Malta’s representative for the Miss World beauty pageant will tonight be competing in the Talent category in a bid to qualify for the final this Saturday. Nicole Vella's participation in the category comes after successfully qualifying through the first set of auditions, where she was one of 27 participants to be shortlisted.
Describing it as a fast-track event, Nicole explains that the Talent category is one of many routes through which one can reach the final event: “20 girls are chosen through the Judges Interviews and the other 20 are chosen through events such as the Head to Head Challenge, Talent, Sports, Multimedia and Beauty with a Purpose.
Ultimately, only 40 of the 110 participants make it to Saturday’s event, and Nicole is eagerly awaiting her turn to take the stage. “I would feel very privileged if Malta was to reach the final,” she says, adding “I will do my very best to make Malta proud!”
Nicole plans to sing a rendition of Sam Smith’s Lay Me Down, which she has prepared with her vocal coach Pamela Bezzina. If she wins gold at tonight’s event, Nicole will be taking Malta straight into the Miss World Final.
Speaking of her experience so far as Miss World Malta, Nicole confesses that it’s been great: “I have made new friends, built a stronger character and am making so many memories!” she enthuses. One of her fondest memories involves a Beauty with a Purpose project which all candidates must undertake as part of their duties.
“This is such an important part of the pageant as all countries come together to raise awareness on main concerns in their respective countries,” Nicole explains, adding that she opted to focus on human trafficking, and the campaign Human Like You. In the future, she also hopes to build more awareness campaigns built around causes she holds dear, such as mental health and the stigma surrounding it, but for the time being her efforts are channelled into her Beauty with a Purpose project.
Irrespective of tonight's result, this evening will certainly provide one more dazzling memory for Nicole to add to her year. Best of luck!
Go get 'em Nic!