Charl van den Berg,  the curent Mr. Gay South Africa, has now got a new title  -  the new Worldwide Mr. Gay 2010. Crowned in Oslo, Norway on Valentines Day, the event, which was streamed live on the internet, drew delegates from around the world with Australia coming in second followed by Hong Kong, Spain and China. The title of both  Mr. Photogenic and Mr. Swimwear wet to Russia whilst Mr. Popularity went to Brazil.

Speaking before the finale, Charl had said that he was confident though he did feel the competition was tough. And it was this confidence that shown through when asked, alongside the other four making up the final five:

 “If you were to speak to an high school about sexuality, what would you tell them?”.

Answering:

 “Sexuality is a private matter; regardless of what your sexuality is, we are all the same – we are all human beings”,

the 28 year old restaurant manager acted to really impress the judges, with Morten Ruda, President of Mr. Gay Europe telling the organisers of the Mr. Gay South Africa™ competition:

“Congratulations on your victory! He has made a deep impression on all of us here in Oslo! Well deserved. Best wishes for all his future endeavours.”

Charl’s first duty as the new Worldwide Mr. Gay has been to fly to Vancouver, Canada where he is taking part in the festivities of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Whilst there, Worldwide Mr. Gay will be an ambassador for equality and diversity while taking part in the Pride House – a safe space that brings visibility to LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex) people in sport.

Back in Cape Town, supporters are already planning to stage a huge party when he returns and the directors of Mr. Gay South Africa (Pty) Ltd have been expressing their thanks for everyone who has supported them and Charl including Club Travel Honeydew, Bondisio Couture, Bone Wear (who also sponsored the swimwear and underwear of the Worldwide Mr. Gay pageant as well as Mr. Gay South Africa™), GF Menswear, Diesel and Jean Paul Gaultier.

When Charl does return, he will not only be celebrating but also working hard fulfilling his Mr. Gay South Africa™ duties which include attending the Cape Town Pride at the end of February and the Pink Loerie Mardi Gras in Knysna, which will be staged from the 28th of April to the 2nd of May 2010.