'It's never too late,' oldest Miss France winner says

By Samuel Montgomery

A flight attendant from the French Caribbean island of Martinique has become the oldest woman to win the Miss France beauty pageant.

Angélique Angarni-Filopon was crowned champion on Saturday at the age of 34, telling women it's "never too late" for a career change.

The competition, which has run since 1920, had previously deemed all those over the age of 24 as over the hill and barred them from entering.

READ MORE: 95c pantry staple celebrity chef swears by in show-stopping dish

The age limit was scrapped in 2022, while the net was also widened to include mothers, married women and those with tattoos as organisers sought to "change with the times".

Contestants are still required to be at least 5ft 7in, never to have posed nude and be free of cosmetic surgery save for restorative procedures.

"People are always talking about my age. I think I am well-preserved. I have not got wrinkles," Ms Angarni-Filopon said after collecting the tiara, adding: "The thirties are perhaps the best age.

View gallery

Scandal forced iconic beauty queen to hand back her crown

"In my twenties, I spent a lot of time trying to find out who I was. I wanted to be like everyone else."

Beaming in a white gown, Ms Angarni-Filopon proudly added: "My short hair and my age absolutely don't define me."

Having fallen short of qualifying for the Miss France competition in 2011, when she finished runner-up in the Miss Martinique competition, Ms Angarni-Filopon hoped her win would inspire others to pursue their dream.

READ MORE: Secret ingredient that makes this the best Bloody Mary ever

"You'd be surprised at the number of messages I've received from women who want to change careers, countries, lives, but who think it's impossible. It's never too late," she said.

After television viewers voted for her to win, Ms Angarni-Filopon will receive a salary of up to €60,000 (approx. $99,000) for 12 months, a flat near the Arc de Triomphe and a car.

The beauty pageant was held just days after the organisers of the Miss Netherlands followed other European countries in scrapping the national contest for being outdated.

READ MORE: Ingredient hidden in this delicious dish might shock you

However, the French version of the competition remains popular, with 7.43 million people tuning in to TF1's four-hour programme on Saturday.

Thirty candidates including doctors and dentists took part in the final, parading in swimsuits, regional costumes and ballgowns.

Frédéric Gilbert, the Miss France chairman, said rule changes which also allow transgender women to compete would promote "diversity".

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.

Miss France is judged half on public vote and half by a panel of seven female judges.

A 52-year-old woman entered this year but was knocked out before the final.

Last year's winner, Eve Gilles, attracted criticism for her choice of haircut.

READ MORE: The one place you should never take your dog for a walk

Representing Nord-Pas-de-Calais, the northernmost region of France, she became the first contestant with a pixie cut to claim the crown.

"We're used to seeing beautiful Misses with long hair, but I chose an androgynous look with short hair," she said after her victory, adding that every "woman is different, we're all unique".

"I would like to show that the competition is evolving and society too, that the representation of women is diverse, in my opinion, beauty is not limited to a haircut or shapes that we have... or not," Ms Gilles said at the time.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2024