Ann Sidney had to Cope with Fame, Scandal, Heartbreak and Adversity after being crowned Miss World
Ann Sidney was simply the best Miss World ever! That’s my view after discovering how a young, naïve girl from Poole became the most successful beauty queen of all time by starring as an actress, singer and presenter in films, theatre and on TV.
But Ann had to cope with fame, scandal, marital problems and adversity, including heartbreak when her affair with entertainer Bruce Forsyth ended, marriage splits and the death of her fifth husband, theatre producer Duncan Weldon, in January 2019 after nursing him for eight years during a series of illnesses.
She told me: “My relationship with Bruce Forsyth progressed into something for which I was not ready – after all, he was a married man. It started when he was one of the judges for a beauty competition I won in Bournemouth at the age of 19. Any meetings with him after I won Miss World had to be clandestine. When we parted I was heartbroken.
“Fortunately, I am extremely resilient, even though I have made many mistakes. I’ve learned a great deal about myself and why it took me a long time to learn. I feel very grateful for all of my experiences – good and bad. I’ve had a wonderful life – and it’s not over yet.”
My interviews with Ann have been my favourites of those I have conducted in 2024. Here is an updated, more revealing version of my original article about her:
Ann Sidney celebrated a special anniversary this year because it was on November 12th.1964 – 60 years ago – that she was crowned Miss World.
She and I have become friends. Indeed, we’ve formed a ‘mutual admiration society”, with Ann loving my celebrity book My Life With The Stars – Sizzling Secrets Spilled! and me acclaiming a remarkable lady who has matched her beauty with talent and charisma. I’m delighted to introduce her amazing achievements to those born after the 1960s.
In addition to travelling around the world five times, Ann became a successful actress in films, on TV and stage, including the West End farce Not Now Darling. She was also a TV host and the lead singer at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for six years.
She told me: “I found myself leading a hectic life after winning Miss World, fulfilling so many engagements, including world tours and being part of the Bob Hope show, entertaining US troops in Vietnam.”
Ann wrote about it in her book Surviving Miss World, revealing the many highs and lows – outstanding accomplishments, five marriages and the relationship with the star of Sunday Night at the London Palladium.
She says: “It’s quite a feat to write the story of your life along with the successes and failures. I am now in the process of revising and updating my book.”
The delightful Miss Sidney, who was born in Chippenham, Wiltshire, has crammed so much into her 80 years, especially since her days as a hairdresser, earning just 30 shillings a week, in Bournemouth, near Poole where she lived from the age of four. She has spent two spells living in the USA for a total of more than 20 years.
Ann reflects: “This year, on November 12th, marked 60 years since I won Miss World. It’s hard to believe – time has seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye.”
This still glamorous lady, who was showered with messages of congratulations from friends and fans on this anniversary, explained how my celebrity book My Life With The Stars brought back happy memories to her. She said: “I’ve loved reading your book about showbiz and sports stars, Tony. It reminded me of my past and all the people I was fortunate enough to meet. It’s very informative and very well written – as you were a journalist that’s not surprising. We’re talking about a lucky generation in so many ways and we had great times.”
Miss Sidney was proud to become only the second woman from England to win Miss World, following the success of Rosemarie Frankland in 1961.
The 1964 Miss World pageant was watched on TV by 27.2 million people in the UK alone. It brought Ann instant fame and a new life, mixing with the rich and famous.
She reveals that being Miss World often meant starting her duties at 6 am and not getting home until midnight. When her reign ended it was difficult to adjust, but her positive outlook enabled her to do so and she insists: “Life can be beautiful.”
Ann, who still works out regularly in a gym near her house in Los Angeles, told me: “Next year I hope to move back to the UK, providing I can find a suitable flat. My roots are in England and I still love the country and people.”
After relinquishing the Miss World title, Ann had acting roles on TV in The Avengers and Are You Being Served? and in films, including the spy thriller Sebastian with Dirk Bogarde and Susannah York in 1968.
In addition to the West End farce Not Now Darling opposite Donald Sinden and Bernard Cribbins, she appeared in numerous stage musicals, playing Maria von Trapp in The Sound of Music.
In December 1970, Ann married actor Rod McLennan – one of five husbands – and moved to Australia. She featured in several Australian television programmes, and co-hosted an Aussie version of the game show The Better Sex in 1978.
In coping with so many ups and downs, Ann has been an inspiration to countless thousands and hopes this continues when the updated version of her book is published. Meanwhile, Surviving Miss World gives an insight into what fame and fortune can do to a young, inexperienced girl of 20 from a working-class family.
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Unknown Kent and Sussex readers can also enjoy, for just £1.77 for the e-version, revelations and amusing anecdotes about a host of showbiz and sports stars, from Elvis Presley to Muhammad Ali, in my celebrity book My Life With The Stars – Sizzling Secrets Spilled on Amazon.co.uk, the link for which is: https://mybook.to/sizzlingsecrets
For readers outside the UK, the link to my book on Amazon.com is https://www.amazon.com/MY-LIFE-STARS-Sizzling-secrets-ebook/dp/B07WCWC9RH/
The celebrities’ secrets include those of Bruce Forsyth who swept Ann off her feet with his attentions before he eventually married another former Miss World.
I am so pleased that WordPress readers are enjoying my articles about former Miss World Ann Sidney and they are also sharing Ann’s enjoyment of my celebrity book My Life With The Stars.