Jack Heslewood form England celebrates his Mister World victory with his fellow contestants./ARMIN P. ADINA

QUEZON CITY- The “most desirable man in the world” has been proclaimed, and he is an aerospace engineer from England.

Besting 71 other aspirants from around the world in ceremonies staged at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Friday night, Jack Heslewood inherited the Mister World title from India’s Rohit Khandelwal, the winner in the global tilt’s previous edition held in 2016.

This is the first time that the Philippines has hosted the London-based International contest, the counterpart of the Miss World pageant.

Miss World Organization (MWO) President and CEO Julia Morley came to the country to witness the affair, and to participate in the charity events with the delegates in Manila for the 10th edition of the Mister World contest.

Reigning Miss World Vanessa Ponce de Leon of Mexico, and 2016 winner Stephanie del Valle of Puerto Rico were also with Morley.

JB Saliba of the Philippines is proclaimed king of Asia and Oceania./ARMIN P. ADINA

Russian winner Ksenia Sukhinova arrived on Tuesday, in time for Wednesday night’s charity gala, and Friday night’s finals.

The four ladies sat in the judging panel, along with broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas.

In an earlier interview with the Inquirer, Morley confirmed that the Philippines’ staging of the Mister World contest attracted the most number of participants in the contest’s history.

She also said that the previously biennial event will now be staged annually after the 2019 edition.

As Mister World, Heslewood will join the reigning Miss World in MWO’s “Beauty with a Purpose” projects in different countries.

Finishing second on Friday night’s contest was heart surgeon Fezile Mkhize from South Africa who won the sports “fast-track” event, followed by Top Model fast-track winner Brian Arturo Faugier Gonzalez from Mexico.

Completing the Top 5 were Brazil’s Carlos Teodoro Franco, and Dominican Republic’s Alejandro Martinez.

Jody Baines Saliba from the Philippines finished in the Top 12, and was proclaimed Mister World-Asia and Oceania.

Andrew Wolfe’s first runner-up finish in 2012 is so far the Philippines’ highest placement in the Mister World contest.

The Philippines’ lone Miss World winner Megan Young hosted the show, sharing the stage with her boyfriend, Kapuso actor Mikael Daez.