“Unfortunately, I will not be able to participate in the Miss Universe competition for lack of time and preparation a few weeks before my presentation of the title of Miss France, next December”, declared Diane Leyre in this press release. “I don’t like to do things by halves when it comes to representing France (…)”, added Miss France 2022. It is therefore Clémence Botino, Miss France 2020, who will participate in the Miss World contest 2023 and Floriane Bascou, the first runner-up to Miss France 2022, who will replace Diane Leyre to represent France at Miss Universe.
As a reminder, Miss Universe 2022 will take place on January 14, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana in the United States. It’s only a month after the next Miss France election, on December 17.
A decision that seems to pain Diane Leyre a lot, who confided in this subject to the antenna of Virgin Radio this October 12. “Miss Universe has always been a dream, I’ve been talking about it since I became Miss Île-de-France. I would have been really happy to be able to represent France, go there and give my all. Especially since a lot of people supported me … Unfortunately, I couldn’t,” she said apologetically, adding that she was “super sad.”
A decision that the former director of the Miss France committee Sylvie Tellier seems to regret. “You know, I left Miss France so I’m not going to judge. All I can tell you is that you elected these beautiful young women who will represent you. So I’m going to congratulate them. is true that, you know me, you know how much I adore Diane. And I saw her at Miss Universe… But hey, it’s her choice, she certainly has reasons not to go. And I’m not there to judge them. In an Instagram story, Sylvie Tellier also posted to her subscribers a photo of her and Diane Leyre and added in caption with irony: “I found our Miss Universe of heart”.
This Sunday, December 12, Harnaaz Sandhu, Miss Universe 2021 in Eilat, Israel. At the end of this 70th edition of the beauty contest, the young woman imposed herself among the 80 candidates and thus succeeds the Mexican, Andrea Meza. Aged 21, the Indian Harnaaz Sandhu shone on the international scene by beating her two runners-up, the Paraguayan Nadia Ferreira and the South African Lalela Mswane. An incredible success for the sublime brunette who brought India her third title in her history, after the coronation of Sushmita Sen (in 1994) and Lara Dutta (in 2000).
also proudly wore the colors of France during the Miss Universe 2021 election. Affected by the coronavirus when she arrived in Israel, she thought she could not represent France. Dazzling in her costume in homage to Joséphine Baker, Miss France 2020 distinguished herself by arriving 9th, in the top 10 of the competition. “I am proud because there is a real message behind this costume. She was an artist who deeply loved her art. I wanted to represent a very modern Joséphine, with lots of nods to her costumes” , she confided to LCI at the end of November on this subject.
“I am Miss Covid, we have never been closer to the truth”. These are the words of Clémence Botino this Tuesday, November 30 on Instagram. The Miss France 2020, elected in the midst of a pandemic, sees the fate beating down on her. Indeed, when she had just arrived in Israel to participate in the Miss Universe 2021 contest, Clémence Botino tested positive for Covid. She herself explained it to her Instagram followers. “I cried a lot today. This morning they called me to tell me the news. I tested positive when I arrived in Israel,” the beauty queen wrote.
“I am a positive, determined person, I work very hard and I give myself body and soul. The last two years have been littered with trials, but this one is tough. (…) I am Miss Covid , we’ve never been so close to the truth,” said the 24-year-old. She explained that she had symptoms and was placed in solitary confinement. “I’m very tired and I’ve lost my taste and smell. (…) Everything was in order, my vaccines, my tests, but here it is, life is unpredictable. I’m going to rest, I’ll be there”, specifies Clemence Botino. She explained “stay in isolation for 10 days” and again be retested. The ceremony taking place on December 12, its participation is therefore far from certain.
Afterwards, it is not this year that we will have a Frenchwoman? After the election, which took place on the night of May 16 to 17, Miss France gave her impressions of “this crazy evening”, during which she nevertheless allowed herself to climb up to the 13th place in the election out of 73 contenders for the title. She was the only European miss to feature so high in the rankings along with Miss Great Britain. Despite the slight disappointment, remains a philosopher and is delighted with his career. “It’s a pretty incredible result with a lot of work behind it, great preparation. To imagine having such a journey only five months after being elected Miss France and such a radical change of life, it’s crazy”, assured Miss Universe with LCI.
She recalls that she was still a student a few months ago and that ending up in the Miss Universe contest is already a “quite incredible” success. This American adventure will have allowed the 23-year-old young woman to “gain even more confidence in (her)”. The competition “allowed me to manage and forge a character that was perhaps a little rougher”, says Amandine Petit. “I had to take the plane alone for example. Here, there were several countries in competition, only girls. There was a very good atmosphere but we remain in a contest, and a beauty contest which more is”, says Miss France. However, she had prepared intensively.
English lessons, make-up and hairdressing…
Arnaud Sol Dourdin, makeup artist and hairdresser, has been taking care of Miss France for many years and coaching them for the Miss Universe contest. “It’s not always won because it’s not the job of the Misses. Some are more resourceful than others who have no notions at all in this area. It takes a lot of work to achieve that they come out of their room as if a make-up artist had made them up, a hairdresser did their hair or a stylist dressed”, confided last April to the Dauphiné Libéré the make-up artist of Sharon Stone.
Unlike Miss France, everything is authorized for the Miss Universe competition: extensions, surgery… Despite everything, the one who has been preparing Miss France for this competition for eleven years knows that France must remain faithful to its classics of refined beauty. “We avoid very black smoky eyes with a ton of false lashes and contouring galore. The goal is also for the girls to recognize themselves and feel good,” he explains.
also posted a selfie on Instagram on March 28 alongside Arnaud Sold Dourdin, whom she presents as her “best hairdressing, makeup, translator” partner. A nice message of thanks after “a weekend of preparation for Miss Universe”. Beyond hair and makeup, Amandine Petit will have to manage her looks on her own. Even if all the outfits are prepared in advance by the Miss France teams, the candidate must not make any mistakes. “The rule is to always have a dress in your suitcase that does not wrinkle in the event of a last-minute interview, which is common at Miss Universe”, explains the specialist to journalists from Dauphiné Libéré.
In order to be able to answer the presenter’s questions with ease on the evening of the competition, an employee of the Miss France Organization gives English lessons to Miss France. “Our Miss has to be at least comfortable. She understands well, but is like all French people, she doesn’t dare to speak, because she thinks she’s ridiculous with her accent. I tell her that Americans love it! It needs a click,” says Arnaud Sol Dourdin. Amandine Petit also has a special sports coach who prepares her every week. Hopefully this will be enough to allow her to be crowned Miss Universe and succeed South African Zozibini Tunzi. She will fly on May 6 for the United States.
This year, the organization of the competition has therefore taken the decision to propose two Miss Universe elections in 2021. If it is Amandine Petit who will represent France for the title of 2020, canceled due to the coronavirus, it is because that the second edition of the year should take place in December and Miss France 2021 wanted to be present at the end of the year in order to give her scarf and her crown to the next Miss France, as tradition dictates.
Clémence Botino, Miss France 2020, then accepted this reversal of passage and will represent her country in December, for the title of Miss Universe 2021.
