Iris Mittenaere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iris Mittenaere
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Mittenaere in 2016
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| Born | 25 January 1993 Lille, France
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| Alma mater | University of Lille |
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| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) |
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| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Brown |
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Iris Mittenaere (born 25 January 1993) is a French television star, model, and beauty queen. She became famous after winning the Miss Universe 2016 competition. She is the second person from France to win the Miss Universe title. The first was Christiane Martel, who won Miss Universe 1953. Before becoming Miss Universe, Iris Mittenaere was crowned Miss France 2016 and Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais 2015.
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Early Life and Education
Iris Mittenaere was born on January 25, 1993, in Lille, France. Her father, Yves Mittenaere, was a history and geography teacher. Her mother, Laurence Druart, was a primary school teacher and museum guide. Iris has a brother named Baptiste and a sister named Cassandre. She also has a younger half-sister, Manon. Her parents separated when she was three years old.
Iris grew up in Steenvoorde with her mother. In 2011, she finished high school with excellent grades, focusing on science. After high school, she moved to Lille. There, she studied dentistry at Lille 2 University of Health and Law. Before winning Miss France, she was in her fifth year of training to become a dental surgeon. She planned to work as a dentist after finishing her studies.
Beauty Pageants
Becoming Miss France 2016
Iris Mittenaere started her pageant journey by winning Miss Flandre 2015 on May 2, 2015. This local contest took place in Bailleul. She then won the Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais 2015 regional pageant on September 26, 2015. She first entered Miss Flandre after the organizers contacted her on Facebook. They needed more contestants for the competition.
Iris represented the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in the Miss France 2016 pageant. On December 19, 2015, she was crowned Miss France. The previous Miss France, Camille Cerf, who was also from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, crowned her in Lille. This was a special moment because it meant the region won the title two years in a row!
As Miss France, Iris worked to promote oral hygiene. She started a campaign to teach people about oral health. She visited French schools to talk to young children about keeping their teeth healthy. In November 2016, she also presented an award at the NRJ Music Awards in Cannes. During her time as Miss France, she traveled to many countries. These included China, Italy, Morocco, Germany, the Caribbean, and Ivory Coast.
Winning Miss Universe 2016
After her reign as Miss France, Iris Mittenaere competed in the Miss Universe 2016 pageant. She was the only contestant from Europe to make it to the semi-finals. She then went on to win the entire competition! Iris became only the second woman from France to win the Miss Universe crown. The first was Christiane Martel in Miss Universe 1953.
Iris was also the first European winner since Oxana Fedorova of Russia in Miss Universe 2002. Oxana was later removed from her title. Iris was the first European titleholder to complete her full year as Miss Universe since Mona Grudt of Norway, who won Miss Universe 1990.
During the question and answer part of the competition, Iris spoke about open borders. When asked if countries should accept refugees or close their borders, she said:
Throughout the world, people can choose to have borders open or close. In Europe, we have open borders. In France, we want to have the most globalisation that we can. We want to have the biggest exchange of people that we can. Maybe someday that will change, but now we have open borders.
One of the judges, Mickey Boardman, later wrote that Iris's answers helped her win. He said she was calm and spoke well. When asked about a time she failed and what she learned, she replied:
I have failed several times in my life. I thought I had failed my first year in medical school because my name wasn't on the passing list. So, the very same day I went to buy a new set of medical books to keep on studying. I think when you fail, you need to stand up and keep going, we are all able to do so. If I don't win tonight, I will still keep on smiling tomorrow because I am proud to be part of the three finalists. I've learnt a lot from my failures and happily, I did end up passing my first year of medical school.
Her Reign as Miss Universe
Iris Mittenaere was crowned with the DIC Crown at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant. Due to a legal issue, she wore a different crown, the Diamond Nexus Crown, from March 2017 until her reign ended.
As Miss Universe, she traveled a lot and took part in many important events. She was a judge at several national beauty pageants. These included Puteri Indonesia in Jakarta, Miss Egypt in Cairo, Miss Peru in Lima, Miss Guyana in New York City, and Miss Diva in Mumbai.
Iris also attended diplomatic events at French and American embassies. She was invited to a speech by Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, in New York City. She traveled to Bali to film a commercial for a vitamin brand. She also attended a big conference for a hair product company in Cancun.
As a charity ambassador for Smile Train, Iris visited children with cleft lip and cleft palate in Mexico City and Cap-Haïtien. She even saw a cleft surgery. She also became a madrina (godmother) for the Latino Commission on AIDS. She attended their fundraising gala and an event for Project Sunshine, a charity for children facing medical challenges.
In the fashion world, she walked the runway for Sherri Hill at New York Fashion Week in February and September 2017. She also attended fashion shows and charity events like AmfAR generationCURE Solstice.
In March 2017, Iris had a special homecoming celebration in Paris and her hometown of Lille. She was invited to visit Élysée Palace by François Hollande, who was the president of France at the time. She also received an award from the president of her home region, Hauts-de-France. Iris walked for famous designer Jean Paul Gaultier at Paris Fashion Week. She also attended the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and the AmFAR Charity Event in Cannes.
During her year as Miss Universe, Iris Mittenaere visited many countries. These included the Philippines, Indonesia, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, India, and Egypt. She also made many trips within the United States and France.
For her final walk as Miss Universe, Iris wore a beautiful red gown designed by Michael Cinco. She then passed her crown to Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa, who became Miss Universe 2017. This happened on November 26, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
After her reign, from December 4 to 9, 2017, she joined a "Miss Universe's Christmas Tour" in the Philippines. She was with Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and previous winner Pia Wurtzbach. She then helped judge Miss France 2018 alongside Jean-Paul Gaultier. This marked the end of her international pageant career.
In December 2017, a documentary film about her Miss Universe journey was shown on French TV. It was called From Miss France to Miss Universe, the fabulous destiny of Iris. Over 5.4 million people in France watched it. The film showed her time as Miss Universe, her charity work, her travels, and how her family reacted to her new life.
After Miss Universe
Iris Mittenaere started her television career in 2018. She became a co-host for the French version of Ninja Warrior. In February 2018, she presented an award at the 2018 Victoires de la Musique, a French music awards show. In September 2018, Iris joined the ninth season of Danse avec les stars, which is the French version of Dancing with the Stars. She and her dance partner, Anthony Colette, finished in second place. Since February 2019, she has been the host of the Lottery and EuroMillions drawings on the TV channel TF1.
In March 2018, the First Lady of Ivory Coast invited her to a special dinner. This event celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Children of Africa Foundation and the opening of a new hospital. Iris also visited families of children with cleft conditions in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as part of a Smile Train event. Iris worked with French artist Philippe Shangti to create a photo artwork called "I'm Iris, I'm not a princess". This artwork was sold for 40,000 euros in June 2018, with the money going to Smile Train.
On November 7, 2018, Iris Mittenaere released her first autobiography. The book is titled Toujours y croire : Miss Univers, une jeune femme (pas) comme les autres. This means Always believe in yourself: Miss Universe, a young woman (un)like any other. The book was published by HarperCollins. It tells the story of Iris's life, from her childhood in Northern France to her experiences in beauty pageants. It also includes beauty tips and advice for young women on how to build self-confidence. On the same day, Iris started a book tour for Toujours y croire. She visited many cities in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
On February 3, 2019, Iris Mittenaere was a judge for Top Model Belgium 2019. From February 12 to 17, 2019, she was a special guest star in Jean-Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show. She also became the brand ambassador for the clothing company Morgan in 2019. On April 20, 2019, she was the main face for the Casa Fashion show in Casablanca, Morocco. From May 2019 to January 2020, she performed as a star performer in a new show called L' Oiseau Paradis at the Paradis Latin. On May 22, 2019, Iris Mittenaere attended the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. She wore a beautiful pink gown designed by Michael Cinco. She also attended a gala dinner, wearing a stunning blue gown by Ziad Nakad.
In the summer 2019 issue of Forbes France magazine, Iris Mittenaere was interviewed. She was named one of France's top five digital influencers for that year. In June 2022, Iris Mittenaere was a guest judge on the first episode of Drag Race France. She judged alongside the famous French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
See also
In Spanish: Iris Mittenaere para niños
