Pearl Jensan, the first runner-up in the Miss World competition of 1970, has revealed that the contest did not change her life because of Apartheid.
Speaking on Lorraine, the 68-year-old, who competed as ‘Miss Africa South’ when she was 18, told Lorraine that the contest was meant to be a step up in life for young women, but that it didn’t change hers.
Pearl, was first runner-up in the contest, which was embroiled in controversy, due to the fact South Africa was allowed to present two contestants: Miss South Africa, who was white, and Jensen competing as Miss Africa South.
The event, which was protested by the Women’s Liberation movement, is the subject of the new movie Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Hosten and Loreece Harrison as Jensen, who was also invited to the set of Lorraine.
Reminiscing about her experience of the contest with Lorraine, Jensen said she’d hoped the contest would be an opportunity, but was disappointed to see it did not change her situation in South Africa, which was divided by Apartheid.
Scroll down for video
Pearl Jensan, 68, (pictured) was the first runner-up in the Miss World competition of 1970, and told Lorraine the contest did not change her life because of Apartheid
‘Where I’m concerned, it was of no help at all,’ she said.
‘My life didn’t change at all, not at all,’ she added. ‘Because I’m from the Apartheid era, you must understand, so there was absolutely no opportunity for us.’
‘So when I came back to South Africa, it just died, it was jut dormant.’
Apartheid, which was in place in South Africa, from 1948 to the early 1990s, was a system of institutionalised racial segregation against non-white citizens.
Pearl said she didn’t mind being ‘Miss Africa South’ has opposed to ‘Miss South Africa’, a title held by a white woman
For that reason, the country presented two contestants at the contest, with Jillian Jessup, who was white, holding the title of Miss Africa.
However, Jensen said she did not mind being called Miss Africa South, as opposed to being the only representative for South Africa, because she welcomed the opportunity at the time.
Pearl was accompanied by actress Loreece Harrison, who plays her in the Misbehaviour movie (pictured)
The Miss World Contest of 1970, which was famously interrupted by Women’s Liberation activists, is the subject of the new movie starring Keira Knightley, Misbehaviour pictured)
She added that now that times had changed, South African women wishing to kick-start a career in showbiz should consider competing in the contest.
Speaking of the movie, she welcomed the fact it gave her the chance to reunited with the winner, Grenada’s Jennifer Hosten, who is now in her seventies and a grandmother.
The Miss World Contest 1970 was at the centre of a controversy when activists of the Women’s Liberation movement interrupted the event with flour bombs, and heckled the host, Bob Hope.
Pearl and Loreece attended the premiere of Misbehaviour together in London last night (pictured)
Pearl (pictured at 18) said she had hoped the contest would be a stepping stone, but revealed it did not change her life at all
The fact Hosten won the title from Miss Sweden was also subject to controversy, with many thinking the competition was rigged.
The protest and the contest are the subject of the new movie Misbehaviour, starring Keira Knightley.
Pearl and Loreece attended the premiere of Misbehaviour together in London last night.