Miss France 2009 is half-American

FRENCH-US national Chloé Mortaud has been voted Miss France 2009.

She is the first Miss France who is not only of French nationality. The 19-year-old has a mother who is originally from Mississippi, who came to France 25 years ago, and a French father.

Miss Mortaud, an international commerce student, is also the first Miss France from the Albigeois Midi-Pyrénées area.

The Miss France 2009 election – held in the Vendée at the Puy du Fou theme park, was also notable for the tension between organiser Geneviève de Fontenay and last year’s winner Valérie Bègue.

Miss Bègue, from Reunion, did not attend the 2009 ceremony having fallen into disfavour with the elderly “lady in the hat,” after risqué photographs from a photoshoot were discovered shortly after her victory last year.

The swimwear photos involved Bègue posing in a crucifix position and having yoghurt licked off her.

Traditionally the previous Miss France crowns the winner, but Mrs de Fontenay had threatened to walk off the set if Miss Bègue appeared. One of the presenters, Jean-Pierre Foucault, said during the televised final: “Valérie is not here tonight, Geneviève didn’t want her to be.”

Mrs de Fontenay has since been quoted saying Miss Bègue did “not want to come because of her photos,” adding: “It is impossible to forgive things like that.”

However Miss Bègue, who made a video-link appearance from Los Angeles, insisted she was not there due to professional commitments – from March she has said she will be filming “a dream role” with a well-known American director. She is also to appear in a drama on TF1 in January and in the channel’s series Seconde Chance, from March.

Asked if there was likely to be any controversy over risqué photos of herself, the new Miss France said: “You can look if you like – you won’t find any.”

Photo: Afp/Alain Jocard