‘Miss N.Z.’ misses audience

Press, 22 November 1989, Page 5

‘Miss N.Z.’ misses audience

PA Wellington From the Hong Kong Stage of the Miss World contest, New Zealand’s representative, Helen. Rowney, cannot see the audience because stage lights shine in her face. For all the contestants knew the auditorium could be empty and the applause coming from a clapping machine, she said.

But the pageant was being broadcast live to Europe and so must run

smoothly on the night. Speaking from Hong Kong yesterday Ms Rowney, aged 19, of Wellington, said contestants would spend about 12 hours filming dance sequences and going through final dress rehearsals for the show tonight. She was disappointed that there were no plans to broadcast the show on New Zealand television and the media generally had shown little interest.

“Perhaps if I wore a swimsuit like Miss Russia’s I would be put in the New Zealand newspapers as well,” she said, describing Miss Russia’s costume as “quite revealing.” She did not believe the lack of media coverage of the pageant generally had much to do with feminist disapproval of beauty contests. Rather the contest had been going on for so many years the public had become less interested.