Miss America is ending the swimsuit portion of its competition, ABC News is reporting.
The Miss America Organization said early Tuesday that the contest is trading its swimsuit competition for “a live interactive session with the judges” in which participants must “demonstrate their passion, intelligence and overall understanding of the job of Miss America,” ABC News reported.
“We are no longer a pageant; we are a competition,” Gretchen Carlson, who chairs the Miss America Organization’s Board of Trustees, told “Good Morning America” on Tuesday morning.
The current Miss America, Cara Mund, tweeted soon afterward: “We’re changing out of our swimsuits and into a whole new era.” She added the hashtags #byebyebikini and #MissAmerica2019.
The contest is also nixing its evening gown competition in favor of “asking contestants to wear attire that makes them feel confident,” ABC News reported.
This year’s pageant will air at 9 p.m. ET Sept. 9 on ABC.