South Africa’s first Miss Universe: Where is Margaret Gardiner now
Margaret Gardiner was the first South African to be crowned Miss Universe, where is the iconic beauty queen now?
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Former Miss SA Margaret Gardiner celebrated 46 years since she won the Miss Universe pageant… where is she now?
WHERE IS MARGARET GARDINER NOW?
Margaret Gardiner was crowned Miss Universe on 24 July 1978. This marked the first South African to be crowned Miss Universe in history. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Zozibini Tunzi followed in Margaret’s footsteps in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Margaret took to Instagram on 24 July to reflect on 46 years since her historic crowning.
The former Miss Universe shared a photo where she walked the stage in our national costume that represented the indigenous ostrich and South Africa’s national flower, the protea. Take a look…
“This July I celebrate a huge honour in representing my country in Mexico 46 years ago and becoming the first Miss Universe from South Africa. An honour that stood for almost 40 years before I was joined by two incredible women, Demi-Leigh Tebow in 2017 and Zozibini Tunzi in 2019,” she wrote.
“Walking the stage in this #national #costume that represented the indigenous ostrich and our national #flower the protea The #blue of the #sky and #sea #ocean made me so proud which I think you can see in this #photo from almost 46 years ago,” she continued.
So, where is she now? Margaret is currently based in Los Angeles. She is a renowned writer, celebrity, and journalist. The beauty queen is a familiar face on the red carpets of prestigious events such as the Golden Globes, Oscars, and numerous movie premieres, where she interviews A-list Hollywood stars.
Margaret is set to return to South Africa in August this year. She will be attending the Miss SA 2024 finale on 10 August, set to be held at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria. She is also releasing a fictional novel Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar, which will debut in South Africa in March 2025, followed by releases in the USA and the UK.
SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MARGARET GARDINER
- Margaret was born in Cape Town, Western Cape.
- The beauty queen is now around 64 years old.
- She graduated with a BA in psychology from the College of Charleston.
- The beauty queen is the author of two books and worked as a journalist in the entertainment industry, according to Briefly.
- She now lives in Los Angeles and she is also a fashion editor at the Golden Globes.
- Margaret is married to Andre Nel, a professor of paediatrics and public health at UCLA.
So, who are the Miss SA Top 13? Take a look here.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE FINALIST?
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