Editing Wilnelia Merced (section)

==Career==
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Born in [[Caguas, Puerto Rico]], Merced won [[Miss Puerto Rico|Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico 1975]] and went on to win the [[Miss World 1975]] title at the [[Royal Albert Hall]] in [[London]]. She remained the only Puerto Rican to win the title until [[Stephanie Del Valle]] was crowned [[Miss World 2016]] after serving as a judge for the pageant. She travelled widely during 1975 and was invited to [[El Salvador]] by the Salvadorean military government before the civil war. 

After passing on her crown in 1976, she was signed by [[Ford Models]] in [[New York City]]. In 1978, a giant poster of Wilnelia Merced was displayed in [[Times Square]]. She was introduced to British television entertainer [[Bruce Forsyth]] at the 1980 Miss World competition gala in [[London]]. While still a public figure at home in Puerto Rico, she retired from modelling after her marriage to Forsyth in 1983.