Miss World 2011 Winner Ivian Sarcos: From Orphanage to Global Stardom [PHOTOS]

Miss Venezuela Ivian Sarcos, 22, was crowned the Miss World 2011 beauty pageant on Sunday at Earls Court in London.

When the last year’s winner Miss U.S. Alexandria Mills handed over the crown to Sarcos, she cried with joy. Sarcos triumphed over 100 other beauty queens around the world, winning for Venezuela, the sixth Miss World title.

I felt the most gorgeous woman in the world. I was so happy and I wanted to shout, to cry, to stand still and to smile. So many emotions, Sarcos told AFP.

I'm incredibly happy for this moment, for this opportunity and for winning and I'm grateful with my life, the Miss World said.

Sarcos, who currently works for a broadcasting company and has a degree in human resources, lost her parents at age of eight. She’s one of 13 siblings.

However, Sarcos said the tragedies in her life made her a stronger person and her past has taught me that life, although it may be bad, doesn't have to end badly. Although I no longer have my parents, it has taught me to be stronger.

Sarcos has strong interest in charities and she had spent five years in an orphanage run by nuns. And I want to carry on doing the wonderful work that Beauty with a Purpose and the Miss World organisation does and to help people in need, she said after being crowned, adding that she wanted to help ‘people like me’ - other orphans.

“Winning means everything to me and I hope to take advantage of being a winner in a productive manner,” the 61st Miss World told AFP.

“I first and foremost want to help people in need,” Sarcos added. “I would like to help people like me. I am an orphan. I would also like to help the elderly and troubled teenagers. As many people as I can.”

She's (Sarcos) a very real person, very sweet and very genuine and I think that we're really lucky to have her. Miss World Chairman and Chief Executive Julia Morley told AFP.

We're going to Ghana to work on a project there and I know that she's a down-to-earth person and she won't be afraid to get her hands dirty, Morley continued.

That the other girls are really happy, they really like her. So I think that she'll be very successful, Morley added.

Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Gaelle Sandrine Ruais, won the first runner-up, and Miss Puerto Rico, Amanda Victoria Vilanova Perez, was placed third.