Fourth coronation in ten years. With the election of Eve Gilles as Miss France 2024, the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais region once again becomes the land of Miss after the 2015-2018 period which saw, in turn, Camille Cerf (2015), Iris Mittenaere (2016) and Maëva Coucke (2018) take the crown. And yet, before 2015, no candidate had managed to win the title. So how can we explain the success of the last decade?
After the controversy which marred the election of Miss France in 2009, the voting system had evolved. The weight of viewers had become essential. And this criterion made the difference between 2015 and 2018. Because the Nord and Pas-de-Calais are, not only, very populated departments, but the number of viewers watching TF1 is also greater than elsewhere in France. Without forgetting possible Belgian viewers who may feel closer to the northern candidate.
An efficient regional committee
But today, the method of designating Miss France has evolved further and the public’s score now has the same value as that of the jury. So the popular argument no longer really holds up. As proof, it is thanks to the jury’s vote that Eve Gilles won this time, while the public had placed her in 3rd position behind the Guyanese Audrey Ho-Wen-Tsaï (1st runner-up) and the Guadeloupean Jalylane Maës (3rd runner-up).
But if the public vote was less overwhelming, the enthusiasm for this competition remains undeniable in the Nord and Pas-de-Calais. “We benefit from a very efficient committee,” explains Anne-Sophie Sevrette, regional delegate of the Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais organization. Thus, no less than 16 local competitions were organized this year in different cities. “With us, the candidate has already come a long way before arriving at the national competition. She’s ready for adventure. And Eve was unanimous during the various selections,” underlines Anne-Sophie Sevrette.
More than 1,000 applications
In 2023, the regional committee received more than 1,000 applications when Lorraine peaks at around sixty. And, the icing on the crown, the regional winner benefits, for a week, from preparation organized by the regional committee.
“The election of Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais has become a real institution,” says Anne-Sophie Sevrette. In October, for the regional election, the Liévin Arena, in Pas-de-Calais, welcomed 5,200 people, that is to say more than the national final in Dijon. The date of the next regional final is already scheduled for October 19, 2024. More than ever, Nord-Pas-de-Calais has (re)become the big favorite to bring home the scarf.