Dutch candidate withdraws from Miss World; Won't get vaccinated

Dilay Willmestein, who was recently elected Miss World Netherlands, decided not to represent the Netherlands at the Miss World pageant in Puerto Rico. The 21-year-old model from Eindhoven will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel to the competition, but she refused.

A spokesperson for the Miss World Netherlands election confirmed a report about this in AD on Tuesday evening. Lizzy Dobbe from Den Helder will now go to Puerto Rico. She was the runner-up in the Miss World Netherlands pageant. The pageant will take place in mid-December.

"I'm not ready to take the shot yet. I don't feel good about it," said Dilay Willemstein in an interview with AD. Willemstein noted that she hadn't realized at the Miss World Netherlands pageant that she had to be vaccinated.

She postponed her decision for a long time. "But I like to look ahead. This door is closing, but new doors will open for me." She previously said that winning the competition was her lifelong dream.