Malaysia's Taanusiya Chetty matched the country’s best-ever result at the Miss World pageant by finishing third in the 2026 final in Nha Trang, Vietnam last night (Sept 5).
The achievement equals the record set 28 years ago by Lina Teoh, who finished third at Miss World 1998, making them the country’s best-performing contestants in the history of the contest.
In last night's ceremony, Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World 2026, while Elisabeth Reynes Alabern of Spain finished second.
Taanusiya, 26, finished among the top three after delivering impressive and consistent performances throughout the nearly month-long competition, beating 110 other contestants from around the world.
Apart from her and Teoh, other Malaysian representatives who previously recorded strong results at the Miss World pageant include Rahimah Orchient Yayah, who advanced to the Top 10 in 1994, and Deborah Henry, who made it to the Top 16 in 2007.
Taanusiya, better known as Taanu, qualified for the Top Six after winning the Beauty With A Purpose (BWAP) segment, edging out Zimbabwe’s Brunette Makanyiso.
BWAP is one of the major Miss World recognitions, awarded based on the contestants’ commitment to and impact of the community projects they champion.
Meanwhile, during the evening gown segment, the Miss World Malaysia 2024/2025 titleholder looked elegant in a pink gown by Vietnamese fashion designer Minh Tuan Couture.
Throughout the competition, Taanusiya impressed the judges with her confidence, personality and impressive performances in several segments.
She also captured public attention after a video of her speaking in four languages – English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil – during the Miss World 2026 Head-to-Head Challenge on Aug 23 went viral. – Bernama
