It is Floriane Bascou, and not Diane Leyre, who will represent France in the Miss Universe pageant on Saturday night through Sunday in New Orleans. The 21-year-old, Miss Martinique 2021, is the first runner-up for Miss France 2022.
Diane Leyre, who just finished her Miss France “term”, and left her crown to Indira Ampiot last December, had expressed her disappointment in October at not being able to compete, invoking a “lack of time”.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the Miss Universe pageant due to lack of time and preparation a few weeks before my presentation of the Miss France title, next December,” he said in a press release. “I don’t like doing things by halves when it comes to representing France.”
“I really wanted to do it”
in the columns of telestar, Diane Leyre had not hidden, however, a certain bitterness. “She really wanted to do it,” she said, adding that she had “the feeling of not reaching the end of the experience.”
“We had the (Miss Universe) appointment a short time ago, she had still explained it to the Virgin Radio microphone. And it is true that in view of my Miss France and radio activities, I have very little time to prepare and go halfway out of the way. For me, it wasn’t possible.”
In fact, the former Miss Île-de-France co-hosts a radio show on Europe 2 (ex-Virgin Radio), Le Morning sans filtre, with Guillaume Genton and Fabien Delettres.
Catwalk and English classes
For the same reasons, Diane Leyre will also not participate in the Miss World pageant, where Clémence Botino, Miss France 2020, will represent France, after having competed in Miss Universe in December 2021.
“Usually, Miss France and her first runner-up participate in Miss World or Miss Universe. As soon as I returned to Martinique, I prepared myself for it,” Floriane Bascou confided, this Friday to Gala.
He thus explained that he had chained the “catwalk lessons” and worked in English to answer questions from the American press.
“We missed the World Cup but I’m going to bring back the Miss Universe crown,” she launched telestar.
Reviewed by Sylvie Tellier
Before her, other first runner-ups have represented France in the Miss Universe competition, although this remains rare. This is how Eva Colas, first runner-up to Maeva Coucke, Miss France 2018, competed, as did Hinarani de Longeaux, first runner-up to Miss France 2013, Marine Lorphelin.
The Miss Universe competition, commentated by Sylvie Tellier, will be broadcast live on Paris Première at 2 am, on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
If Floriane Bascou were to climb onto the top step of the podium, she would be the third Frenchwoman in history to become Miss Universe, after Christiane Martel in 1953, and most recently Iris Mittenaere in 2016. She will face 86 other candidates.
Source: BFM TV
