Doubts About 'miss Hong Kong’ (Press, 11 December 1972)

On 10 December 1972, the "News of the World" reported that the organisers of the "Miss World" competition were set to investigate claims regarding this year's "Miss Hong Kong," Meilin Gay. A man, who chose to remain anonymous, approached the newspaper's office and alleged that the 24-year-old Miss Gay was originally born a boy. The man asserted that she had undergone medical treatment, including hormone therapy, and had started her career as a part-time model following her transition. Miss Gay had recently been at the centre of controversy after it was revealed that despite asserting in contest literature that she was from Kowloon, she had actually been working in a London massage parlour for the past two and a half years. The report included statements from Neil Toland, a manager at a modelling agency who claimed to have provided work for Miss Gay. Toland alleged that her original birth certificate listed her as a male, but it had later been amended to reflect her gender identity as female. He mentioned that he became aware of her past when other models became suspicious of her mannerisms. Following this discovery, Miss Gay left the United Kingdom. Miss Hong Kong did not make the cut for the 15 semi-finalists in the competition. In light of the allegations, Julia Morley, organiser of the "Miss World" contest, promised a thorough investigation into the claims regarding Miss Gay's gender during the following day. Additionally, another report from the "Sunday People" addressed the newly crowned "Miss World" at that time, Belinda Green, an Australian model. The newspaper noted that she was not officially recognised as "Miss Australia" in her hometown, despite being referred to as such in the United Kingdom. The "Miss Australia" title was actually awarded by the Cerebral Palsy Association of Sydney and was won by Melbourne contestant Michelle Downes. The competition that Belinda Green participated in was organised by an Australian department store, and she was simply referred to as "Miss World Entrant" prior to her arrival in Britain, where her title was altered to "Miss Australia."

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