In TV3’s quest to assert its authority in Ghana as the home of reality TV shows, the channel’s management premiered, in 2007, an innovative beauty reality TV contest known as Ghana’s Most Beautiful (GMB).

The objective of the show was to showcase the culture and beauty of the country’s then-10 regions (which were expanded to 16 in 2019). Besides, GMB sought to promote development through culture and unity, thereby upholding Ghanaian culture. And that was how this Afrocentric beauty pageant came to be.

The theme for GMB, right from its outset, has been “redefining Ghanaian beauty to promote national unity”. And thus far, it has proved that beauty goes beyond physical looks and appearances.

Unlike other Ghanaian pageants, GMB’s contestants must have a local name, and those without one must immediately adopt one from their region of origin.

Since its inception, an array of gorgeous young Ghanaian ladies of different shapes, colours, height, and sizes; the display of gorgeous traditional apparels and assorted cultural symbols; graceful performances and narration of ancestral history, coupled with lectures on the embodiment of Ghanaian tradition, customs, and norms by the contestants, have become the hallmarks of the show.

As typical of reality TV shows, GMB empowers viewers to help the show’s judges choose the winner by voting for their favourite contestant.

The first edition of the show, aired in 2007, was won by Central Region’s representative Ama (Lena Acquah). Those who missed that exciting inaugural edition were given the opportunity to experience it with the second edition in 2008, which saw Adoley (Greater Accra Region) write her name in the golden book of the GMB.

Since then, the show has come on TV3’s screens year in, year out. Not even the ‘almighty’ Coronavirus disease 2019, better known as ‘COVID-19 ‘, was able to put it on hold.

For some inexplicable reason, the GMB didn’t appeal to a number of young Ghanaian ladies, especially the refined ones, when it began. The quality of contestants, hence, was not really top-flight in the pageant’s early years.

As a matter of fact, most ladies preferred other national beauty pageants such as Miss Ghana and Miss Universe Ghana. Perhaps because the aforementioned pageants offered winners the opportunity to travel abroad and represent Ghana at prestigious international beauty pageants, viz. Miss World and Miss Universe respectively, they had always been more appealing to beauty queen hopefuls in the country.

It’s worth mentioning that CharterHouse’s Miss Malaika Ghana also attracted quite many such polished ladies, even though winners did not have to represent Ghana at any international beauty pageant.

In the beginning, TV3 worked with Ghana-based 1st Royal Events Limited (also known as First Royal Events Limited) to send GMB winners to represent Ghana at either Miss Tourism Queen International or Miss Earth. This was the case until 2010, when Ghana’s representative at 2010 Miss Earth, Nasara Mariam Abdul Rauf (2009 GMB winner), reportedly ‘stole’ a mobile phone and beauty make-up kits belonging to her roommate, Miss UK.

Though Nasara, who represented the Northern Region in the 2009 edition of GMB, was immediately stripped of the GMB title on her return to Ghana — with the 1st runner-up Lamisi (Magdalene Sam Awinongya) from the Upper East Region automatically taking over the title — the management of TV3 kindly asked her (Nasara) to keep all the prizes that she had received, including the coveted car.

As expected, the theft incident at the 2010 Miss Earth, held in the Philippines, strained the hitherto fruitful working relationship between 1st Royal (the local company that held the Miss Earth franchise in Ghana) and TV3’s management, with the former (1st Royal) subsequently severing all ties with the latter. Consequently, GMB winners no longer represented Ghana at the Miss Earth or Miss Tourism Queen International pageants.

It cannot be gainsaid that Nasara’s ignoble act in the Philippines caused a great disaffection for the GMB brand, not only back home in Ghana, but across the globe as well. And it ostensibly took Volta Region’s Emefa Akosua Adeti (2012 GMB winner) for the affection the show used to enjoy to be restored.

In the wake of Emefa’s crowning, the show surprisingly grew by leaps and bounds, attracting more fiercely intelligent candidates. Some past winners and former contestants often mention her (Emefa) as the one who stimulated their interest in the pageant. Emefa therefore seemed to be the stick that the GMB had leaned on to get back on its feet.

Almost every edition/season of the show came with a theme song meant to jazz up the show. Over the years, an array of Ghanaian music artistes, usually female vocalists/singers, have had the rare opportunity to do theme songs for GMB. Ace artistes such as Nana Yaa, Adina, Abiana, Wiyaala, Cina Soul, et al. have all had their turns on the show.

Now in its 20th year, TV3’s management has been asking the viewing public to name their favourite GMB theme song. Any ardent viewer who has been watching it since it debuted on the screens will not hesitate to mention the theme song for the 2014 edition as their favourite.

Produced by the legendary Appiah Dankwah aka ‘Appietus’, what distinguishes that theme song from the others is the excellent manner in which the singer Yvonne Ohene Djan, better known as “SHE”, effortlessly sang in different indigenous Ghanaian languages, albeit some parts of the song were sung by some ‘anonymous’ singers. Besides, the song ultimately captures the essence of the show: to unite the entire nation through culture; and ‘language’ is an integral part of culture.

As GMB celebrates 20 years of milestones this year (2026), if there is any theme song that deserves to be ‘resurrected’ and given a new lease of life, it ought to be the 2014 edition’s.

A couple of months ago, Abena (Naomi Obeng), the representative of the Eastern Region in the 2018 GMB, disclosed in an interview on TV3’s “Reality Check” show that it was the 2014 theme song that greatly inspired her to partake in the 2018 edition, which she won!

That is not all; recently, when Yaba (2016 GMB winner) and Teiya (2022 GMB queen) were being interviewed on TV3 as part of a special 20th anniversary feature, they both unsolicitedly mentioned the 2014 theme song as their favourite. So obviously, Appietus and SHE’s theme song is “in a comfortable lead”!

There is no gainsaying the fact that the GMB has outclassed and outshone all the other beauty pageants organised in the country, which could be the underlying reason why the organisers of Miss Earth have re-established ties with TV3. Accordingly, beginning from this year’s edition (2026 edition), the GMB winner will represent Ghana at Miss Earth, as had been the case before the disgraceful act by Ghana’s Nasara at the 2010 Miss Earth.

Indeed, big brands are not built overnight; they are built ‘over time’, and TV3 has demonstrated that with the GMB.

By Eugene Selorm Owusu
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