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A day in the life of Vivienne Sharman-Lewis: From Stadium to the Universe

Last Thursday, I found myself being interviewed for the pilot of a new, fun and whacky TV chat show. Coined The VIP Access All Areas show, a sort of "This Morning meets Jules Holland", it was produced by Welsh comic personality/actor, Mark Paul Jones of Ganjo fame. Shot at the new, chic, Americano Jazz Cafe in Swansea Marina, I was posed on a stool at the bar with two Miss Universe Wales contestants; a winner, Charlotte Perkins and a finalist, Rhiannon Bryant, prop drinks in hand, while the London presenter Jordene Bartlett asked me the first question:

Viv and two of the Goldie Looking Chain

"So Vivienne, you are now Director of Miss Universe Wales? how did that come about?"

An interesting question that immediately propelled me back to just a few short months before. A poignant reminder of my roller-coaster ride from October of last year to the Grand Finale at City Hall, Cardiff in March and the prize holiday in the Algarve in June.

Miss Universe Wales Swansea, Michaela Morgan (who also won Miss Photogenic and Miss Beauty) - left,

Miss Universe Wales Cardiff, Summer Ghanavati - centre,

Miss Universe Wales Newport, Marie Elizabeth Lao, (also Miss Congeniality) - right

Algarve Charter Sailing and Castro Marim Golf and Country Club, sponsors of the Algarve holiday. All photos taken by Lee Collie Photography

At the last count, as seen in Cymru Culture, I was literally up against the ropes - presenting a white-collar, Executive Boxing Event from a boxing ring, after organising this black tie Dinner Event at Cardiff City Stadium, with a fashion show, singer, stunning Ice Goddesses escorting Warrior boxers to the ring, and sassy ring-girls strutting their stuff around the ring to much acclaim. During this time I also attended a launch party of a new beauty pageant, Miss Universe Wales, and while partying, was introduced to its new Director, Habeeb Adeokun, who asked me to attend a meeting at Giovanniʼs restaurant, Cardiff.

All went well. Mr Adeokun contacted me with an offer soon after, not just to stage their charity ball, as I'd expected, but to become his partner in the new business that took in the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and Newport. With just over four months to the final, getting things moving was urgent. Not known as one who says "no" to an open door, or an impossible challenge, after a short deliberation, I, of course, said yes, and why not? On investigation, I discovered that Miss Universe is the biggest, most glamorous and well-established beauty pageant in the world. Dating back to 1952, it is now owned by Donald Trump and NBC Television in the US and is, therefore, the most publicised. Whatʼs more, it would spell a first for the country, the very first Miss Universe to be held in Wales!!

Always keen to promote Wales, I jumped at the opportunity of using this business model to do just that! It was a great move to offer the Miss Universe heats to Wales, since historically, anyone entering Miss Universe had to go via the Miss Universe Great Britain final in Birmingham; sidestepping our Welsh roots, local businesses, local attractions and local press. Welsh sponsors who had wanted to be be involved found they had little or no coverage or promotion on their home turf, where it was needed most, to target their own market-place, or coverage in the local Welsh press, while our Welsh girls were disinclined to travel to compete and take part in the English-based finale.

Offering local Welsh heats, at which our girls could be chosen as Miss Universe Wales, for each of the three main regions, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, with two runners-up from each, solved this problem.

Hand on heart, running a beauty pageant would not have been my chosen occupation. My only, recollection of beauty pageants was observing my fatherʼs, and in fact, all our familyʼs innocent enjoyment of the then huge and popular Miss World pageant. The spectacle of beautiful ladies parading in their colourful national costume representing many world countries, made compulsive and required annual family viewing, on a par with any international event. I also recall wobbling down the stairs in my motherʼs huge kitten-heeled stilettos, wrapped in a bed sheet and with a paper crown on my head, to seek my fatherʼs appreciative acclaim. "I have my own two Miss Worlds at home", he would flatter my mother and me, aged ten!! Leaving home for university some ten years on, I had other fish to fry! Also, the PC climate of bra-burning feminists had dictated that serious career-orientated young ladies did not go down that route. Now, in 2011, in a media-sensitive social climate that embraces reality TV, with the likes of X-Factor and Big Brother ruling our screens, and with everyone believing they can be a star or model, if only for a day, pageants have once more won approval, and have spawned a myriad of copycat genres.

However, I have noted a different breed of contestant, who, rather than seeing it as the fast track route to a better quality husband, or the world of modelling or silver screen, seriously regard the whole experience as their 'pageant career', and who now view it as a huge step forward into the world of the media. Yes, that includes modelling and acting, but they also publicise and promote their own businesses, or gain a lucrative career along the way. Many are university students; our new Miss Universe Wales for Cardiff, Summer Ghanavati, for example, is studying International marketing and Law. To win Miss Universe, with its prize of a year in a penthouse apartment at Trump Towers, New York City a salaried contract with the Trump Agency, and the opportunity to travel the world as ambassador to several of his charities, is hugely attractive to young, ambitious, and, dare I say it, career-orientated university students with travel at the forefront of their minds. The criteria also seek ladies, not just of great beauty, but of the right positive and proactive attitude, who will embrace the exciting challenges of fund-raising for our charity, and seize the promotional opportunities of representing Miss Universe Wales at sponsored events.

Ladies need to be aged 18-27, hold a British passport, be British and resident in Wales for at least six months, and have been born, or now living or working in the region they wish to represent. They should also not be a current holder of another title, must not have been married or have had children; only because they would need to be free to seize all the amazing travel opportunities if they were to win. So, with the likes of Mr Wales, and other similar male pageants, taunts of meat markets and sexism are rather off the mark today, and somewhat behind the times.

New to this world, our first pageant was a steep learning curve. The initial auditions were held at different venues for each region: The Glen-Yr Afon Hotel, Usk for the Newport pageant, the Peppermint Bar, Swansea, for the Swansea region, and the 411 Bar and nightclub for Cardiff. We then staged a charity fund-raising day on behalf of our Charity - Beat Cymru for Eating Disorders - and then the Charity Ball, which had a Bollywood theme, with an Indian buffet banquet and Bollywood dancers from London. All the contestants dressed in stunning saris from Sanna Silk on Albany Road, Cardiff, and paraded to their seats to applause. An "east meets west" fashion show was compèred by our official stylist, Wenda James-Rowe, with Saudi Arabian fashion from Dina Tokio, Indian fashion from Sanna Silk and Visible Changes, and Western fashion from our official gown sponsor, Couture of Cardiff. Suitably attired in an Indian pink silk two piece, embellished with turquoise stones and with full Indian jewellery, I introduced the evening, and the charity, while compère and presenter Mark Tancock, Mr Wales 2009, took over, with help to pull the raffle tickets from Mark Ganjo Jones. Attended by such Welsh celebs as actors Mark Flanagan and Rhys ap Hywel of Pobol y Cwm, freelance photographer for OK magazine Graham Reading, and later photos by Lee Collie were featured in Cardiff Life and WM Magazine, it certainly ranked as a new society event that deserves a listing on the Welsh annual calendar.

Photo by Lee Collie Photography

We had booked sumptuous venues: City Hall Cardiff for our Grand Finale; and Holland House Hotel for our Bollywood-themed charity ball. Our charity fund-raising day was sponsored by Gioʼs restaurant and involved filming and shooting the finalistsʼ fund-raising around the City with famous Welsh land-marks such as the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Castle and Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd - National Museum Cardiff in the background. Our slogan "Not in Vain", really hammered home that Miss Universe Wales was not just about finding the most beautiful girls in the universe, but raising money for good causes. In three years, Miss Universe Great Britain had generated over £50,000 for the Joshua Foundation; £31,500 in the last year alone.

The ultimate Grand Final was presented by TV professionals Amanda Protheroe-Thomas and Mark Welke. Acts included international operatic tenor, Martin Toal, who has sung at many international stadiums and partnered opera singer Leslie Garrett at the Millennium Stadium, and the stunning Las Vegas Legends Dance Troupe, making the evening a true spectacle. The judges - Rhys ap Hywel, Emily Woodrow of Wales on Sunday, Welsh comic personality and actor Mark Ganjo Jones, and two previous winners of Miss Universe GB, Tara Hoyos-Martinez (2010) and Clair Cooper (2009) - worked hard, within strict judging criteria. They interviewed the girls from 4.00pm, then listened to their on stage interviews once the finale had started at 7.00pm. Then they studied the categories, which included the Miss Universe Wales t-shirt and black leggings, the official Miss Universe Wales little black dress (designed and produced by Couture) and the official red swimwear from Maxine de Paris in Swansea. The finale, of course, had to be the ball gown section, when a simply mouth-watering collection of stunning and colourful gowns was paraded elegantly down the catwalk, with choreography and coordination by Christine Murphy. Several categories were awarded: Charlotte Perkins won Miss Popular and Miss Perfect Bride; Melissa Coles was Miss Best Hair; and Chloe-Beth Morgan was chosen by Wenda James-Rowe as Miss Most Stylish. Nicola Jayne Burley was chosen by Beat Cymru as Miss Charity for her huge fund-raising endeavors. Marie Elizabeth Lao was Miss Congeniality.

Then the three main winners were announced for each region, with their two runner-ups: Miss Universe Wales, Cardiff was Summer Ghanavati, with first runner-up Charlotte Perkins, and second runner-up, Adele Fynn.

Miss Universe Newport was Marie Elizabeth Lao, with Vanda Santos as first runner-up and Chloe-Beth Morgan as second.

Miss Universe Swansea was Michaela Morgan, who was also the winner of Miss Beauty and Miss Photogenic, with first runner-up Zoe Kinsella and second runner-up Letticia Hudson.

All pageants rely heavily on sponsorship to survive, and, by attracting my existing clients at home and abroad, as well as new businesses, and by tailoring my sponsorship packages to meet their marketing aims, with the added benefits of my own personal PR services and press coverage, I have managed to attract some exotic overseas sponsors, as well as quality brands in Wales.

I see Miss Universe Wales as a huge PR and marketing machine that creates a thriving market place, where our sponsors have the opportunity to raise their profile, promote themselves, network and do business (see the Miss Universe Wales website).

Quality sponsors equate to quality prizes, and ours offered a true James Bond lifestyle holiday experience!! I had also felt that the opportunity to compete and win Miss Universe GB was fantastic, but there would only be the one winner, so I wanted to offer quality prizes for the three Welsh winners too. So we awarded prizes that included a four-day charter yacht, courtesy of Algarve Charter Sailing, and two six-bed villas with their own pools and all the free golf we could handle, by Castro Marim Golf and Country Club, exceeded expectations. Other prizes included a selection of hair and beauty treatments from Visual Contour, Aquarius Hair, Pinkeys nail bar, Hair Style B-Inspired, a professional photo-shoot with Lee Collie at his studio in London, styling session from the Style Team and a year VIP membership to 411 Bar and club. We were also able to take the main three winners and their runners-up to compete at Miss Universe GB on May 1st in Birmingham, and - Lo and Behold! - in Wales' very first pageant, not only did we have two Welsh girls in the top three, with Summer Ghanavati taking second runner-up place, but Chloe-Beth Morgan won, taking the crown!!! Chloe-Beth is now in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She will compete against 83 countries; representing the United Kingdom at the World finale on September 12th. We all wish her well.

Miss Universe Wales & GB: Chloe-Beth Morgan. All photos by Lee Collie

Of course, there are moments when I wake up exhausted and think "Why me God?" Should I not be putting my feet up and sipping sangria at some holiday home at my time in life, not haring and scaring off to yet another event, tearing my hair out to ensure the girls are there? But I know that would not be me, and, when a door opens, I always need to explore it, so I never have to look back and think "What if?". There are times, of course, when the going gets tough. When the owner of the Bollywood dancers from Birmingham takes off to India, leaving me no contact number for her dancers, forcing me to email till 4.00am on the morning of the Ball, to drum up another troupe. Success!! But then the resulting London troop got hopelessly lost on their way through Newport, and arrived late, forcing me to bring the fashion show forward to fill the gap!!

Or the morning of the Grand Finale when young finalists rang and texted as I tore around dealing with a million and one issues: "Viv, my Miss Universe Wales t-shirt hasnʼt dried; Viv, my spray tan has gone all blotchy; Viv, my hair removal cream has brought me out in a rash; Viv, Iʼv just pranged my car, what shall I do??" My mantra was: "Donʼt worry, just get yourself here, and we will sort it, we can blot you down with a big sponge, we have allergy cream, we can alter the cocktail dresses to fit, we have other t-shirts, just get here!"

But there were more gratifying moments. One finalist pulled out just two days before the finale, due to the stress of a family illness. Her aunt had lung cancer, and the strain of helping to nurse her, and do the pageant, had all become too much for her. After over an hour of listening and counselling her, she decided to go ahead and compete for her aunt and make her proud. Michaela Morgan won, and became Miss Universe Swansea. Her mother was thrilled, and Michaela told me it had lifted the entire family. Sadly they lost her aunt that very night, but somehow her success helped the whole family through. Since winning, Michaela has come on the prize holiday to the Algarve with her boyfriend Anthony, and has also modeled for the National Lottery with the Swansea Swans mascot.

So, yes, it has been a frantic, but fun whirlwind of activities since late October 2010.

We are now taking entries for 2012. And, with the promise of a week at the Hattonchâtel Château Hotel on offer as the prize holiday venue, and with Grosvenor Casino as our head-liner sponsor for Cardiff, and with St David Polo and Racing Club and Vitality Beauty, Health and Fitness Club as sponsors, Arbonne International, the fabulous American Skin care company, who were featured at the Oscars on board, and with the expertise of our Official Stylist, Wenda James-Rowe, and the choreographic and catwalk skills of top model Florentina Shine, we are well on track for a fantastic pageant year.

So if you, your girlfriend, your daughter, niece or grand-daughter, has what it takes to represent Wales, then the United Kingdom on the world stage, go on-line here and get your entries in by 28 October 2011, for the auditions in early November. Or, if you can see how sponsorship of Miss Universe Wales could help raise the profile of your business, see Sponsorship on missuniversewales.com or call me on 07881 756748.

Vivienne Sharman-Lewis, 1 September 2011

Director 2Getha Promotions Ltd, the official organisers of Miss Universe Wales

Director Visions PR

Link to the Miss Universe Wales film of the pageant and holiday; filmed by the MUW Official Film crew, Queens Road Productions, in association with Royal Wedding Films

© 2011 Caregos Cyf. | Hawlfraint - All rights reserved

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