Oldest Miss France clinches crown, aged 34

Newly elected Miss France 2025 Angelique Angarni-Filopon smiles during a press conference after winning the Miss France 2025 beauty pageant at the Arena Futuroscope in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, central-western France, on December 15, 2024. (Photo by ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP)

PARIS — A 34-year-old flight attendant from the French Caribbean island of Martinique on Saturday became the oldest contestant to win the Miss France pageant.

Angelique Angarni-Filopon clinched the crown thanks to a rule change which permitted women over 24 to take part, as well as those who are married or mothers.

“In 2011, a young woman aged 20 finished first runner up in the Miss Martinique competition. Today, it’s the same young woman aged 34 who stands before you to again represent Martinique, its diaspora as well as all the women who were once told that it was too late,” she said on winning the competition, which was broadcast by TF1.

Thirty candidates including doctors and dentists took part in the final, parading in swimsuits, regional costumes and ballgowns.

They performed to a host of music genres, including country, 90s, salsa and Mozart.

After winning the contest, Angarni-Filopon gets a year-long salary from the Miss France firm, access to a Paris apartment and various gifts from sponsors.

Typically, the winner of the Miss France pageant gets to represent their country at either Miss Universe or Miss World, while their runners-up are fielded in other pageants.

The France contest comes just days after the Miss Netherlands pageant was scrapped after 35 years.

Organizers said they were “changing with the times” and will instead run a platform to share stories of successful women and those struggling with issues such as unrealistic beauty standards.