Wilnelia Merced
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Wilnelia Merced Forsyth (born October 12, 1959 in Caguas, Puerto Rico) became in 1975 the first and to date only winner of the Miss World title from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Merced faced a difficult year: the last Miss World before her had caused controversy by having a child out of wedlock. It was important for the winner to restore the contest's reputation. She travelled widely during her reigning year and was invited to pre-civil war El Salvador by that country's government. She fell in love with England, which she would later make her home.
After passing on her crown, in 1976, she was signed by Ford Models in New York. In 1978 a giant poster of her was displayed in Times Square, and she was introduced, in London at the 1980 Miss World competition gala to British television entertainer Bruce Forsyth. Merced and Forsyth married in 1983. While still a public figure at home in Puerto Rico she retired as a model after her wedding. They had a son in 1986, and she became in the 1990s, the owner of Miss World Puerto Rico. She also has a foundation to help Puerto Rico's under-privileged children, for which she organizes charity balls.
Merced lives with her husband and their son, Jonathan Joseph, in London. In 2002, during one of her visits to Puerto Rico, her London home was broken into by thieves, who injured one of her maids.
Merced is also a distant relative to reggaeton artist and independent film actor Darren Martinez.
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| Preceded by Anneline Kriel |
Miss World 1975 |
Succeeded by Cindy Breakspeare |
