Miss World 2018: Head-to-Head Challenge - Groups 5 to 8

It´s time for Groups 5 to 8 reviews, written by Albin Beart. Average scores are from our 4 judges: Albin Beart, GB´s own Andre Sleigh and Henrique Fontes, and Miss World expert and writer Sally-Ann Fawcett. In the end, take a look at our updated GB HTH Leaderboard, Groups 1-8.

Group 5: CANADA NIGERIA GIBRALTAR DOMINICAN REPUBLIC JAMAICA SCOTLAND

On the whole, Canada won this round for me. She was fresh but also polished and had the best balance of being well prepared, pretty, confident and articulate. Hanna was not a favorite of mine when she won Miss World Canada but she has really polished any rough edges and has turned up at Miss World as a much improved version of herself whilst still being essentially herself. She's not the most beautiful or most articulate but she has both in good measure and may be one of the most complete contestants this year. If Manushi Chillar's success is anything to go by, that completeness and consistency is gold. GB SCORE: 8,676

Gibraltar (GB SCORE: 8,122) and Scotland (GB SCORE: 8,402) also charmed me in this group. Both are fresh and thoughtful young women, and there was something warm and positive about their personalities - it is easy to see how they are beacons of hope in their communities. Not sure I see a top contender in either but they both left a nice impression on me.

I have to say that I expected something different from Jamaica. I expected to be blown away by her personality and underwhelmed by her looks but it was the opposite. In that gorgeous navy blue and white combination, Kadijah Robinson looked a million bucks, but her answers, while solid, left me a little underwhelmed. I know one shouldn't compare girls to predecessors, but one can't help it, and in this case, I felt Jamaica paled on the personality front relative to women like Sannetta Myrie. But she is certainly more beautiful. For now, I am on the fence. GB SCORE: 9,118

Dominican Republic (GB SCORE: 8,461) and Nigeria (GB SCORE: 8,413) were both sweet and far better in person than in stills, but I think they will need to amp up their presence to make the mark their recent predecessors have made. 7.5

Group 6: CHINA BANGLADESH BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS DENMARK BRAZIL IRELAND

Wow, this group really left me scratching my head. The girls were so different, and hard to compare! Where China scored on intelligence, Bangladesh scored on sweetness, Denmark on vibrance and Ireland on completeness. It's a four way tie!

On the whole, Miss China was the revelation for me here! Mao Pei Rui may not be the most stunning winner of Miss China, but she showed in ample measure why she won the national title of the most populous country in the world! We already knew that Pei Rui was intelligent, but what surprised me was the charisma and warmth that she displayed! She left me wanting to see more of her, and utterly convinced that great things lie in store for her in the future! I just don't know if she has the beauty that we expect in a Miss World finalist. GB SCORE: 9,021

Another great surprise was Miss Bangladesh. One of the last contestants to be crowned and also one of the youngest in the competition, Jannatul Oishi was sincere and sweet, and utterly believable. Bangladesh made a strong start last year in their return to Miss World but this year's representative is much stronger. I do think she could use a better style, but her natural aura is a refreshing change in a pageant world of many highly programmed contestants. Long after the sun set on this episode, her sweet smile lingered in my memory. GB SCORE: 8,058

Denmark was another interesting girl in this group! I don't know why, but something about her reminded me of former Miss World finalist Vanya Mishra. Maybe it is the sparkling eyes. Or maybe it is the abundance of positive energy and unbridled sense of self! I couldn't stop smiling through her entire presentation. She's definitely a little rough around the edges, but Miss Denmark's deep seated self confidence lets her carry the loose ends with elan! GB SCORE: 8,692

Miss Ireland had a little of everything! She also really surprised me. Her pictures do not do justice to this charming and humble young woman. Of all the girls in this group, she was the most balanced - with a balance of beauty, charm, eloquence and self-possession and if popularity were not the criterion for winning a H2H challenge round, she could easily be the winner! GB SCORE: 8,795

I thought both BVI (GB SCORE: 8,112) and Brazil (GB SCORE: 8,875)did a nice job as well, and I particularly give Brazil props for communicating in English. Both are well spoken and driven young women but a little outpaced by a strong competitive group. 8

Group 7: BAHAMAS KOREA ZIMBABWE CHILE BOTSWANA JAPAN

This is a group I was waiting eagerly to see (and I confess that I stayed up till 2 AM to watch the live premiere to watch!) Two of my pre-pageant favorites - Chile and South Korea were in the fray and I wanted to see if Chile had the confidence to match her beauty and South Korea could validate her high placement in Top Model! I was also curious about Miss Japan, another contestant whose exceptional academic credentials (Keio University is perhaps Japan's top university) and heritage have created buzz amongst pageant observers.

Bahamas is a beautiful young woman and also articulate and clearly very driven to succeed in this contest and in life. Somehow, in the relentless quest to do so, she came off as too polished and mechanical to me. I want to like her as much as I am impressed by her, and if she gets a do-over, Brinique must remember to balance both aspects. GB SCORE: 8,196

South Korea was fantastic, maybe my favorite in this group. She was one of my pre-pageant favorites, but I was worried that we would only be getting a pretty face. She is anything but! Korea has done extremely well the last two years, and Ah Cho has the potential to go further than either of her predecessors. She has an excellent balance of beauty, intelligence and sweetness. Crown contender! GB SCORE: 8,752

Zimbabwe was the surprise of the group for me. She is really quite beautiful, something that her pre-pageant photographs did not manage to convey. She is also smart, articulate and very charming. I see no reason at all why she could not go far in this competition and she continues to confirm my belief that Africa is by far the strongest continental group at this year's edition of Miss World. GB SCORE: 8,569

Along with Korea, Miss Chile was one of my pre-pageant favorites. She validated this belief in her presentation, impressing with a a beauty that was without rival in this group and the genteel elegance we tend to associate with Miss World winners. Sure, she is not the most confident speaker, but there was nothing lacking and what she lacked in conviction, she compensated for with sincerity. Anahi has every reason to stay confident in her chances at the crown! GB SCORE: 9,035

Similarly, Japan did not disappoint. She may not have the beauty of Miss Chile and Miss South Korea but she is far more eloquent, vibrant and her ability to communicate in English (and it appears, your choice of language!) is a huge advantage. Dare I say that she is modern royalty? She has the carriage that comes from generations of breeding, but she balances it with the drive and desire to put her privilege to use for a greater good. GB SCORE: 9,219

Miss Botswana continues the tradition of her predecessors as an articulate and purposeful young woman. I thought she did very well but she was a little drowned out in a very strong group. GB SCORE: 8,053

Group 8: BOLIVIA SLOVAKIA CAMEROON LEBANON USA COOK ISLANDS

I give a lot of credit to Miss Bolivia for speaking in English and doing such an excellent job. She is really gorgeous and has made a strong impression early in this contest with her looks. In her H2H presentation, she showed that she has a personality to match, Bolivia is long overdue for a placement, and Vanessa Vargas could certainly break through. GB SCORE: 8,518

Miss Slovakia became a title favorite of mine when she won her national crown with her height, stunning looks and vibrant smile. However, in her head to head challenge, she did not look her best and struggled to impress in her responses. I'm not sure whether it was nerves, the challenge of speaking in English or simply being overwhelmed by the occassion but she did not live up to my expectations. In my opinion, she has the beauty to contend for the crown, but she needs to recognize this potential in herself, and let that confidence manifest in her presentation if she wants to have a chance. GB SCORE: 8,166

Cameroon had a great video presentation and I thought she may have done herself a disservice by not speaking in French in her head to head challenge. I liked her but some of that charm and vibrance that we saw in the video was missing in her H2H presentation. GB SCORE: 8,213

United States is a pageant veteran and her experience and maturity shone through in her presentation. I thought she came across as intelligent and driven but it was all a little too much. There is a very fine line between being confident and overbearing and she was teetering right on the brink of it. If she balanced her eloquence with more warmth, Marisa would shine! GB SCORE: 8,653

My winner in this group is Lebanon, who was lovely. I'm not sure her look is right for Miss World, but her story and the ease with which she carried her past was both riveting and inspiring. I also thought she was very elegant and eloquent. I want to hear more! GB SCORE: 8,353

I was expecting a lot from Miss Cook Islands. They had a semifinalist at Miss World just a couple of years ago and this year's winner is possessed with a stunning pair of eyes and a very interesting and global background. She did impress as a driven and eloquent young woman but I am not sure that she managed to stand out for herself. Still, I think she has everything she needs to go far in this competition. GB SCORE: 9,127

THE UPDATED GB HTH LEADERBOARD - After Groups 1 to 8:

1 Japan 9,219

2 Sierra Leone 9,184

3 France 9,139

4 Cook Islands 9,127

5 Jamaica 9,118

6 South Africa 9,108

7 Chile 9,035

8 China 9,021

9 Australia 8,987

10 Senegal 8,970

11 Philippines 8,897

12 Brazil 8,875

13 Mauritius 8,853

14 Ireland 8,795

15 Korea 8,752

16 Denmark 8,692

17 Canada 8,676

18 United States 8,653

19 Zimbabwe 8,569

20 Bolivia 8,518

21 Dominican Republic 8,461

22 Nigeria 8,413

23 Scotland 8,402

24 Germany 8,392

25 Guyana 8,377

26 Latvia 8,371

27 Finland 8,367

28 Venezuela 8,365

29 Lebanon 8,353

30 Peru 8,290

31 Czech Republic 8,263

32 Cameroon 8,213

33 Bahamas 8,196

34 Equatorial Guinea 8,189

35 Slovakia 8,166

36 Georgia 8,164

37 Gibraltar 8,122

38 Cayman Islands 8,113

39 British Virgin Islands 8,112

40 Ethiopia 8,078

41 Paraguay 8,077

42 Bangladesh 8,058

43 Botswana 8,053

44 Norway 8,010

45 Iceland 7,989

46 Wales 7,933

47 Barbados 7,912

48 Ghana 7,518

GB comments: Japan takes the lead as another amazing surprise. HTH gave us the opportunity to see in her a contender for the title! Cook Islands is another pearl in this year´s Miss World pageant, we can only hope to see her doing well! Jamaica and Chile confirmed their status of favorites and are certainly in the game, while China, if not among the prettiest, is certainly amazing when talking. It´s one of the best Miss World editions in years, this is exciting!!