This was Czechoslovakia, Panama, and Uganda's debuts. Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) returned to the pageant.
An estimated 25 million viewers, half of Britain's population, watched the pageant on BBC One.
Some of the candidates already had previous experience in international beauty pageants; Miss Peru had been a semifinalist in Miss Universe 1966 (1966) while Miss England placed 2nd Runner-Up in Miss Universe 1967 (1967). Also, from Miss Universe 1967 came Miss Canada, Miss Austria, Miss Belgium, Miss Luxembourg, and Miss New Zealand.
Miss Argentina, María del Carmen Sabaliauskas, would be hired by Aerolineas Argentinas in 1979 as the first woman airline pilot in that country. She flew as a B-707 and B-737 copilot.