miss France have varied slightly. The following 31 regional pageants currently send contestants to Miss France:
- Miss Alsace
- Miss Aquitaine
- Miss Auvergne
- Miss Brittany
- Miss Burgundy
- Miss Centre-Val de Loire
- Miss Champagne-Ardenne
- Miss Corsica
- Miss Côte d'Azur
- Miss Franche-Comté
- Miss French Guiana
- Miss Guadeloupe
- Miss Île-de-France
- Miss Languedoc
- Miss Limousin
- Miss Lorraine
- Miss Martinique
- Miss Mayotte
- Miss Midi-Pyrénées
- Miss New Caledonia
- Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais
- Miss Normandy
- Miss Pays de la Loire
- Miss Picardy
- Miss Poitou-Charentes
- Miss Provence
- Miss Réunion
- Miss Roussillon
- Miss Rhône-Alpes
- Miss Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy
- Miss Tahiti
The regional competitions are organized by regional committees, and contestants must reside in the region they choose to represent. Regional committees have their own discretion as to how they wish to field candidates for the regional competitions. Some choose to organize a number of local competitions corresponding to cities ordepartmentswithin the region, while others use open casting processes. Public voting is used to select winners of both regional pageants and the national competition.[17][18][19][20][21]The winner of the national competition subsequently receives a number of prizes, including a rent-free apartment inParis,sponsorship deals, and a monthly salary.[22][23][24]
Rules and eligibility
editIn order to compete in Miss France, contestants must meet the following eligibility requirements:[25]
Contestants must:
- Be legally female and ofFrench nationalitythrough birth or naturalization.
- Be above age 18 on 1 November of the year of the competition.
- Be at least 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall.
- Have a clean criminal record.
Contestants must not:
- Have had her image exploited in a manner that could be incompatible or pose an obstacle to the organizers' rights.
- Have received cosmetic surgery or use appearance-altering products such as wigs or coloredcontact lenses.
- Have ever posed partially or completely nude, including after the competition as well.
- Have associated with political or religious propaganda while a regional titleholder.
The pageant's code of ethics also requires that contestants not engage in smoking or public alcohol consumption. Failure to comply with pageant rules carries a fine of 5,000 Euro.[26]
Prior toMiss France 2023,contestants also could not have been married, divorced, or widowed; have children or have been pregnant; be above the age of 24 on 1 November of the year of the competition; or have visible tattoos or non-ear piercings.[17][25]
Recent titleholders
edit| Year | Miss France | Region | Age[a] | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Angélique Angarni-Filopon |  Martinique
|
34 | Fort-de-France | |
| 2024 | Ève Gilles |  Nord-Pas-de-Calais
|
20 | Quaëdypre | |
| 2023 | Indira Ampiot |  Guadeloupe
|
18 | Basse-Terre | Top 30 atMiss Universe 2024 |
| 2022 | Diane Leyre |  Île-de-France
|
24 | Paris | |
| 2021 | Amandine Petit |  Normandy
|
23 | Bourguébus | Top 21 atMiss Universe 2020 |
Gallery
edit-
Miss France 2024
Ève Gilles -
Miss France 2023
Indira Ampiot -
Miss France 2022
Diane Leyre -
Miss France 2021
Amandine Petit -
Miss France 2020
Clémence Botino
Winners by region
edit| Number | Region | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Île-de-France
|
|
| 7 | Normandy
|
|
 Rhône-Alpes
|
| |
 Aquitaine
|
| |
| 6 |  Alsace
|
|
 Brittany
|
| |
 Côte d'Azur
|
| |
| 5 |  Tahiti
|
|
| 4 | Nord-Pas-de-Calais
|
|
| Guadeloupe
|
| |
 Picardy
|
| |
| 3 | ||
 Burgundy
|
| |
 Languedoc
|
| |
 Lorraine
|
| |
 Pays de la Loire
|
| |
 Poitou-Charentes
|
| |
| 2 |  Réunion
|
|
 Franche-Comté
|
| |
| 1 |  French Guiana
|
|
 Centre-Val de Loire
|
| |
| Martinique
|
| |
 Midi-Pyrénées
|
| |
 Provence
|
| |
 New Caledonia
|
| |
 Morocco[g]
|
| |
 Roussillon
|
| |
 Saar[h]
|
| |
 Corsica
|
|
Notes
edit- ^Ages at the time of Miss France
- ^abIn 1972, winner Chantal Bouvier de la Motte ofÎle-de-Franceresigned the title after suffering serious injuries after falling off of a horse. She was replaced by her first runner-up, Claudine Cassereau ofPoitou-Charentes,as Miss France 1972.
- ^abIn 1978, winner Pascale Taurua ofNew Caledoniaresigned the title shortly after winning due to her wishing to remain in New Caledonia and not move toParis.She was replaced by her first runner-up, Brigitte Konjovic ofÎle-de-France,as Miss France 1978.
- ^abIn 1983, winner Isabelle Turpault ofÎle-de-Francewas dethroned after images taken of her in an erotic photoshoot were released, against pageant rules. She was replaced by her first runner-up, Frédérique Marcelle Leroy ofAquitaine,as Miss France 1983.
- ^abIn 1980, winner Thilda Fuller ofTahitiresigned the title three days after winning due to personal reasons. She was replaced by her first runner-up, Patricia Barzyk ofFranche-Comté,as Miss France 1980.
- ^abIn 1964, winner Arlette Collot ofBurgundywas dethroned after refusing to travel throughout France as part of her official duties. She was replaced by her first runner-up, Jacqueline Gayraud ofPays de la Loire,as Miss France 1964.
- ^Until 1956,Moroccowas under control ofFranceas theFrench Protectorate in Morocco.
- ^Until 1935,Saarbrückenwas part of theTerritory of the Saar Basin,a region ofGermanythat was administered by theUnited KingdomandFranceunder the control of theLeague of Nations.
References
edit- ^La société Miss FranceArchived16 July 2011 at theWayback Machine(in French)
- ^ab"Historique".Archived fromthe originalon 29 May 2010.Retrieved28 January2010.
- ^"Biographie de Geneviève De Fontenay".tf1.fr(in French)..
- ^Leconte, Sandrine (2 August 2023)."Geneviève de Fontenay, former president of the Miss France Committee, has died".Le Monde.Retrieved8 August2023.
- ^"Geneviève de Fontenay organisera ses propres concours de miss".Le Parisien.31 March 2010.
- ^Brachet, Laurie (13 October 2021)."Sylvie Tellier évincée de Miss France? Alexia Laroche-Joubert est officiellement nommée présidente de la société".Voici.fr.
- ^"Miss France: Sylvie Tellier remplacée par Cindy Fabre à la tête du concours".Le Parisien(in French). 30 August 2022.
- ^"Sylvie Tellier: découvrez qui est son remplaçant à la direction générale de Miss France".voici.fr(in French). 20 March 2023.
- ^Lecoeuvre, Sarah (17 November 2023)."Alexia Laroche-Joubert quitte (déjà) la présidence de la société Miss France".Le Figaro(in French).
- ^Poussel, Marie (22 January 2025)."Miss France 2025: Cindy Fabre quitte la direction du concours".Paris Match(in French).
- ^Rangin, Magali (22 January 2025)."Cindy Fabre quitte la direction de Miss France".BFM TV(in French).
- ^"Miss France sued for 'no mothers', 'no married women' rule for contestants".Women's Agenda.21 October 2021.Retrieved21 October2021.
- ^"Moms and short people need not apply: Miss France pageant sued over eligibility rules".CBC radio.20 October 2021.
- ^"Is Miss France discriminatory? Paris court dismisses feminist group's claims".France 24.6 January 2023.
- ^"The first Miss France Museum is set to open next year on the French Riviera".Euronews.9 April 2024.
- ^Chazan, David (9 April 2024)."Musée of Miss France: controversial contest celebrated in museum".The Times.
- ^abMiss France registration form[permanent dead link](in French)
- ^MISS FRANCE SAS sur SOCIETE.COM(in French)
- ^WIPO Domain Name Decision(in French)
- ^L'entreprise "Miss France"Archived11 December 2012 atarchive.today(in French)
- ^Miss France 2010: Malika Ménard élue avec 34% des votes du publicArchived18 July 2012 atarchive.today(in French)
- ^Boquet-Vautor, Lorelei (17 December 2017)."Miss France 2018: La grande gagnante est Maeva Coucke alias Miss Nord Pas de Calais"(in French). TF1.
- ^"À CHÂTEAUROUX, MAËVA COUCKE, MISS NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS DEVIENT MISS FRANCE 2018!"(in French). Wit. 16 December 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 23 June 2018.Retrieved17 December2017.
- ^"Maëva Coucke, Miss Nord Pas-de-Calais, wins Miss France 2018".Lucire. 17 December 2017.
- ^ab"Miss France selon Alexia Laroche-Joubert, les règles changent".Paris Match(in French). 21 June 2022.
- ^Leah Dolan (20 October 2021)."Miss France pageant faces lawsuit for requiring all contestants to be at least 5-foot-5, unmarried and child-free".CNN.Retrieved21 October2021.
External links
edit
- Passion MissArchived22 April 2013 at theWayback Machine
- Miss France
- (in French)Official site
- http://www.lempimissit.suntuubi.comArchived27 November 2020 at theWayback Machine
- Official Maldives partner page for 2011
- http://passionmiss.xooit.fr/index.phpArchived22 April 2013 at theWayback Machine(Site for fans, in French)
- La vérité tirée du chapeau[permanent dead link]( "The truth pulled out of the hat", in French)