The 65th Miss Universe Pageant held in Manila crowns Miss France, Iris Mittenaere, as Miss Universe 2017
After last year’s fiasco with host Steve Harvey accidentally calling on the wrong winner, all eyes were on the 65th Miss Universe pageant to see if any of the drama would happen all over again. Held in the Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and home of the former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, excitement filled the Mall of Asia Arena as pageant enthusiasts cheer on their favourite bets.
86 of the most beautiful and successful women gathered from all over the world, parading in their national costumes, sexy swimsuits and glamorous gowns in hopes to fulfill their dreams of becoming the next Miss Universe.
After a brief introduction, the 86 women were quickly narrowed down to the top 13, with Thailand getting the lucky 13th spot through online fan votes.
MISS UNIVERSE | TOP 13
Making it to the top 13 are: Kenya, Indonesia, USA, Mexico, Peru, Panama, Colombia, Philippines, Canada, Brazil, France, Haiti, and Thailand.
Each of the candidates got to choose their own swimwear, as the pageant hopes to encourage confidence and embrace body diversity. The top 13 were then called into the catwalk, where they got to show off their struts and of course, their killer curves.
Quickly following the swimsuit portion is the evening gown competition, where the top 9 ladies showcase glamorous dresses made by international designers from all over the world.
Advancing to the top 9 were: USA, Thailand, France, Mexico, Kenya, Colombia, Canada, Haiti, and the host country, the Philippines.
Gowns adorned with crystals and beads lit up the stage, as each of the contestants struck a pose, hoping to make it to the next round.
Narrowing down the selection even more, the Top 6 underwent an interview portion, to test the wit and intelligence of the ladies. After all, looking beautiful is not the only factor the girls are judged on.
The top 6 are: France, Kenya, Colombia, Philippines, Thailand, and Haiti. Each participant was asked a question regarding the pressing issues occurring around the world. Testing how globally-conscious they are, the questions ranged from their thoughts about the recently elected President Donald Trump, the refugee crisis, and reasons to join a Women’s March.
Moving forward to the final portion of the competition are the beautiful ladies from Colombia, France, and Haiti. The Top 3 ladies went for another round of interviews, but this time, they were asked the exact same question: “Name something from the course of your life that you failed at, and tell us what you learned from that experience.”
Miss Colombia:
“I think many times, one makes mistakes for many things; during moments when you may not accept someone due to their differences, to not accept them due to their sexual preferences, and to not be capable of accepting their error–I think any of those experiences gives you the opportunity to have strength and value and principles.”
Miss Haiti:
“About seven years ago, I survived the earthquake. I felt I was filing myself because I wasn’t living my dreams; I was living day by day, and that earthquake, it was a bad event, but I chose to be a very positive person and learn a great lesson from it because if I am here today, it’s because I am living my dreams.”
And finally, Miss France, who was crowned the winner:
“I’ve failed several times in my life. I thought I failed my first medicine year because I wasn’t on the list, but the afternoon I went to buy a new medicine book. So, I think that when you fail, you have to be elevated, and you have to try again and keep going. If tonight, I’m not one of the winners, I would still have had the great honour of being one of the three finalists. So, I think that I have failed before, but for me this is a great first opportunity.”
Eventually coming down to Miss Haiti and Miss France, Miss Universe 2015, Pia Wurtzbach came back on stage to give Steve Harvey a pair of reading glasses. Laughter ensued, creating a light-hearted moment. Steve Harvey carefully reads the card right this time, as he announces Miss France, Iris Mittenaere, as the newest Miss Universe.
