Critical Beauty

MANILA, Philippines –   A 23-year-old dental student from France won the Miss Universe crown Monday in the annual pageant held in the Philippines, saying her triumph will make the beauty contest more popular in Europe and help her efforts to put more underprivileged children in school.  This is the second time in the history of the competition that the pageant skipped the entire year, following the  2014 pageant  which was held in January 2015.  Iris Mittenaere from Lille city in northern France buried her face in her hands in shock and joy as the outgoing winner from the Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach , crowned her and the crowd erupted in cheers at the packed Mall of Asia Arena by Manila Bay. –– ADVERTISEMENT –– Miss Haiti, Raquel Pelissier , a 25-year-old survivor of the devastating 2010 earthquake that destroyed her hometown, was named first runner-up, while Miss Colombia, 23-year-old industrial designer and photographer Andrea Tovar , was second runner-up.

Getty Images It's that time of the year again! The competition is on for Miss Universe 2017, and ET's rounded up everything you need to know ahead of the highly anticipated international beauty pageant on Sunday. When is the pageant, and where can fans watch?:  The 65th Miss Universe Competition will air live from the Philippines on Sunday, Jan. 29, starting at 7 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. Who is hosting?:  Despite his  famous fail  during the December 2015 pageant -- in which he mistakenly crowned runner-up Miss Colombia ( Ariadna Gutierrez ) as the new Miss Universe over actual first place winner Miss Philippines ( Pia Wurtzbach ) -- Steve Harvey is back to host the three-hour event, with  Ashley Graham  serving as backstage host. Who is judging?:   Dayanara Torres , former Miss Universe from Puerto Rico; Sushmita Sen , first ever Miss Universe from India; Leila Lopes , first Miss Universe from Angola; Mickey Boardman , editorial director of  PAPER  magazine; Cynthi

Help your favorite candidates enter the Top 12 of the Miss Universe competition on Monday, January 30. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) yesterday invited pageant fans around the world to vote for one of the contestants in the Miss Universe competition to help her make it into the semifinals. GLAM AND FAN — Miss Brazil Raissa Santana (left) blows a kiss in the air as she obliges to a ‘groufie’ with a fan of the 65th Miss Universe contest during a pre-pageant event in Pasay City last Monday. The coronation night takes place on January 30 at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. (Francis R. Malasig/EPA|Manila Bulletin) The fan voting period started last Monday, Jan. 23, and it will end on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8 a.m. There are four ways to vote: 1. Download the Miss U App from the iTunes or Google Play stores, log in using Facebook, Twitter, or email authentication, and follow the instructions to vote. There is a limit of 10 votes per account per day via this method

Miss Universe 1993 Dayanara Torre s is expected to arrive in Manila for the Miss Universe 2016 beauty pageant. Torres, now based in Los Angeles with her two sons from ex-husband Marc Anthony , made this posted on Instagram: “I may not be there yet, But I’m closer than I was yesterday.” It is not yet known if Torres will play a part in the pageant. Nonetheless, she has been open about missing the Philippines, as one of her “throwback” Instagram posts shows. The Puerto Rican beauty queen is expected to make a comeback in Philippine showbiz. In December, she announced on Instagram that she has returned to the Manila Genesis management agency of Angeli Pangilinan-Valenciano , wife of Gary Valenciano . Angeli Valenciano similarly confirmed via Instagram that Torres had sought to return under her wing. Torres, the 1993 titleholder, crowned Sushmita Sen at the Miss Universe 1994 pageant held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on May 20. Se

Former titleholder Sushmita Sen is set to return to the Philippines after 23 years, to serve as one of the judges during the 65th Miss Universe pageant at the end of the month. Sen expressed her excitement in a post on social media site Instagram, where she said she is “getting ready with a dancing heart” to return to the Philippines, where she was named Miss Universe in 1994. She was the first Indian to win the crown. “I am so excited, emotional and looking forward to returning home to the Philippines after 23 years. It’s where it all began. Life comes full circle from winning Miss Universe to having owned its Indian Franchise to now…returning back to Manila this time as a judge,” she wrote. After relinquishing the Miss Universe title to her successor, she went on to become an award-winning Bollywood actress in India. Earlier in January, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said that there will be no Filipinos in the roster of judges for the Miss Universe 2016 pageant, and

CHANGE IS COMING TO MISS U. The Miss Universe Organization changes its competition rules ahead of the 2016 coronation night. File photo shows Olivia Jordan, Ariadna Gutierrez, and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach as Top 3 Finalists during the 2015 Miss Universe coronation night. Photo courtesy of HO/The Miss Universe Organization MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe is changing its format. WME/IMG, the world's biggest talent and entertainment agency, purchased the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA Pageants from Donald Trump last year. However, the pageant was set to be held too close to the time of acquisition that the agency could not implement the changes. Pageant fans have reason to be concerned over the development because it lessens the chance of their country competing at the live finals. Between 2003 and 2015, a Top 15 was selected. The “Fan Vote” winner earned the 16th spot from 2011 to 2013. According to the updated Miss Universe  website , t his year, the

Miss Colombia got bashed by netizens for her alleged sarcastic comments on local food while Miss Italy passed out during pre-pageant activities for Miss Universe 2016 beauty pageant on-going in Manila. Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar drew flak about the hotel food giveaways in viral video that has been picked up by pageant fans. On Facebook, Tovar’s words were translated this way: “… and little translucent and hallucinogen oranges. Look at that, It’s all orange. And what do you think my dears, I’m speaking like a Mexican… What are those fattening filths? Look at this.” On her Instagram post, Tovar said that she loves sweets. Google translated her post in English: “Some delicious junk food (you have to tell the mind what is not so that it is not tempting) I love sweets and more chocolates. Thank you love.” Tovar has reportedly apologized for allegedly belittling the complimentary gifts from a hotel in the Philippines. But it appeared that Tovar has no ill-feelings about

Miss Universe Governor’s Ball was attended by several cabinet secretaries, senators, mayors,  and A-list celebrities on Monday night, January 16. (PNA)   With less than two weeks left until the next Miss Universe is crowned on January 30, pageant host country Philippines gave at least 86 candidates a taste of Filipino hospitality in a welcome dinner attended by several cabinet secretaries, senators, mayors, and A-list celebrities in a Governor’s Ball Monday night.  The Governor’s Ball, held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, was named after former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson of the pageant host committee, LCS Group of Companies. Singson, in his opening remarks, mentioned how it took the Philippines 22 years to bring the prestigious pageant back to its shores. “Tonight we officially mark the opening of the 65th Miss Universe competition. The long haul to bring the pageant back to the Philippines has ended. We have succeeded,” Singson said.  Singson

Candidates in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant pose for a group photo last December.  Rodge Cultura, ABS-CBN News Arlene Brosas , a representative of the Filipino feminist group Gabriela, on Wednesday opposed the hosting of the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines, calling it an objectification of women and a cover-up of the country’s societal problems. In a prepared statement read during a press conference, Brosas said the hosting was a “manipulative and deceptive tool that projects an image of peace and stability to cover up the creeping influence of fascist repression of poor women’s rising protests.” Brosas said the beauty pageant is an “expensive exercise to lull the people and the international audience into a false sense of wellbeing and celebration” amid problems in society such as unfair trade relations and the plunder of natural resources in the countries the beauty queens represent. Brosas said the militant women’s party-list group opposes any fo

Pageantry in 2016: Creating Safe Spaces For Marginalized Belles, Redefining Beauty, And Filling The Void Left By Trump PHOTO CREDIT: LUKE TRESS/TIMES OF ISRAEL TRANSFORMING ISRAEL :  The first ever pageant in the Middle East for transwomen took place in Israel on May 26, 2016.  Ta’alin Abu Hanna , a 21-year-old Catholic Arab from Nazareth, was crowned Miss Trans Israel 2016. The pageant was organized by    Israela Stephanie Lev who said living as a transwoman in Israel  had been “terrible” in the past, but that now things were improving.  “Definitely we are achieving, enlightening the people to accept and empower transsexuals,” she told the Associated Press. The fact that a transgender pageant can take place in Israel proves that the country is the most liberal and tolerant place in the entire Middle East. ____________________ PHOTO CREDIT: RIMA FAKIH'S FACEBOOK FAKIH'S HABIBI:   Former Miss USA Rima Fakih married Lebanese-American music producer Wass