Hongkong broadcaster TVB revealed yesterday (May 10) in a press conference that the global recruitment drive for this year’s Miss Hong Kong Pageant has started.

Last April, TVB announced it was suspending the beauty contest for the first time in its 48-year history due to the pandemic but backtracked on the decision a few weeks later by shifting the pageant to a fully virtual format.

The theme for this year’s pageant? ‘We Miss Hong Kong’, which would make a lot more sense if last year’s pageant was actually cancelled.

Eric Tsang, who has hosted the pageant in the past and who is now the deputy general manager of TVB, told reporters that while he isn’t the emcee for this year’s show, he will be involved with the audition process.

You don’t actually have to live in Hongkong to compete in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant,

Every year, the competition sees contestants from all over the world travelling to the city to see if they will be the next Anita Yuen (Miss Hongkong 1990) or Michelle Reis (Miss Hongkong 1988).

Delegates just need to have a Hongkong ID or be born in Hong Kong with a valid birth certificate. Last year’s winner Lisa-Mare Tse is from Scotland. Grace Chan, who won the pageant in 2013, is from Vancouver, Canada.

But as you know, COVID-19 has made travelling a real hassle, to say the least.

When asked if he was worried that the COVID-19 situation in Hongkong would affect contestants from overseas, Eric said they are making “advanced preparations” in anticipation of that.

“That’s why the recruitment drive was brought forward so hopefully the overseas delegates will have enough time to return to Hongkong for their quarantine,” he added.

Eric also said he “won’t force” the delegates to get vaccinated and that the choice to get vaxxed is up to them. However, he did say “If they get vaccinated, it would be more convenient for them to enter and leave [Hongkong].”

Believe it or not, Eric hopes to do an overseas shoot with this year’s delegates — it’s a Miss Hong Kong Pageant tradition to go on a location shoot in another country — but added that the chance of that happening depends on the pandemic situation.

According to Eric, Singapore is one country he hopes to go on location at because of our travel bubble with Hongkong.

The Miss Hong Kong Pageant is usually held in the last week of August or the first week of September so fingers crossed.

Photos: Weibo