Miss Lebanon’s national beauty pageant was first launched in 1975 and was broadcasted on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) until 2018. It was then passed over to MTV Lebanon to then revert to LBC International this year.
However, there will be no Miss Lebanon 2019…
This event has only ever been skipped at intense phases of the Lebanese Civil war and during Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. And now, it will be canceled again because of the revolution.
This year, LBCI has gained back the privilege of organizing and airing Miss Lebanon 2019. Unfortunately, after this announcement, luck wasn’t their lady.
The event was postponed numerous times for different reasons before the revolution delivered now the knockout struck.
The first delay was due to negotiations between the Ministry of Tourism and the Lebanese channels.
Then, it was LBCI’s quest for a new venue for the competition, because the Lebanese Casino, where the event is usually held at, was being renovated.
Finally, everything was sorted out and a date was set to November the 3rd at the Biel stage in Beirut Park at Furn El Chebbak. Aimee Sayah was going to host the show and Wael Kfoury was to perform.
On 17 October, the Lebanese revolution swept across Lebanon within hours and it hasn’t ceased whirling to date. Holding the event of Miss Lebanon wasn’t an option anymore.
Every Lebanese channel, including LBCI, were busy delivering an around the clock broadcast and live coverage of the revolution and all its repercussions.
With this new obstacle, all the preparations had to stop and there was no announcement of an alternative date; all that was left of the possibility for a Miss Lebanon event was the promo.
The organizers, the contestants, and the channel could only wait for things to calm down on the streets of Lebanon and for things to go their usual way again, but everyone can see that this is not happening anytime soon.
The current activities of the country are enough to cause the cancellation of Miss Lebanon 2019.
It is inadequate for any Lebanese Television to display any singing and dancing event these days, especially with the viewers’ full focus on the important and essential political and economic situations.
Henceforth, Miss Lebanon 2018 gets to keep the crown for another year. However, there’s also the Miss Universe aspect of the problem.
Almost every winning candidate of Miss Lebanon is sent to compete in Miss Universe that is held in December of every year in one of the world’s capitals.
The competitors will have to be in that capital for a required training of 3 weeks before the event.
This is now out of the question because Maya Reaidy, Miss Lebanon 2018, still has the crown, and she doesn’t seem to be passing it on anytime soon.
And Maya has already represented Lebanon at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant in Bangkok, Thailand.
It seems like the Lebanese revolution has scored another win: a priority place on the Lebanese screens. Many fans won’t get to watch this annual competition this year, or the hilarious commentaries that usually follow and that people impatiently wait for.
On the other side, it would have been more disappointing if this event was broadcasted while the revolution is still very much alive.
You can watch this promo, however, since it’s the closest thing you’ll get to watching Miss Lebanon this year:
