A record-breaking 34-year-old winner has emerged from a French beauty pageant.
According to AFP and others, Angélique Angarni-Filopon won the final of the '2025 Miss France' held on the 14th (local time).
Angarni-Filopon, from Martinique, a French Caribbean territory, at the age of 34, earned the title of the 'oldest winner' of this pageant.
The 'Miss France' pageant limited participants to ages 18 to 24 until 2022, but with the lifting of this rule, a total of 30 candidates aged 18 to 34 participated this year.
Angarni-Filopon expressed, “In 2011, a young woman at the age of 20 became runner-up in the Miss Martinique pageant. Now, at 34, that woman stands before you today, representing all women who were once told it was too late.”
She added, “This victory is not only a personal achievement but also represents all the women in our region.”
Beauty pageants have been criticized for imposing rigid standards of beauty. In response, 'Miss France' organizers abolished criteria such as 'under 24,' 'unmarried,' and 'childless.' However, last year a contestant with short hair won, sparking further debate.