The new Miss World, a stunning blonde from West Germany, is 18 and stands 5-foot-11 and … that’s all the world will know of Gabriella Brum’s vital statistics.  It’s the beauty pageant’s new policy of putting personality first.  

Promoters said she was the first Miss World chosen on the basis of characteristics other than beauty.

But the new dimension modifying the traditional beauty contest format could not entice the Soviet Union to send their first contestant to the pageant in which Miss Brum, a student of cosmetic design, won out over competitors from 66 other lands. 

“We are against this marketing of human flesh,” Vladimir Simonov was quoted as saying after a meeting Wednesday with contest officials to learn of the pageant’s new policy of emphasizing personality and talent, which still earned a Soviet “nyet.”

But the contest organizer, Mrs. Julia Morley, was upbeat about the new format.  “Nothing will be hidden,” she said.  “It’s just that I feel these statistics take dignity from the girls.”

Outside of the absence of the statistics except for the contestants’ height, the contest ran true to the form of beauty pageants.

The contestants appeared in national or regional costumes, evening gowns and brief swimsuits and the 67 contestants were pared to 15, then seven finalists.

Crowned by outgoing queen Gina Swainson of Bermuda, the new Miss World got a cash prize of $12,000 and a $36,000 contract for 12 months of traveling commercial and promotion work.

She spoke of her ambition, as did the runners-up.  The new Miss World wants to “design costumes for films or be in charge of the wardrobe,” but not appear before the cameras.

Miss Guam, Kimberly Santos, 19, a travel consultant, placed second; Miss France, Patricia Barzyk, 17, third; Miss Israel, Anat Zimerman, 18, fourth, and Miss United Kingdom, Kim Ashfield, 21, fifth.

Miss United States, 17-year-old Brooke Alexander from Kailua, Hawaii, was sixth, and New Zealander Vicki Lee Hemi was seventh.

After donning the crown, Miss Brum said: “I am amazed, I did not think for one minute I would win.”

So were London bookies who placed her behind Miss Israel and Miss France as favorites in wagering, which also upset Soviet sensibilities.

“We don’t like the commercial aspect of money being made of the girls’ looks after the contest or the betting on them,” Simonov said.  “It is undignified.”

Next morning Gabriella Brum began her reign as Miss World by fending off questions from reporters about her 52-year-old boyfriend, a film cameraman in Los Angeles, who was “not too pleased” about her victory.

Britain’s domestic news agency, the Press Association, quoted Miss Brum as saying after her win that cameraman Benno Bellenbaum was the man she had been “living with for the last six months” in California, where she has been working as a model.  Her mother lives in West Berlin.

1980 November 13
London, England
67 entries

NOTE: this was the first time the women were judged for personality and intelligence as well as beauty.

Results
1  Germany  Gabriella Brum
2  Guam  Kimberly Santos
3  France  Patricia Barzyk
4  Israel  Anat Zimmermann
5  United Kingdom  Kim Ashfield

Finalists
6  U.S.A.  Brooke Alexander 
7  New Zealand  Vicky Lee Hemi

Semi-finalists
Austria  Sonya-Maria Schlepp
Bermuda  Zina Marie Minks
India  Elizabeth Anita Reddi 
Jamaica  Michelle Ann Harris
Puerto Rico  Michele Torres Cintron
Sweden  Kerstin Monika Jenemark
Venezuela  Hilda Astrid Abrahamz Navarro
Zimbabwe  Shirley Richard Nyanyiwa

Remainder
Argentina  Elsa Cecilia Galotti
Aruba  Ethline Ambrosia Dekker
Australia  Linda Leigh Shepherd
Bahamas  Bernadette Louise Cash
Belgium  Brigitte Biche Billen
Bolivia  Sonia Giovanna Malpartida
Brazil  Loiane Rogéria Aiache
Canada  Annette Labrecque 
Cayman Islands  Delia Devon Walter
Colombia  Maria Cristina Valencia Cardona
Costa Rica  Marie Claire Tracy Coll
Curacao  Soraida Celestina De Windt
Cyprus  Parthenopi "Mara" Vassiliadou
Denmark  Jane Bill
Dominican Republic  Patricia Polanco Alvarez
Ecuador  Gabriela Maria Catelina Rios Roca
Finland  Ritva Helena Tamio
Gibraltar  Yvette Domínguez
Greece  Vera Zaharopoulou
Guatemala  Lizabeth "Ligia" Iveth Martínez Noack
Holland  Desiree Maria Johanna Nicole Geelen
Honduras  Rosario Etelvina "Ethel" Raudales Velásquez
Hong Kong  Julia Chan Fung-Chi
Ireland  Michelle Mary Teresa Rocca
Isle of Man  Voirrey "Flory" Melanie Wallace
Italy  Stefania De Pasquaci
Japan  Kanako Ito
Jersey  Karen Rosemary Poole
Korea  Chang Hye-ji (real name: Chang Sun-ja)
Lebanon  Celeste El-Assai
Lesotho  Lits’ila Alina Lerotholi
Malaysia  Callie Liew Tan Chee
Malta  Frances Lucy Duca
Mauritius  Christiane Carol Mackay 
Mexico  Claudia Mercedes Holley
Norway  Maiken Nielsen
Panama  Aurea Horta Torrijos
Papua New Guinea  Mispah Alwyn
Paraguay  Celia Noemi Schaerer
Peru  Silvia Roxana Vega Ramos
Philippines  Maria Milagros "Mila" Guidote Nabor
Singapore  Adda Pang
Spain  Francisca "Paquita" Ondiviela Otero
Sri Lanka  Bernadine Rosemarie Fernando Ramanayake 
Swaziland  Nomagoisa Cawe
Switzerland  Jeannette Linkenheil
Thailand  Unchulee Chaisuwan
Trinidad & Tobago  Maria Octavia Chung 
Turkey  Fahriye Funda Ayloglu
Uruguay  Ana Claudia Carriquiry
Virgin Islands (American)  Palmira Frorup
Western Samoa  Liliu Tapuai

Awards
Miss Personality  Canada
Miss Photogenic  Ireland

Did not compete
Chile  Gabriela del Carmen Valdéz Aravea