Miss Thailand World 2013
Miss Thailand World 2013 is Kanyapak ‘Natalie’ Phoksomboon. She will represent Thailand at Miss World 2013, scheduked to be held in September in Indonesia. The 1st runner-up was Racha ‘Boongkie’ Rugkapun and the 2nd runner-up was Sukonnit ‘Aim’ Metangsuwech. Kanyapak is 22 years old, a student of Business Administration in Zurich and stands 1.71 m tall.
Jeanette Borhyová is Miss Universe Slovak Republic 2013
Jeanette Borhyová wins Miss Universe Slovak Republic 2013 crown
Jeanette Borhyová was crowned Miss Universe Slovak Republic 2013 at the end of the 15th Miss Universe Slovenskej Republiky pageant held at the Bratislava Aegon Arena National Tennis Center on April 4, 2013. The beauty from Danube Ivanka is 20 years old and stands 1.72 m. She is currently a student of economics and will represent Slovak Republic (Slovakia) at Miss Universe 2013 later this year.
Lucky 13?
When Janine Tugonon gave her answer to the final question at the 2012 Miss Universe Pageant, millions of Filipinos around the world cheered and thought that they might be witnessing what could have been the most exciting evening in Philippine pageantry in more than 40 years. But much to everyone’s disappointment, Janine had to settle for second place, behind the beautiful Olivia Culpo of good ole USA.
From that moment on, the search for the next Miss Philippines, who can finally bring home the Miss Universe crown back to this country of 7,107 islands (during high tide), began.
The most anticipated pageant in the Philippines is about to take place this Sunday, April 14, 2013. Incidentally, the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Incorporated is celebrating its 50 years of existence and in honor of their golden anniversary, they’ve increased the number of contestants to 50. This year, the pageant attracted high-caliber, well-educated women from all walks of life. Some of these women are highly-successful entrepreneurs, college and graduate students as well as working professionals. There are definite standouts among this group but looking back into the pageant’s history, there is always that element of the underdog rising to the top.
Some of the noteworthy candidates include: 1 – Ria Rabajante, 5 – Sofia Mustonen, 12 – Camille Nazar, 13 – Charmaine Elima, 15 – Pia Wurtzbach, 16 – Cindy Miranda, 17- Carin Ramos, 20 – Bea Rose Santiago, 28 – Mercegrace Raquel, 31 – Ma. Angelica De Leon, 33 – Parul Shah, 36 – Angel May Villafuerte, 37 – Alaine Baccay, 39 – Mutya Datul, 41 – Ariella Arida, 43 – Rhea Nakpil and 49 – Herlie Kim Artugue.
But if we have to choose who we think the Philippines should send to the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant, it’s a unanimous vote. It’s 2013…we have to go with candidate number 13, Charmaine Elima! Lucky 13! She is fresh, stunning and looks amazing with or without make-up. She’s elegant, great stage presence and an amazing body. But, what do we know? We’re not experts.
Photo courtesy of Bb. Pilipinas
Miss USA 2013 is June 16!
Miss USA 2012, Nana Meriwether
The 2013 Miss USA competition to air live June 16 on NBC (9-11 P.M. ET) from Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
“The MISS USA Competition is one of the most anticipated live events of the year,” said Mr. Trump. “Teaming with Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino has been a successful formula that enables us to produce one of the best shows year after year.”
“Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is proud to partner with the Miss Universe Organization in hosting this spectacular event for the sixth year in a row,” said David Hoenemeyer, regional president of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. “The MISS USA Competition is one of the most exciting events of the year, so it’s only fitting that one of the most exhilarating resorts on the Strip serve as host.”
The 2013 Miss USA Competition will feature contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Contestants will be judged in three categories: Swimsuit, evening gown and interview. The show concludes with one contestant ultimately being crowned Miss USA 2013.
“We are pleased to welcome the 62nd Annual MISS USA Competition back to Las Vegas,” said Cathy Tull, senior vice president of marketing for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “The history and pride of the MISS USA Competition combined with the strength and excitement of the Las Vegas brand create a winning combination.”
Last year’s telecast concluded with Olivia Culpo, Miss Rhode Island USA, being crowned Miss USA 2012. After Culpo won the title of Miss Universe last December, first runner-up Nana Meriwether, Miss Maryland USA, assumed the role of Miss USA 2012.
The MISS USA telecast now reaches approximately 90 countries and territories. For more information, visit www.missusa.com.
Miss Ukraine 2013
Anna Zayachkivska was crowned Miss Ukraine 2013
21-year-old student from Ivano-Frankivsk, Anna Zayachkivska, was crowned Miss Ukraine 2013. She will be representing Ukraine at the 2013 Miss World in Jakarta, Indonesia, scheduled on September 28. Some of the notable judges that helped pick the new Miss Ukraine include Paris Hilton and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Miss Czech Republic 2013
(R) Gabriela Kratochvilova will represent the Czech Republic at the 2013 Miss Universe Pageant. (L) Lucie Kovandova will represent Czech Republic at Miss World 2013 in Indonesia.
Femina Miss India 2013 Winners
(L-R) Zoya Afroz (2nd runner-up), Navneet Kaur Dhillon (Miss India 2013) and Sobhita Dhulipala (1st runner-up).
Navneet Kaur Dhillon, from Patiala, was crowned Femina Miss India 2013 in a star studded grand finale of the 50th edition of the beauty pageant on Sunday night. The 20-year-old beauty dubbed her win as “a dream come true”
“I can’t believe I am here. I can’t express it in words but it is a beautiful moment. I feel my moment is here,” said Dhillon to reporters after being crowned Femina Miss India.
She’s is the daughter of an Indian Army officer who attended Patiala’s Punjabi University to pursue media studies, She loves photography, swimming, horse riding and dreams of setting up a production house. Like most beauty queens, she is not averse to acting in Bollywood films and hopes to get into directing eventually. However, it’s not her Bollywood dreams that won her the Miss India 2013 title. Her altruistic response to the question: ‘what would be her only regret if she were to die the following day?’ brought in the crown.
Her response? “The only thing I would regret would be not having done as much for society as I would like to. Issues of women’s empowerment and child labour and other social evils are a big concern.”
Meet the Ladies Competing for Bb. Pilipinas 2013
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- 1 – Ria Rabajante
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- 2 – Ma. Bencelle Bianzon
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- 3 – Zandra Flores
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- 4 – Nicole Donesa
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- 5 – Sofia Mustonen
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- 6 – Yvette Mildenberger
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- 7 – Kristel Gonzales
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- 8 – Abbygale Monderin
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- 9 – Katherine Enriquez
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- 10 – Anna Carmela Aquino
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- 11 – Anna Carmina Antonio
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- 12 – Camille Nazar
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- 14 – Rose Pujanes
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- 15 – Pia Wurtzbach
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- 16 – Cindy Miranda
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- 17 – Carin Ramos
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- 18 – Paula Bernasor
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- 19 – Hannah Ruth Sison
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- 20 – Bea Rose Santiago
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- 21 – Lourenz Grace Remetillo
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- 22 – Ellore Punzalan
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- 23 – Leona Santicruz
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- 24 – Cassandra Naidas
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- 25 – Merry Joyce Respicio
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- 26 – Anna Fernandina Buquid
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- 27 – Vania Valiry Vispo
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- 28 – Mercegrace Raquel
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- 29 – Pauline Quintas
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- 30 – Ma. Theresa Gorgonio
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- 31 – Ma. Angelica De Leon
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- 32 – Cindy Abundabar
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- 33 – Parul Shah
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- 34 – Grace Yann Apuad
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- 35 – Theresa Fenger
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- 36 – Angel May Villafuerte
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- 37 – Alaine Baccay
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- 38 – Mariz Ong
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- 39 – Mutya Datul
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- 40 – Jan Helen Villanueva
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- 41 – Ariella Arida
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- 42 – Jacqueline Alexandra Mayoralgo
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- 43 – Rhea Nakpil
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- 44 – Gabriella Runnstromm
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- 45 – Imelda Schweighart
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- 46 – Amanda Noelle Navasero
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- 47 – Aiyana Mickiewicz
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- 48 – Angeli Dione Gomez
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- 49 – Herlie Kim Artugue
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- 50 – Christina Ann Pascual
Miss America 2013 is Miss New York, Mallory Hagan!
A 23-year-old contestant from Brooklyn, N.Y., won the title of Miss America in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Mallory Hagan won the beauty pageant after tap dancing to James Brown’s “Get Up Off of That Thing” and answering a question about whether armed guards belong in grade schools by saying we should not fight violence with violence.
Hagan defeated Miss South Carolina Ali Rogers, who took second, and Miss Oklahoma Alicia Clifton, who finished third.
Hagan wins a $50,000 college scholarship and gets the crown for one year. Her platform was stopping child sexual abuse.
She is expected to spend her title reign on a nationwide speaking tour and raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network, the organization’s official charity.
Hagan defeated several other notable competitors who grabbed headlines this year because of their backstories.
Miss District of Columbia plans to undergo a preventive double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer, which killed her mother and grandmother.
Miss Montana was the pageant’s first autistic contestant.
Miss Iowa has Tourette’s syndrome.
And Miss Maine lost more than 50 pounds before winning her state crown.
The 92nd Miss America annual show held this year at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is the culmination of a week of preliminary competitions and months of preparations for the titleholders from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The pageant, which started as little more than an Atlantic City bathing suit revue, broke viewership records in its heyday and bills itself as one of the world’s largest scholarships programs for women.
But like other pageants, the show has struggled to stay relevant as national attitudes regarding women’s rights and civil rights have evolved.
More recently, the rise of reality television has provided a superabundance of options for Americans interested in seeing attractive young people in competitive pursuits.
Miss Maryland and Miss Illinois – Night Two Winners of the Miss America 2013 Preliminary Competition
The second night of preliminary competition for Miss America 2013 concluded on Wednesday night. The Talent winner is Miss Maryland, Joanna Guy while the Lifestyle and Fitness winner is Miss Illinois, Megan Ervin. The third night of preliminary competition is scheduled Thursday night.
The new Miss America 2013 will be crowned on Saturday, January 12, 2013, during the live telecast from Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Miss Oklahoma and Miss South Carolina – Night one winners of the Miss America 2013 preliminary competition
The first night of preliminary competition for Miss America 2013 concluded on Tuesday night. The Talent winner is Miss Oklahoma, Alicia Clifton while the Lifestyle and Fitness winner is Miss South Carolina, Ali Rogers. The second night of preliminary competition is scheduled Wednesday night.
The new Miss America 2013 will be crowned on Saturday, January 12, 2013, during the live telecast from Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
Seven Finalists announced for the Miss America 2013 Quality of Life Award
At today’s Miss America arrival ceremony, the seven finalists for the Miss America 2013 Quality of Life Award were announced.
Initiated in 1988, the Quality of Life Awards were the first community service-related awards presented to Miss America contestants. Awards are based on platform involvement and community service.
Applicants must excel in their commitment to enhancing quality of life for others through volunteerism and community service. Specific attention is given to depth of service, project creativity and significant effects upon the lives of others.
The seven finalists will be interviewed and next Thursday and the top three will receive scholarships – $6,000 to the winner, and $4,000 and $2,000 scholarships for the first- and second-runner-up, respectively.
The 7 finalists are: Miss Alabama 2012 Anna Laura Bryan (P.A.W.S. for Autism: People and Animals Working Side-by-side), Miss Idaho 2012 Whitney Wood (Handbags of Hope: “Giving Women Confidence They Can Carry”), Miss Maryland 2012 Joanna Guy (Heart to Heart: Raising Awareness for Healthy Hearts), Miss Mississippi 2012 Marie Wicks (eyeS.T.A.R.-Eyesight To All Regions), Miss Tennessee 2012 Chandler Lawson (Feed Hope: Fight Child Hunger), and Miss Washington 2012 Mandy Schendel (Do Something: Enriching Youth, Cultivating Leaders); Miss Delaware 2012 Alyssa Murray (Mela-No-More: Skin Cancer Advocacy and Awareness).
2013 Miss America Pageant Preview
All 53 of this year’s Miss America aspirants arrived in Las Vegas today for 10 days of intense competition that winds up with the live ABC telecast of the 92nd Miss America Pageant on Saturday, January 12. The pageant will be held at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino for the eighth consecutive year.
Among this year’s distinguished panel of judges includes Miss America 2009, Katie Stam Irk; designer Bradley Bayou; award-winning dancer and choreographer Cheryl Burke from Dancing with the Stars; “Good Morning America” Weatherman, Sam Champion; former host of Entertainment Tonight and 1970 Miss South Dakota, Mary Hart; Shark Tank entrepreneur Daymond John; and 2012 London Olympic gymnastics champion McKayla Maroney.
Brooke Burke-Charvet and Chris Harrison will be hosting the pageant for the third year in a row.
Producer Anthony Eaton promises surprises yet again to follow last year’s record ratings. “Our 2012 telecast from Las Vegas was a tremendous success and took the ratings crown as the most-watched non-sports program,” said Sam Haskell, Miss America board chairman. “In our success rebranding Miss America, we have attracted a new audience. We are working to make the 2013 broadcast event even more memorable for viewers.”
The Miss America Organization is the world’s largest provider of scholarships for young women. Unlike Miss USA and Miss Universe also held here by Donald Trump’s organization, Miss America is not solely about glamour and shapely figures; it also combines talent with health and fitness, charity and interviews.
It’s expected that Allyn Rose representing the District of Columbia will be under tremendous media scrutiny in the next week as a front-runner certain to make the Top 10. The 24-year-old blonde stunner lost her mother to breast cancer when she was 16. She has partnered with organizations to raise more than $500,000 for Breast Cancer Research and Education.
Schedule of Events for Miss America 2013 includes the following:
THURSDAY, JAN. 3 – Official welcome at 4 p.m. at Planet Hollywood with regional President David Hoenemeyer and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
FRIDAY, JAN. 4 – An evening at the Mirage with performer, Terry Fator.
SATURDAY, JAN. 5 – Runway show at the Fashion Show Mall, an autograph and meet-and-greet session with fans, and dinner at Buca di Beppo for a celebration party.
SUNDAY, JAN. 6 – Rehearsals and start of the judges’ interviews.
TUESDAY, JAN. 8 – Night One of the Preliminary Competition.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9 – Night Two of the Preliminary Competition.
THURSDAY, JAN. 10 – Night Three of the Preliminary Competition and the announcement of the Quality of Life Scholarship and Fourpoints Award winners. .
FRIDAY, JAN. 11 – Rehearsals
SATURDAY, JAN. 12 – Live finals of Miss America 2013 on ABC at 5:30pm local time.
Miss Tourism International 2012-13 is Miss Philippines!
Newly crowned Miss Tourism International 2012 World Final Rizzini Alexis Gomez, center, of Philippines poses for a photo with first runner-up Monika Radulovic, second from left, of Australia, second runner-up Marielis Alejandra Castellanos Perez, second from right, of Venezuela, third runner-up Lourdes Maria Del Carmen Motta Rolon, left, of Paraguay, and fourth runner-up Jun Yong Wan Jun of Malaysia after the beauty pageant held during the New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Sunway Resort in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012.
The 22-year-old Cebuana bested 55 other delegates from around the world vying for the crown. Gomez is the second Filipina to win the crown after Miss Tourism International 2000 Maria Esperanza. The pageant began in 1994.
Completing the Top 10 semi-finalists were the contestants from China, India, New Zealand, Russia and Thailand. Only 10 beauties made the final cut this year.
Mongolia was awarded Best National Costume, and Malaysia won Best in Talent.
2012 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 88,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Miss Universe 2012 – Final Review
The Miss Universe Pageant concluded last night with the crowning of our very own, Olivia Culpo, as Miss Universe 2012. The Cranston resident will go in the record books as the 8th Miss USA to win the Miss Universe crown. As for who will continue to fulfill Culpo’s duties as Miss USA, 1st Runner Up, Nana Meriwether of Maryland will take over and is now officially Miss USA 2012.
There were a few surprises last night, as well as a little bit of controversy surrounding the results. Finishing at 1st Runner Up is the exotic and beautiful Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon. Many pageant pundits believe that Tugonon deserved the crown more than Culpo, if the final placement was based on their responses to the final question. When Tugonon was asked a Twitted question asking if speaking in English should be prerequisite for Miss Universe, the 22-year-old native of Orion, Bataan, eloquently responded, “For me, being Miss Universe is not just about knowing how to speak a specific language. It’s about being able to influence and inspire other people. If you have a heart to serve and a strong mind to show people, then you can be Miss Universe”. As inspiring and as excellent as that response was, one thing that people need to understand is that the final ranking is based on the candidate’s overall performance and not solely on the final question. Overall, the top 5 women responded well to their respective final question. Miss Venezuela, Irene Esser, stumbled a little bit when she chose to respond in English instead of Spanish with aid from an interpreter. Because of it, she failed to clearly express herself and might have cost her the crown.
Once again, “the most hyped candidate never wins the crown” theory proved itself to be accurate as South Africa, Melinda Bam, did not win nor made the top 5. Interestingly enough, there were a few surprises in the top 16 that begs the question as to why some of the seemingly more deserving candidates failed to make the cut. Definite surprises include Turkey, a country that has not made the semifinals since 1990; Peru, who sported the best and most glamorous evening gown during the preliminary, didn’t even get a chance to showcase it again to the worldwide audience; India, a replacement from the original winner, the first Miss India to make the semifinals since 2007 and the first since former Miss Universe, Sushmita Sen, took over the Miss India franchise; Russia, who competed at Miss World 2012 but failed to make the semifinals and finally, France, who we thought was not as strong as her last two predecessors.
The exclusions of Paraguay and Puerto Rico were probably the most shocking and most disappointing of all. Both women performed impeccably at the preliminary and gathered a lot of attention from the audience and pageant fans around the world. It was not “The Year of the Blondes” after all as only one blonde made it to the top 5.
Another interesting fact is that Miss Philippines only made the semifinals because of the fan votes. For a little over two weeks, fans around the world were able to vote for their favorites and whoever garnered the most votes wins a spot in the semifinals. This is interesting because had she not been voted in, she would not even be in the semifinals. Last year, Miss Portugal won the fan votes and she made it as far as top 10.
As a final thought, not to discredit Olivia’s performance and abilities, it seems more appropriate for Miss USA to win Miss Universe anyway because the reign of the 2012 winner will be very short. As Miss USA, Olivia has already experienced the life of what a Miss Universe winner would be, with the exception of more overseas trips. She already lives in Trump’s New York apartment where the winner would have lived. So even if she only reigns for a few months, she will not feel as time-deprived as someone from another country. Next year, the pageant will be back to normal and will probably be held in the summer, hence making Olivia’s reign as Miss Universe one, if not, the shortest in history.
Now, everyone can go back to normal, celebrate the holidays, before the pageant season starts all over again with Miss America on January 12, 2013.
Miss Universe 2012 is Miss USA Olivia Culpo!
Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, was crowned Miss Universe 2012 after a two-hour holiday extravaganza at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Culpo is from Cranston, Rhode Island and was the very first Rhode Islander to ever win the Miss USA crown. She bested 88 other candidates to win the coveted crown. The rest of the top 5 includes Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, 1st Runner Up; Miss Venezuela, Irene Esser, 2nd Runner Up; Miss Australia, Renae Ayris 3rd Runner Up and Miss Brazil, Gabriela Markus, 4th Runner Up.
The crown has eluded American delegates for 15 years. It came very close in 2004 when Shandi Finnessey finished 1st Runner Up. The last American to win Miss Universe was Brooke Lee in 1997. Incidentally, that pageant was also held in the United States, in Miami, Florida. It’s an interesting fact that 3 of the 5 top pageants in the world had winners from the host country. China won Miss World, which was held in Mongolia, China. Japan won Miss International, which was held in Okinawa, Japan. And now USA wins Miss Universe, held in the United States.
The rest of the top 16 includes France, Hungary, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Croatia, Kosovo, India, Peru and Turkey. Miss China won Best National Costume while Miss Guatemala took the Miss Congeniality Award. Earlier in the competition, Miss Kosovo was awarded Miss Photogenic Universe.
Miss Universe 2012 Prediction
If the Mayan prediction comes true that the world will end on December 21, 2012, whoever wins Miss Universe will definitely hold the record of the shortest reign in history. But by then, who cares, right? Everyone will be dead. But prediction is exactly that, a prediction. It is not necessarily what will actually happen. If you look up the definition of the word prediction, it simply states that it’s a statement about the way things will happen in the future, often but not always based on experience or knowledge. Therefore, it may or may not happen.
With that said, Pageant Extra decided to show our prediction for Miss Universe 2012 based on our experience and knowledge, combined with what we saw in the preliminary competition on December 13.
Who do we think will make the top 16? Here they are, in random order…
First up, PUERTO RICO – Bodine Koehler
Bodine performed really well at the preliminary and according to our fashion experts, sported one of the best evening gowns of the evening. Plus, Puerto Rico always do well at Miss Universe. They have made the semifinals 7 times since 2000 and have won the crown five times.
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Please join us, USA – Olivia Culpo
Olivia is simply stunning! People had mixed reactions about her evening gown during the preliminary but no one can deny that she has one of the best bods in the competition. She also interviews really well and very confident in front of the camera.
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Next up, CROATIA – Elizabeta Burg
You have to be blind to miss the angelic face of Elizabeta. She’s very photogenic, stylish and knows how to work the stage.
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Come on down, GEORGIA – Temar Shedania
She was so unexpected and so fresh. Her performance at preliminary is flawless and was ranked second among our fashion experts’ best evening gown. She worked it and she was noticed!
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The stage is yours, PARAGUAY – Egni Eckert
Another surprise at the preliminary…Egni looked amazing. She projected herself as a winner and came out a winner. She couldn’t do anything wrong that evening…great performance in both evening gown and swimsuit.
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The sixth spot is for the hotness that is, BOLIVIA – Yessica Mouton
From the moment she stepped out on her evening gown, we knew she had it. She exuded pure confidence; she took her time on stage and incorporated some playfulness in her performance. There is only one word to describe this woman, sultry!
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And to join our happy little group, SOUTH AFRICA – Melinda Bam
We have to go with the odds makers’ pick. This woman is non-stop style. A full year of preparation has paid off for Melinda and she is ready to conquer the world!
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The next spot belongs to, NETHERLANDS – Nathalie den Dekker
Her swimsuit performance alone would have catapulted her into the top 16. She loves the camera, knows how to play the crowd and definitely one of best blondes in the competition.
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This moment belongs to, AUSTRALIA – Renae Ayris
Another blonde. Have you been counting? Renae is blonde number 5. The Aussie’s have been doing really well at Miss Universe in recent years and Renae will keep that streak going. She did well at preliminary and since Kooey Australian Swimwear is a big sponsor this year, it just seems appropriate.
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The number 10 spot belongs to, MEXICO – Karina Gonzalez
Even though her performance at the preliminary is a bit mediocre, we think she will still be in the top 16. She has one of the largest supporters in the audience and the two Miss Universe winners from Mexico were both crowned in Las Vegas.
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Let’s welcome, CZECH REPUBLIC – Tereza Chlebovska
Tereza is one of the most beautiful delegates this year and performed really well at preliminary. The Czechs have been doing well in this pageant in recent years and have been sending very well prepared candidates. However, they have never gone pass the top 10 yet. Maybe Tereza will change that.
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To complete our lucky dozen, please come forward, KOSOVO – Diana Avdiu
One glance at this lady and you will understand why she won the award of Miss Photogenic. She is sophisticated, has great style and just plain classy.
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In Vegas, Lucky 13 is, SRI LANKA – Sabrina Herft
This girl just has everything going right for her. Her styling is perfect, she knows how to work the crowd and she’s very confident. She could have picked a better evening gown but remember, the judges are not supposed to judge the gown. They are supposed to judge the contestants on how they look and carry themselves in an evening gown. If that’s the case, Sabrina, you’re safe!
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Only 3 spots left, one of these spots belongs to, THAILAND – Nutpimon Farida Waller (Our guess as the Voters’ Choice)
Farida did well at the preliminary and she is just absolutely gorgeous. She doesn’t look like your typical Thai contestants because Farida is half Thai and half Austrian but grew up in Thailand.
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Only two names left, one of them is, VENEZUELA – Irene Esser
Irene is gorgeous and has a killer bod. Her evening gown was not exactly our favorite but she carried it well. As pretty as she is, she lacks the appeal that her predecessors had but we think she’ll still be up there.
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And rounding out the top 16 is, PHILIPPINES – Janine Tugonon
Miss Universe is a sucker for drama and suspense so we figured that since Janine will probably have the loudest cheer from the audience like Venus in 2010, we have to name her last. Janine is exotic and her body is to die for. Wish she would change her evening gown as it was a bit drab and boring. She also looks better with her hair down so we suggest keeping it that way, adding some volume to it and wearing the yellow gown instead.
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If we have to predict the final five and their placements, we will have to incorporate a little bit of statistics and probabilities. The first competition after the top 16 is always the swimsuit. Looking at the performances in the preliminary, the top 10 women with knockout bodies at the preliminary will score the highest. With that in mind, the top 10 will likely be Australia, Bolivia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, USA, Philippines, Croatia, Netherlands, Puerto Rico and Paraguay.
The top 10 then compete in evening gown, which will decide the top 5. With their preliminary performances in mind and considering who the top 5 women in evening gowns, we believe that the top 5 will be Paraguay, USA, Puerto Rico, South Africa and Australia.
With that said, our prediction for the final placements looks like this:
4th Runner Up – Australia, Renae Ayris
3rd Runner Up – Paraguay, Egni Eckert
2nd Runner Up – Puerto Rico, Bodine Koehler
1st Runner Up – USA, Olivia Culpo
Miss Universe 2012 – South Africa, Melinda Bam
Good luck to all the ladies and to everyone who is creating their own prediction list. The winner will be announced during the live telecast on Wednesday, December 19, from the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas at 8pm PST, hosted by Andy Cohen and Giuliana Rancic.
Miss Universe 2012 – National Costume Photos
The Miss Universe 2012 National Costume Photos
Photos courtesy of Miss Universe LP, LLLP
Miss Universe 2012 – Preliminary Evening Gown Photos
The Miss Universe 2012 Preliminary Evening Gown Photos
Photos courtesy of Miss Universe LP, LLLP
Miss Universe 2012 – Preliminary Swimsuit Photos
The Miss Universe 2012 Preliminary Swimsuit Photos
Photos courtesy of Miss Universe LP, LLLP
Miss Universe 2012 – Post Preliminary Analysis
The preliminary competition of the 2012 Miss Universe Pageant just concluded a little bit ago and was watched by thousands of pageant fans around the world via live stream on the web. If you think that the crowd was loud, it was three times louder in person. There were several large delegations of cheering squads present during the competition and as expected, fans from Mexico and the Philippines comprised the two largest and loudest. The show was hosted by Las Vegas Television Personality, Chet Buchanan and Miss Universe 2011, Leila Lopes.
It was a stiff competition and for the pageant experts and odds makers, it seems that their prediction that this is “The Year of the Blondes” just gained credibility . Toping the list of the best performances of the evening are Paraguay, Egni Eckert; South Africa, Melinda Bam and the Netherlands, Nathalie den Dekker. Some of the unexpected winners of the evening includes Sri Lanka, Sabrina Herft; Finland, Sara Chafak; and Bolivia, Yessica Mouton.
Other top contenders include our very own Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, who sported a red Audrey Hepburn-inspired evening gown; Venezuela, Irene Esser, Puerto Rico, Bodine Koehler; Brazil, Gabriela Markus; Colombia, Daniella Alvarez and Croatia, Elizabeta Burg.
Philippine delegate, Janine Tugonon, did not disappoint her large delegation of supporters. She did really well but is it enough to land her a spot on the top 16? That remains to be seen. Alongside Janine are some great Asian contenders that include Thailand, Natpimol Natthayalak and Malaysia , Kimberley Leggett.
Unfortunately for Miss Guyana, Ruqayyah Boyer, she started the competition on a bad note as she slipped and fell on stage during the evening gown competition. The crowd cheered her on as she got up on her feet and completed her segment. The curse of the slippery floor continued throughout the evening but luckily, no one else fell literally under its spell.
There were some disappointing performances from other early favorites but overall, everyone did a great job. Now, we just have to wait and see who the top 16 will be when it gets announced during the live finals telecast on Wednesday, December 19.
Miss Universe 2012 – Preliminary Competition Heats Up Tonight!
The preliminary competition for Miss Universe 2012 will be held tonight and will be streamed live on the web via UStream. Most pageant pundits predict that this will be the year of the blondes. Heavy favorites include South Africa, Melinda Bam, Czech Republic, Tereza Chlebovska and Poland, Marcelina Zawadzka. If you’ve been following any type of pageant coverage online, it’s quite evident as to why these women are considered frontrunners. Not only are they all remarkably beautiful and talented, but they are almost guaranteed recipients of the infamous Top 15 Trump cards as the Donald has a soft spot for blonde bombshells. Latin pageant fans are almost certain to disagree with this analysis as they believe that the Latinas have the edge over the blondes. The Latina favorites include Mexico, Karina Gonzalez; Venezuela, Irene Esser and Puerto Rico, Bodine Koehler. And then there are the Asians who think that this year is the strongest line up of Asian contenders at Miss Universe ever. The lineup include Thailand, Nutpimon Natthayalak; Indonesia, Maria Selena; Sri Lanka, Sabrina Herft and the candidate that is expected to receive the loudest cheers from the audience, Philippines, Janine Tugonon.
If we analyze the past, historically speaking, the contestant that gets the most hype never wins the crown. Last year, it was China. She was the expected winner even before the candidates arrived in Sao Paolo. Even the odds makers picked the 5’11.5” tall model from Shanghai as the frontrunner. Angola remained unnoticed until she made the top 5 and the audience started cheering for her. In 2010, Ireland and Albania got the most hype. They both made top 10 but that’s as far as they got. In 2009, Dominican Republic and Kosovo got the most hype. Luckily for these two, they both made the top 5. Nonetheless, neither of them won the crown. In 1994, the most popular and most hyped contestant was Belgium. Sadly, she didn’t even make the semifinals. In 1997, the most hyped contestant was Curacao. Pageant pundits were almost certain that Curacao will have its first Miss Universe but she fell short at the judge’s question after choosing to respond in English instead of using aid from an interpreter.
There are a few contestants this year that might surprise even the most veteran of pageant analytics. One that seems to be off everyone’s radar is Gabon, Channa Divouvi. Channa’s exotic looks can be attributed to her mix race. Her mother is Filipino and her father is Gabonese. She’s got the goods to do well in this pageant and luckily for her, the odds are on her favor too. When a country debuts at Miss Universe and sends a noteworthy delegate like Channa, chances are they would do very well. Other countries that did well at their debut include USSR (Russia) in 1992, Czech Republic in 1994, Botswana in 1999, China in 2002, Serbia & Montenegro in 2003 and Kosovo in 2008.
One contestant not getting a lot of attention is El Salvador, Ana Yancy. She’s reminiscent of Miss El Salvador 1996, Milena Mayorga. She’s stunning and photographs really well. She is definitely someone to watch at the preliminary competition tonight. With the right styling and a right choice of evening gown, she’ll make top 16.
If there is one country that is due for a win, it will have to be Argentina. This South American nation of over 41 million inhabitants has already produced a Miss Universe in 1962 and successfully made the semifinals 14 times between 1954 and 1979. But since then, they’ve only made the semifinals once, in 2006. This year, the drought may have ended when the Land of the Pampas found Camila Solorzano to put Argentina back on the pageant map. This stunning 5’10” tall native of San Miguel de Tucuman, is one of the last delegates to be crowned in the local level. She previously represented Argentina at the Miss Earth Pageant in 2008 but failed to make the semifinals.
Other noteworthy contenders this year include Croatia, Lebanon, Sweden, Israel and Bahamas.
Meet the 89 Candidates for Miss Universe 2012!
Photos Courtesy of Miss Universe LP, LLLP and graphics by Pageantlovers.com
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