# Michelle McLean

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michelle_McLean
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Michelle_McLean.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_McLean
> Source revision: 1354909879
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Namibian model

Michelle McLean MacLean in 2021 Born (1972-07-31) 31 July 1972 (age 53) Windhoek, South West Africa (now Namibia) Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Spouse Neil Bierbaum ​ (div. 2006)​ Gary Bailey ​ (m. 2013)​ Children 1 Beauty pageant titleholder Title Miss Namibia 1991 Miss Universe 1992 Hair color Blonde Eye color Hazel Major competition(s) Miss Namibia 1991 (Winner) Miss World 1991 (Top 5) Miss Universe 1992 (Winner) Website www.mmct.org.na

**Michelle McLean** (born 31 July 1972) is a [Namibian](/source/Namibian) actress, writer, model and beauty queen who was crowned [Miss Universe 1992](/source/Miss_Universe_1992) in Thailand. McLean was 19 years old when she was crowned Miss Universe, and became the first, and so far only, Namibian woman, as well as the second African one, to win the title. McLean had been crowned [Miss Namibia 1991](/source/Miss_Namibia) before Miss Universe, and also placed as the fourth runner-up at [Miss World 1991](/source/Miss_World_1991).

## Early life

At the age of 13, Michelle McLean entered the world of international modelling, being crowned Miss Namibia in 1991 and reaching the all-time high as Miss Universe, crowned in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1992 - at the age of 19.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Pageantry

Michelle McLean began her modeling career at a young age while growing up in Windhoek, Namibia. Before competing in Miss Universe, McLean competed in [Miss World 1991](/source/Miss_World_1991).[1] In the preliminary competition she was tied in second place with a score of 51 along with Miss South Africa, behind the eventual winner, Venezuela's [Ninibeth Leal](/source/Ninibeth_Leal); McLean eventually finished in the top 5.

McLean was crowned in the 1992 Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand. She is the first and only Namibian women to win the Miss Universe title.[2] In the [1992 Miss Universe](/source/Miss_Universe_1992) pageant she finished second in the preliminary with a score of 9.147, right behind [Carolina Izsak](/source/Carolina_Izsak) of [Venezuela](/source/Miss_Venezuela), who won all three preliminary competitions. Nonetheless, McLean's warmth and love for children helped clinch the crown over Izsak, [Paola Turbay](/source/Paola_Turbay) of [Colombia](/source/Miss_Colombia), and [Madhushri Sapre](/source/Madhushri_Sapre) of [India](/source/Femina_Miss_India).

## Life after Miss Universe

After winning Miss Universe, the attention she gained also provided attention for Namibia. This began opening opportunities for her social media presence, her business, as well as philanthropy. Michelle described her experience in pageantry as transformative; it opened many opportunities for her such as helping her establish the Michelle McLean Children Trust in 1992, which supports education as well as community development programs across Namibia.[3] McLean grew from pageantry to providing for her country. “I am an example of a woman who was destined to be just a beauty queen, but through Sam Nujoma’s guidance I was able to contribute to the upliftment of underserved communities and education for children throughout Namibia since 1992.”[4]

McLean campaigns for charities, notably The Michelle McLean Children Trust in Namibia and the Michelle McLean Primary School, also in Namibia, which has 890 students. The Michelle McLean Children's Trust in Namibia, which focuses on the education and care of under-privileged children, was founded in 1992 and has raised over 50 million dollars to help children in her native Namibia, in Southern Africa.[5]

Michelle was instrumental in bringing the Miss Universe pageant to her country in 1995. In 2009 Michelle co-hosted the Miss World pageant held in South Africa.[6] In 2018, McLean formed part of the selection committee of the [Miss Universe 2018](/source/Miss_Universe_2018).

Apart from modeling, Michelle McLean- Bailey has been a professional speaker for over 20 years, and has hosted numerous international events, like the Global Forum, the World Economic Forum, Soccer World Cup, the Louis Vuitton Regatta and Opera at the Pyramids.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Personal life

Michelle married Neil Bierbaum in 1998. They had a son together, Luke McLean Bierbaum in 1999. They divorced in 2006.[7]

Michelle McLean and former [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United) goalkeeper [Gary Bailey](/source/Gary_Bailey) married on 9 March 2013.[8]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Mouton, Rinelda (20 February 2025). ["Former Miss Universe Michelle McLean says Nujoma motivated her to be more than a beauty queen"](https://www.namibian.com.na/former-miss-universe-michelle-mclean-says-nujoma-motivated-her-to-be-more-than-a-beauty-queen/). *The Namibian*. Retrieved 3 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The Miss Universe | The Greatest Celebration of Woman"](https://www.missuniverse.com/). *Miss Universe*. Retrieved 3 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["MMCT"](https://mmcfnamibia.org/). Retrieved 3 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Mouton, Rinelda (20 February 2025). ["Former Miss Universe Michelle McLean says Nujoma motivated her to be more than a beauty queen"](https://www.namibian.com.na/former-miss-universe-michelle-mclean-says-nujoma-motivated-her-to-be-more-than-a-beauty-queen/). *The Namibian*. Retrieved 3 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Michelle McLean University"](https://web.archive.org/web/20210417195238/https://michellemcleanuniversity.com/). *Michelle McLean University*. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Michelle McLean"](https://michellemclean.io/). *Michelle McLean*. Retrieved 4 June 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** NATASHA, UYS (6 February 2008). ["Michelle's the one for Riaan!"](https://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?page=archive-read&id=42563). *The Namibian*. Retrieved 29 May 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-PEARL_COETZEE_-_WINDHOEK_8-0)** Mclean, Michelle (4 October 2012). ["Wedding bells for Mclean, Bailey"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131218114601/http://sun.com.na/content/national-news/wedding-bells-for-mclean-bailey). *Namibian Sun*. Archived from [the original](http://sun.com.na/content/national-news/wedding-bells-for-mclean-bailey) on 18 December 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2012.

Awards and achievements Preceded by Lupita Jones Miss Universe 1992 Succeeded by Dayanara Torres Preceded by Ronel Liebenberg Miss Namibia 1991 Succeeded by Anja Schröder

v t e Miss Universe titleholders 1950s Armi Kuusela (1952) Christiane Martel (1953) Miriam Stevenson (1954) Hillevi Rombin (1955) Carol Morris (1956) Gladys Zender (1957) Luz Marina Zuluaga (1958) Akiko Kojima (1959) 1960s Linda Bement (1960) Marlene Schmidt (1961) Norma Nolan (1962) Iêda Maria Vargas (1963) Corinna Tsopei (1964) Apasra Hongsakula (1965) Margareta Arvidsson (1966) Sylvia Hitchcock (1967) Martha Vasconcellos (1968) Gloria Diaz (1969) 1970s Marisol Malaret (1970) Georgina Rizk (1971) Kerry Anne Wells (1972) Margie Moran (1973) Amparo Muñoz (1974) Anne Pohtamo (1975) Rina Messinger (1976) Janelle Commissiong (1977) Margaret Gardiner (1978) Maritza Sayalero (1979) 1980s Shawn Weatherly (1980) Irene Sáez (1981) Karen Baldwin (1982) Lorraine Downes (1983) Yvonne Ryding (1984) Deborah Carthy-Deu (1985) Bárbara Palacios (1986) Cecilia Bolocco (1987) Porntip Nakhirunkanok (1988) Angela Visser (1989) 1990s Mona Grudt (1990) Lupita Jones (1991) Michelle McLean (1992) Dayanara Torres (1993) Sushmita Sen (1994) Chelsi Smith (1995) Alicia Machado (1996) Brook Lee (1997) Wendy Fitzwilliam (1998) Mpule Kwelagobe (1999) 2000s Lara Dutta (2000) Denise Quiñones (2001) Oxana Fedorova/Justine Pasek (2002) Amelia Vega (2003) Jennifer Hawkins (2004) Natalie Glebova (2005) Zuleyka Rivera (2006) Riyo Mori (2007) Dayana Mendoza (2008) Stefanía Fernández (2009) 2010s Ximena Navarrete (2010) Leila Lopes (2011) Olivia Culpo (2012) Gabriela Isler (2013) Paulina Vega (2014) Pia Wurtzbach (2015) Iris Mittenaere (2016) Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (2017) Catriona Gray (2018) Zozibini Tunzi (2019) 2020s Andrea Meza (2020) Harnaaz Sandhu (2021) R'Bonney Gabriel (2022) Sheynnis Palacios (2023) Victoria Kjær Theilvig (2024) Fátima Bosch (2025)

v t e Miss World 1991 national titleholders Anke Van dermeersch Mareva Georges Amanda Brunker Inese Šlesere Samantha Schubert Michelle McLean Nike Oshinowo Vivian Benítez Dilek Aslıhan Koruyan Charlotte Ray Ninibeth Leal

v t e Miss Universe 1992 national titleholders BEL: Anke Van dermeersch CAN: Nicole Dunsdon CHI: Marcela Vacarezza COL: Paola Turbay ECU: Soledad Diab FRA: Linda Hardy GRE: Marina Tsintikidou IND: Madhushree Sapre NAM: Michelle McLean (winner) PAN: Ana Orillac SWE: Monica Brodd THA: Orn-anong Panyawong USA: Shannon Marketic VEN: Carolina Izsak

v t e Major international pageant titleholders (1992) Miss World Julia Kourotchkina Miss Universe Michelle McLean Miss International Kirsten Davidson

v t e Miss Universe Organization titleholders (1992) Miss Universe Michelle McLean Miss USA Shannon Marketic Miss Teen USA Jamie Solinger

Authority control databases VIAF GND

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michelle McLean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_McLean) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_McLean?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.