Sir Viv to judge Miss World Final

Miss World yesterday announced members of the celebrity panel who will be taking part in Miss World: The Final 2004. Among them are Sir Vivian Richards, the legendary West Indian cricketer. Also included on the panel is Australian actress, Kate Richie. During his international career, which spanned from 1974 until 1991, Richards played 121 Tests (a West Indian record). He was captain for 50 Tests presiding over the most successful era of West Indian cricket. He scored 8,450 runs in his Test career, including 24 hundreds. His highest score was against England in 1976, when he scored 291 runs. During his career he played for the Leeward Islands, Somerset, Queensland, Glamorgan and the West Indies. Celebrity Richie has become synonymous with one of Australia’s longest running shows Home and Away.

As one of only two surviving founding cast members, Richie has incredibly been involved with the show for 19 years. She is currently in the Guinness Book of Records for being the longest serving actress on an Australian drama series. Julia Morley, chairperson of the Miss World Organisation, commented: “I am thrilled to announce that both Sir Vivian Richards and Kate Richie are confirmed to appear on our celebrity panel for the final. They will both be able to bring their considerable experience to the evening, and I know the girls are looking forward to hearing their words of wisdom.” Meanwhile, Troy McClain, the star of American reality TV show The Apprentice, will be the host at this year’s final. He will co-host the Miss World Final with English TV presenter and model Lisa Snowdon. Entertainment will be provided for the final by global superstars including Lionel Richie and Il Divo.