by Robert Requintina, MB
Some candidates have arrived in the US for the 71st Miss Universe Competition which will be held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15, Manila time).
Eighty-five lovely contestants are vying for the title of Miss Universe 2022. Reigning Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the live telecast.
Miss Philippines Celeste Cortesi has arrived in Los Angeles, California for her final preparations in the upcoming pageant. Before heading to New Orleans, Celeste and her team enjoyed Disneyland in Anaheim. Other candidates also celebrated the new year in the US.
Other candidates who have departed for the US, as reported by Brian Javier in his YouTube, include India, Peru, Iceland, Curacao, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Venezuela, and Thailand.
All the girls are expected to converge in New Orleans beginning Jan. 3-5 for registration and fittings for opening number apparel. On Jan. 6, they will attend the Orientation Day.
On Jan. 11, the girls will take part in the preliminary competition where the judges will select the Top 20 contestants based on swimsuit, evening gown and preliminary interviews. But the semifinalists will be announced during the coronation night.
Prior, the contestants will also participate in the National Costume Competition.
Tickets to the finals of the 71st Miss Universe Competition have been sold out since December, as announced by Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip, CEO of JKN Global Group, new owner of the Miss Universe Organization, on Facebook.
The Miss Universe Organization has ended its five-year deal with popular American broadcast personality Steve Harvey as it revealed that a female host will be announced for the pageant.
“Among the changes in the move: Steve Harvey, who had hosted for five years as part of the pageant’s deal with Fox (with the exception of 2021, when that pact was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic), also won’t be back. According to Miss Universe Organization CEO Amy Emmerich, a new host — expected to be a female — will be announced in the coming weeks,” read the article for Variety, an international entertainment website.
In October, JKN, a Thai-owned media and content conglomerate, announced the acquisition of the MUO from IMG.
Changes at the Miss Universe continue as organizers will finally allow mothers and wives to compete in the next edition of the pageant.
Presently, the pageant rule states that only single women aged 18 and 28, who have never been married or had children are allowed to apply.
