Miss France
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Beauty pageant |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Parent | Endemol Shine France |
| Website | www |
Miss France is an annual national beauty pageant in France, traditionally held each December. Founded in 1920, the event has been conducted without interruption since 1947. The trademark belongs to Miss France SAS, a branch of Endemol Shine France, and the pageant is televised on TF1.
Initially called La plus belle femme de France (The Most Beautiful Woman of France), the contest took place irregularly until 1927, when it adopted the Miss France title and was held yearly until World War II caused a suspension in 1940. It recommenced in 1947. The Miss France Committee () was established in 1954 by Guy Lévy to oversee the competition. Geneviève de Fontenay served as committee president from 1981 to 2007, followed by Sylvie Tellier until August 2022, and then Cindy Fabre. In October 2021, Alexia Laroche-Joubert assumed the presidency, collaborating first with Tellier and later with Fabre. Frédéric Gilbert, a veteran producer, was appointed director-general by Laroche-Joubert in March 2023; Laroche-Joubert stepped down from the committee in December 2023, with Gilbert succeeding her as president. Fabre left her position in January 2025.
To compete at the national level, candidates must secure regional titles, often through city or departmental contests. The reigning Miss France is granted complimentary accommodation in Paris throughout her tenure and receives various rewards including sponsorships and a monthly stipend. Typically, the winner represents France at either Miss Universe or Miss World, while the first runner-up attends the alternate international pageant. Occasionally, titleholders adjust their participation years or delegate representation to avoid scheduling overlaps.
The reigning Miss France is Angélique Angarni-Filopon, crowned on 14 December 2024 during Miss France 2025. She previously earned the title of Miss Martinique 2024 and is notably the first winner originating from Martinique.
History
The origins of the Miss France pageant trace back to 1920 when journalist Maurice de Waleffe created La plus belle femme de France. Winners were initially selected by French cinema audiences. From over 1,700 entrants, Agnès Souret emerged as the first victor after a field of 49 finalists was narrowed down. Although held again in 1921, the contest was discontinued thereafter.
Six years later, it was revived under the Miss France name by Robert and Jean Cousin and continued annually until halted by World War II in 1940. The event resumed its uninterrupted run starting in 1947. Geneviève de Fontenay joined the organizing committee in 1954 and became its president in 1981. Under her leadership, the pageant became a corporate entity and secured its inaugural live national television broadcast in 1986 on France Régions 3 (later renamed France 3). The broadcast transitioned to TF1 in 1995, where it remains today.
Following her departure from the Miss France Society in 2010, Geneviève de Fontenay launched a competing pageant called Miss Excellence France in 2011.
In October 2021, Alexia Laroche-Joubert was named president of the Miss France Committee alongside national director Sylvie Tellier. Tellier resigned in August 2022 and was replaced by Cindy Fabre, who stayed on as an advisor through Miss France 2023. Longtime producer Frédéric Gilbert took on the role of director-general in March 2023. Laroche-Joubert announced her resignation in November 2023 due to commitments as CEO of Banijay France; Gilbert succeeded her as president. Fabre exited her position in January 2025.
In 2021, feminist organization Osez le féminisme initiated legal action against Miss France and its parent company Endemol Production over allegedly discriminatory eligibility criteria that excluded mothers and married women from competing. The lawsuit argued that contestants should be classified as employees to protect against discrimination. However, a Paris court dismissed these claims in January 2023.
Plans unveiled in April 2024 announced a Miss France museum set to open in Saint-Raphaël within the Var department by 2025; this opening has since been postponed to 2026 due to financial limitations.
Contestants
Annually, candidates are chosen through a series of regional pageants conducted throughout metropolitan and overseas France during the summer and autumn months preceding the national event. Currently, 31 regional competitions select representatives for Miss France, including:
- 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
These contests are administered by regional committees, which stipulate that participants must reside in the area they represent. The selection process varies and may involve local pageants or open auditions. Winners at both regional and national stages are determined by public voting. The national titleholder is awarded benefits including a rent-free apartment in Paris, endorsement contracts, and a monthly stipend.
Rules and eligibility
To qualify for Miss France, applicants must adhere to the following criteria:
Participants are required to:
- Be legally female and possess French citizenship, either by birth or naturalization.
- Have reached at least 18 years of age by 1 November of the competition year.
- Measure a minimum height of .
- Maintain a clean criminal history.
Applicants are prohibited from:
- Using their image in ways that conflict with the rights of the pageant organizers.
- Having undergone cosmetic procedures or using appearance-altering items such as wigs or colored contact lenses.
- Participating in any form of partial or full nudity photoshoots, before or after the event.
- Promoting political or religious messages while holding a regional title.
The pageant's ethical guidelines also forbid smoking and public alcohol consumption. Breaching these regulations can result in a penalty of €5,000.
Prior to Miss France 2023, additional conditions included being unmarried, without children, under 24 years old as of 1 November, and having no visible tattoos or piercings other than those on the ears.
Recent titleholders
| Year | Miss France | Region | Age[lower-alpha 1] | Hometown | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Angélique Angarni-Filopon | Template:Country data Martinique | 34 | Fort-de-France | |
| 2024 | Eve Gilles | Template:Country data Nord-Pas-de-Calais | 20 | Quaëdypre | |
| 2023 | Indira Ampiot | Template:Country data Guadeloupe | 18 | Basse-Terre | Top 30 at Miss Universe 2024 |
| 2022 | Diane Leyre | Template:Country data Île-de-France | 24 | Paris | |
| 2021 | Amandine Petit | Template:Country data Normandy | 23 | Bourguébus | Top 21 at Miss Universe 2020 |
Victors by Region
| Count | Region | Winning Years |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Template:Country data Île-de-FranceTemplate:Namespace detect showall Île-de-France |
|
| 7 | Template:Country data NormandyTemplate:Namespace detect showall Normandy |
|
| Template:Country data Rhône-AlpesTemplate:Namespace detect showall Rhône-Alpes |
| |
| Template:Country data AquitaineTemplate:Namespace detect showall Aquitaine |
| |
| 6 | Template:Country data AlsaceTemplate:Namespace detect showall Alsace |
|
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
| 2025 | ||
| 2017 | ||
| 2014 | ||
| 2009 | ||
| 1979 | ||
| 1978[lower-alpha 3] | ||
| 1956 | ||
| 1938 | ||
| 1935 | ||
| 1921 |
External links
- Passion Miss
- Miss France
- Official website
- http://www.lempimissit.suntuubi.com
- Official Maldives partner site for 2011
- http://passionmiss.xooit.fr/index.php (French fan page)
- La vérité tirée du chapeau ("The truth pulled out of the hat", French)
Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "lower-alpha", but no corresponding <references group="lower-alpha"/> tag was found