Everyone was there for a night of entertainment expected to pass off without incident but there were growls and even jeers when 22-year-old Ms Gerry Partington was eventually announced as the winner of this year’s Miss Malaika pageant last Saturday, November 5 at the Accra International Conference Centre.
In the process of breaking a tie for the top spot between Gerry and Ms Alexandra Ayirebi-Acquah, the five judges might have glanced at their scoring criteria again and again in a short space of time and wondered whether looks should have priority over brains.
The judges’ score sheet made available to Showbiz indicated that three of them opted for Gerry and two for Alex. That didn’t go down well with a section of the audience who thought Alex was simply brilliant with her take on what three qualities a woman of the millennium should have while Gerry did not impress with her answer. Others however accepted the verdict because, according to them, Gerry had better looks.
Judges at the 2011 Miss Malaika final were Nicola Sackey , Anne Sakyi, Kay Bentsi Enchill, Desmond Blackmore (better known as D Black) and Xavier of Air Namibia.
The furore generated over their decision has prompted Charterhouse, organizers of the event , to state emphatically that it did not in any way interfere with the selection process on the night. Speaking to Showbiz, Mrs. Juno Abena Dadson, Public Relations Manager of Charterhouse said that the Judges on the night had the sole responsibility of deciding who won the competition.
“We had every confidence in the decision- making abilities of the judges and we stand by their final decision. We have no interest whatsoever in influencing the outcome of the competition. The fact that the judges’ ultimate decision did not sit well with a section of the audience did not in any way belittle their decision.
”We must not forget that the Judges had the advantage of the pre-judging sessions which afforded them the opportunity to assess the delegates one-on- one in a less pressurized environment so their decision on the final night was well- balanced. We have the original signed judges’ score sheet available for any doubting folks to see,” Mrs Dadson pointed out.
The other contestants in the pageant apart from Gerry and Alex were Adwoa Ofori Afriyie, Mikafui Doe, Magdalene Ankrah, Deborah ‘Smallie’ Melissa Lomotey, Emmanuella Esinam Awunyo, Nana Konadu Agyeman Gyimah, Priscilla Opoku Agyeman and Daisy Nana Adwoa Aryiwah-Fofie.
The audience in the packed hall did not have any qualms about Smallie coming up as the second runner-up. Magdalene and Emmanuella were also announced as Miss Congeniality and Best Talent respectively by MCs Chris Attoh and Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku.
Ms Gerry Partington’s prize package for emerging the overall winner included a Kia Rio saloon car, hampers from sponsors, GHC 6,000 and a sponsored trip to Namibia.
The Azonto dance held sway on the night with performances from Sarkodie, R2Bees, Stay Jay, Emmanuel from the last edition of Stars of the Future and Dr Sid from Nigeria.
Source: Graphic Showbiz
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