REIGNING Miss World, Jamaica’s Toni-Ann Singh will serve an extra year as the international pageant will not be staged due to the current pandemic.

As a result, there will be no Miss Jamaica World pageant this year.

Crown of Beauty — local franchise holders — indicated that Miss World CEO, Julia Morley, informed them of this year’s pageant cancellation.

Morley told her franchise holders that the next Miss World finals will be held in the latter part of 2021 and that the host country and venue will be confirmed very soon.

“We have taken a decision to delay the 70th Miss World finals. Safety is paramount as we continue the fights against COVID-19. We look forward to welcoming the Miss World family to our very special celebrations next year,” she said in the communiqué.

Co-franchise holder Weston Haughton told Jamaica Observer based on this decision by Morley, it will not make sense crowing a local queen for 2020.

“Based on what is happening right now, we have taken the decision not to crown a Miss Jamaica for 2020. Furthermore, it is difficult to scout contestants and the sponsorship is almost non-existent at this time so we look forward to next year,” he said.

Singh became the fourth Jamaican to win the Miss World title when she was crowned in a glittering ceremony at the ExCeL Arena in London, on December 14 last year. She won from a field of 111 contestants at the 69th edition of the pageant. The representative from France placed second and Miss India was third.

She follows in the footsteps of three other country women who have won the title — Carole Joan Crawford in 1963, Cindy Breakspeare in 1976 and Lisa Hanna in 1993.

Singh, who had secured her place in the top 40 by winning the talent competition at the Beauty with a Purpose Gala Dinner in London, advanced to the final round of the competition. In addition to dancing to Jamaican singer Koffee’s Toast, she also performed her version of Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing during the live telecast of the final show.

In Jamaica, Singh has pledged her support for the Women’s Centre Foundation in her native parish of St Thomas, and named it her Beauty With A Purpose project during her reign. The facility assists teen mothers to further their education after giving birth.

The centre was one of the stops during her official visit to the island after being crowned.