Miss Iceland, Unnur Birna Vilhjalmsdottir, was crowned Miss World 2005 in front of a sell-out audience at the Crown Theatre, Sanya, China. The 21-year-old law student from Reykavik, who had also taken first place in the Miss World Northern Europe contest, was the third Miss Iceland to win the most glamorous of all pageant titles. Her mother, Unnur Steinsson, herself a former Miss Iceland, was in the audience to applaud her beautiful daughter, in a contest watched by vast audiences around the world. "I could not be more proud," she said.
The new Miss World lives at home with her mother and step father, and is a great role model for young women worldwide. As well as being a student, she is a professional dancer and also a dance teacher.
An accomplished pianist, she is chairman of the college social club and enjoys acting, singing, snow-boarding, hiking, camping, horsemanship. Her passion for dance has made her a particularly talented choreographer.
"When you win Miss World, the next steps you will take are decided quickly, often based your own dreams and ambitions," said Unnur. "I knew, for example, that I wanted to spend a lot of time travelling to those countries where the Beauty with a Purpose programme can really make a difference. No former Miss Iceland has been involved in charity work and I am proud that I'll be the first. My grandfather died of lung cancer and so I feel very strongly about supporting cancer victims."
Unnur kept a diary of her year as Miss World. Here are some extracts:
"It was only a few days into the new year and my life as the new Miss World got into the swing of things".
One of the first international features I did was for the influential Hello! Magazine (in some countries it is called Hola!). The magazine flew over British photographer Trevor Leighton and his crew for a hectic two-day photo-shoot in different locations in Iceland, at which the stylist was the First Lady of the country - meeting her and working with her was a real honour for me.
"Soon after the shoot I went to London and then on to Warsaw, Poland, where Miss World 2006 will take place. Obviously, the arrangements made for each pageant are very complex and months and months of work go into the planning. Having just competed myself, it was fascinating to learn what goes on behind the scenes - it's then that you really appreciate the long hard path to the pageant".
"Then it was back to China again. The first city we visited was Sanya, where I had won my crown. Going back there brought home to me everything that had happened in a matter of a few short months".
"Going to the USA was both exciting and daunting one - the reason for the trip was to help raise money for needy children through the annual Children's Charity, a 24-hour live television broadcast which involves serious fundraising by a whole host of top personalities - show business stars, entertainers and athletes. My job was to host segments of the programme which included interviewing some of these famous faces. On the day of the telethon I could feel the adrenalin pumping through me. The telethon was a great experience and tremendous fun - and I forgot to mention that it was a GREAT success! We raised more than $3.6 million, setting a new telethon record".
"My next trip was to the beautiful country of Greece. In Athens I took part in a fashion show for one of the leading designers. As the guest or model of honour, I had three of their most spectacular dresses to wear on the catwalk. The following day we flew to the holiday island of Crete for a little sightseeing (the spectacular palace of Knossos is top of the list for tourists), a wonderful seafood lunch, and a beauty pageant! I was a judge in the Miss Crete competition, which was tremendous fun. It was quite an experience to be sitting on the other side of the table for a change! ".
"Back in Iceland I had exams to sit, but I had barely handed my papers in when I was on a plane to Poland for a week-long tour of the country with Mrs Morley and the team, to visit many of the towns and regions which were to play host to Miss World 2006. This particular visit started in Warsaw, the capital, where we visited the offices of the President of the city. It was spring and everything was green and fresh, full of life and possibilities - how very different to the snow-covered Warsaw of my previous visit".
"The next day I was a guest on Poland's most popular morning television programme, a spot I shared with Miss Polonia 2004, who has been my travelling companion on this trip. She is a great girl and we have become close friends".
"In May, I attended the Miss Iceland competition. The population in Iceland is very small so I knew almost all the contestants. I couldn't believe that it had been a year since I stood there on that very same stage being crowned Miss Iceland - I certainly had no idea then where that title would lead me".
"My others travels during my time as Miss World, took me to Wales to support a charity event for Save the Children, organised by the Miss Wales 2006 contestants; to Germany to see a live World Cup game - Brazil versus Croatia. I couldn't have been more excited. As a football fan this was a dream come true, and to London to attend a great event held by the Red Cross in London. The evening started with dinner at the Kuwait Embassy in London with the ambassador, his beautiful wife and daughter and other guests. Afterwards, at the fund-raising event held at the Lord Mayor of London's home, the necklace and bracelet I was wearing was auctioned. It got the second-highest price for that evening, which was great".
"It's certainly been a hectic year. But it's been one that has been hugely rewarding. I will never forget the places I have visited, the friends I have made, and the causes I became involved in. Being Miss World is a very rounding experience. I have learned so much I such a short period of time. It really has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
