Wilnelia Merced

Infobox Actress
name = Wilnelia Merced-Forsyth


othername = Wilnelia Merced Cruz-Forsyth
birthname = Wilnelia Merced Cruz
birthdate = birth date and age|1959|10|12|df=y
birthplace = Caguas, Puerto Rico, USA
deathdate =
deathplace =
yearsactive =1975–2008
awards = Winner of Miss World (1975)
spouse = Bruce Forsyth (1983—)

Wilnelia Merced-Forsyth (born 12 October 1959, Caguas, Puerto Rico) became in 1975 the first and to date only winner of the Miss World title from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Merced faced a difficult year: the last Miss World before her had caused controversy by having a child out of wedlock. It was important for the winner to restore the contest's reputation. She travelled widely during her reigning year and was invited to pre-civil war El Salvador by that country's government. She fell in love with England, which she would later make her home.

After passing on her crown, in 1976, she was signed by Ford Models in New York. In 1978 a giant poster of her was displayed in Times Square, and she was introduced, in London at the 1980 Miss World competition gala to British television entertainer Bruce Forsyth. Merced and Forsyth, who is old enough to be her father, married in 1983. While still a public figure at home in Puerto Rico she retired as a model after her wedding. They had a son in 1986, and she became in the 1990s, the owner of "Miss World Puerto Rico". She also has a foundation to help Puerto Rico's under-privileged children, for which she organizes charity balls.

Merced lives with her husband and their son, Jonathan Joseph, in London. In 2002, during one of her visits to Puerto Rico, her London home was broken into by thieves, who injured one of her maids.

Merced is also a distant relative to reggaeton artist and independent film actor Darren Martinez.

ee also

*List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links

*imdb name|id=1524206|name=Wilnelia Merced
* [http://www.geocities.com/televisioncity/9699/mcmw75.htm Further information about 1975 contest]