Jennifer Hosten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennifer Josephine Hosten
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Hosten in 1970
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| Born | 31 October 1947 |
| Alma mater | Carleton University |
| Title | Miss World 1970 (Winner) Miss Grenada 1970 (Winner) Miss World Caribbean 1970 |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
Jennifer Hosten (born 31 October 1947) is a famous person from Grenada. She has been a radio announcer, a diplomat, an author, and a model. In 1970, she won the Miss World 1970 contest, representing her home country, Grenada.
Jennifer made history by becoming the first black woman to win the Miss World title. She was also the first person from Grenada to achieve this. The contest itself was quite controversial, even before the winner was announced.
Jennifer was born in St. George's, Grenada. She was 23 years old when she won the Miss World contest in November 1970. Before becoming Miss World, she studied in London. She also worked for the BBC's radio service for the Caribbean region. Later, she became a flight attendant.
The Miss World Contest of 1970
The 1970 Miss World contest took place in London, United Kingdom. The event started with some arguments. Organizers had allowed two contestants from South Africa, one black and one white. This caused a lot of debate.
During the evening, groups fighting for women's rights protested. They even threw flour! The famous comedian, Bob Hope, who was hosting, was also interrupted by the protestors.
Even more controversy happened after Jennifer Hosten was announced as the winner. She became the first black woman to win Miss World. The black contestant from South Africa came in second place. Many people complained to the BBC and newspapers about the results. Some even accused the contest of being unfair.
Four of the nine judges had voted for Miss Sweden to win first place. Miss Grenada (Jennifer Hosten) only received two first-place votes. However, she had the most points overall. Miss Sweden, who many thought would win, finished fourth.
Adding to the controversy, Eric Gairy, who was the leader of Grenada at the time, was one of the judges. Even though judges from other countries were also present, many people believed the contest had been fixed. Some audience members gathered outside the Royal Albert Hall after the show. They chanted "Swe-den, Swe-den."
Four days later, the contest's organizing director, Julia Morley, resigned because of all the pressure. Years later, Miss Sweden, Marjorie Christel Johansson, said she felt she had been cheated out of the title.
Julia Morley's husband, Eric Morley, was the head of the company that owned the Miss World contest. To prove the results were fair, Eric Morley showed the judges' scorecards. He explained the complex "majority vote system" they used. These cards showed that Jennifer Hosten had more high scores in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions compared to Miss Sweden and the other finalists. After this, Julia Morley returned to her job.
Life After Winning
After winning Miss World, Jennifer Hosten joined Bob Hope on his yearly tour. They visited U.S. forces in other countries. She also made many other public appearances around the world. She handled the controversy with quiet dignity. In 1971, Grenada even issued a 15-cent postage stamp to celebrate her victory.
Later, Jennifer worked in customer relations for Air Canada. She married David Craig, who worked in IT. They lived in Bermuda until 1973. Then, they moved to Ontario, Canada. Jennifer Hosten earned a master's degree in Political Science and International Relations from Carleton University in Ottawa.
She has two children, a daughter named Sophia Craig and a son named Beau Craig. From 1978 to 1981, Jennifer Hosten Craig served as Grenada's top representative in Canada. In 1998, she worked as an adviser on trade for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) while living in Saint Lucia. More recently, she worked as a Canadian diplomat in Bangladesh before returning to the Caribbean.
In 1992, she published an academic study. It was about how a trade agreement in North America might affect the Caribbean islands.
In August 2005, Jennifer Hosten opened "Jenny's Place." These are beachfront studio apartments on Grand Anse Beach in Grenada.
In late 2006, Hosten was chosen to be the National Director for the Miss Grenada World Contest. This event took place on 31 March 2007. It selected only the third Grenadian woman in history to compete in the Miss World finals.
Her autobiography, Beyond Miss World, was published in 2008. An autobiography is a book about a person's own life.
In 2011, Hosten earned another master's degree. This one was in Counselling (Psychology) from Yorkville University in Canada. She now works as a registered psychotherapist in Oakville, Ontario. A psychotherapist is a type of counselor who helps people with their thoughts and feelings. She has five grandchildren.
Her Lasting Impact
Jennifer Hosten's story was so interesting that it became a movie! She is played by actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the 2020 British-French comedy-drama film Misbehaviour. This movie is all about the 1970 Miss World competition and the events that happened.
