Iris Mittenaere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iris Mittenaere
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Mittenaere in 2016
|
|
| Born | 25 January 1993 Lille, France
|
| Alma mater | University of Lille |
| Occupation |
|
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) |
| Title |
|
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Major competition(s) |
|
Iris Mittenaere (born 25 January 1993) is a French television personality and model. She is famous for winning the title of Miss Universe 2016. She was the second woman from France to win Miss Universe. Before this, Mittenaere was crowned Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Iris Mittenaere was born on 25 January 1993 in Lille, France. Her father, Yves Mittenaere, was a history and geography teacher. Her mother, Laurence Druart, was a primary schoolteacher. Iris has a brother, Baptiste, and a sister, Cassandre. She also has a younger half-sister, Manon. Her parents separated when she was three years old.
Iris went to school in Steenvoorde, where she lived with her mother. In 2011, she finished high school with good grades, focusing on science. After high school, she moved to Lille. There, she studied dentistry at Lille 2 University of Health and Law.
Before becoming Miss France, Iris was in her fifth year of studying to be a dental surgeon. She planned to work as a dental surgeon after finishing her studies.
Journey to Pageantry Success
Becoming Miss France 2016
Iris Mittenaere started her pageant journey by winning Miss Flandre 2015. This happened on 2 May 2015 in Bailleul. After that, she entered the Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais 2015 contest in Orchies. She won this title on 26 September 2015.
Iris first joined Miss Flandre because the organizers asked her on Facebook. They needed more people to enter the contest. She then represented Nord-Pas-de-Calais at the Miss France 2016 pageant. On 19 December 2015, she was crowned Miss France in Lille. The previous Miss France, Camille Cerf, who was also from Nord-Pas-de-Calais, crowned her. This was a special moment, as it was the second year in a row someone from that region won.
As Miss France, Iris worked to promote oral hygiene. She started a campaign to teach people about healthy teeth and gums. She visited French schools to talk to young students about keeping their mouths healthy.
In November 2016, Iris presented an award at the NRJ Music Award in Cannes. During her time as Miss France 2016, she traveled to many countries. These included China, Italy, Morocco, Germany, the Caribbean, and Ivory Coast.
Winning Miss Universe 2016
After being Miss France, Iris Mittenaere competed in Miss Universe 2016. She was the only contestant from Europe to reach 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, who won in Miss Universe 1953.
Iris was also the first European winner since Oxana Fedorova of Russia in Miss Universe 2002. She was the first European winner to complete her full year as Miss Universe since Mona Grudt of Norway, who won in Miss Universe 1990.
During the question-and-answer part of the contest, Iris spoke about open borders. When asked about countries accepting refugees, 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, said her answers helped her win. When asked about a failure and what she learned, Iris 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 Year as Miss Universe
Iris Mittenaere was crowned with the DIC Crown at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant. She later wore the Diamond Nexus Crown for most of her reign.
As Miss Universe, she traveled a lot and attended many events. She was a judge at beauty pageants in Jakarta, Cairo, Lima, New York City, and Mumbai. She also attended important events at French and American embassies. She traveled to Bali to film a commercial.
Iris also worked as a charity ambassador for Smile Train. She visited children with cleft lip and cleft palate in Mexico City and Cap-Haïtien. She saw a surgery to help these children. She also supported the Latino Commission on AIDS.
She walked the runway for Sherri Hill at New York Fashion Week in 2017. In March 2017, during her visit back home to Paris and Lille, she met François Hollande, who was the president of France. She also walked for Jean Paul Gaultier at Paris Fashion Week. She attended the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.
During her year as Miss Universe, Iris traveled to the Philippines, Indonesia, Haiti, the Cayman Islands, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, India, and Egypt. She also made many trips around the United States and France.
On 26 November 2017, Iris passed her crown to the next Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa. This happened at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In December 2017, Iris joined a "Miss Universe's Christmas Tour" in the Philippines. She was with Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Pia Wurtzbach. She then helped judge Miss France 2018 with Jean-Paul Gaultier.
A documentary film about her Miss Universe reign was shown on French TV in December 2017. It was called From Miss France to Miss Universe, the fabulous destiny of Iris. It showed her journey, her charity work, and her family's reactions.
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.
In September 2018, Iris began competing in the ninth season of Danse avec les stars. This is the French version of Dancing with the Stars. She and her partner, Anthony Colette, finished in second place on 1 December 2018. Since February 2019, she has hosted the Lottery and EuroMillions drawings on TF1.
In March 2018, she was invited to a charity dinner in Ivory Coast. This event supported the Children of Africa Foundation. She also visited families of children with cleft conditions in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, for Smile Train. Iris worked with artist Philippe Shangti to create a photo artwork. It was sold to raise money for Smile Train.
On 7 November 2018, Iris Mittenaere released her first book. It is an autobiography 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 talks about her life story and her pageant experiences. It also gives beauty tips and advice for young women to feel more confident. She went on a book tour in France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
In February 2019, Iris Mittenaere was a judge for Top Model Belgium 2019. She was also a guest star in Jean-Paul Gaultier's Fashion Freak Show in Paris. She became a brand ambassador for Morgan clothing in 2019. In April 2019, she was the face of the Casa Fashion show in Casablanca, Morocco. From May 2019 to January 2020, she performed in a new show called L' Oiseau Paradis at the Paradis Latin.
In May 2019, Iris Mittenaere attended the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. She wore a beautiful pink gown. She also attended a gala dinner wearing a blue gown. In the summer 2019 issue of Forbes France, Iris was named one of France's top five digital influencers.
In June 2022, Mittenaere was a guest judge on the first episode of Drag Race France. She judged alongside French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier.
Personal Life
In August 2022, Iris Mittenaere announced her engagement to French-Moroccan businessman Diego El Glaoui. They had been together for three years.
In the spring of 2025, she was reported to be in a relationship with French rugby star Antoine Dupont.
See also
In Spanish: Iris Mittenaere para niños
