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| 6.29.2009 | Monday
Dayana wowed the Romanian audience with her Romanian folk dancing skills and
her down-to-earth and charming personality.
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE IRELAND is Diana Donnelly, 20, who was crowned in Dublin Friday night.
Donnelly will now represent her country at the Miss Universe pageant to take place in the Bahamas next August.
The Miss Universe Ireland contest is headed by former Miss Ireland Andrea Roche. ((Courtesy of Entertainment Ireland)
• THE NEW MISS LEBANON is Martine Indraous, 18, who was crowned in Adma (north of Beirut) last Friday.
The first runner-up Marie-Ange Sibaaly and the second runner-up is Sellen Hassoun. Indraous will now represent
Lebanon at the Miss World 2009 contest in Johannesburg, South Africa next December and at the
Miss Universe 2010 pageant. (Associated Press, 6/27/2009)
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE NETHERLANDS is Avalon Chanel Weyzig who was crowned in Noordwijk Saturday night. Her
court includes first runner-up Stephanie Bos and second runner-up Stevie Hartmann. (ANP, 6/27/2009)
• THE NEW MISS GIBRALTAR is Kaiane Aldorino, 22, who was crowned at a contest and show held at the Alameda open air theatre on Saturday night.
She now goes on to represent Gibraltar at the Miss World contest. First princess was Maxine de la Rosa and
second princess was Jordana Lavagna. (Courtesy of Panorama)
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE GHANA is Jennifer Victoria Koranteng a 22-year-old university graduate who was crowned
Saturday in Accra. The first runner-up is Daphne Grace Allotey and the second runner-up is Suzanna Naa Amuah Alberto Darko.
The excited winner says she would love to use her voice and new status to support the needy in society and to
spell out the importance of education particularly for the girl-child. "I?m expecting to put Ghana on the map and
to do very well. So people would know that Ghana is not only a land of gold and timber but also a land of
great beauties," comments Jennifer. (Global Post, 6/28/2009)
• THE NEW MISS EARTH SWITZERLAND is Graziella Rogers, 21, of Lyss. She will represent Switzerland in the Miss Earth
2009 finals to be held in the Philippines later this year. Her court includes Stefanie Rothenbühler (second place, Miss Fire),
Nicole Dürsteler (third place, Miss Air), and Christina Götschi (fourth place, Miss Water). Rogers' father immigrated
to Switzerland from Sri Lanka. Her mother is Swiss. If you speak or read German, see an interview of Rogers after the pageant. (20 Minuten Online, 6/28/2009)
• THE NEW MISS ITALIA NEL MONDO is Diana Curmei, 18, who was crowned Saturday in Jesolo, Italy. Curmei represented her
father's ancestral country of Moldavia. The pageant is open to single young women from all over the world who must possess some
Italian heritage. (Savona Notizie, Italy, 6/28/2009)
• RESIGNED : Less than twenty-four hours after winning the crown, Miss Capital City Kristina Higgins
has stepped down from her role as Miss Georgia. The first runner-up Emily Cook, Miss Cobb County, takes over.
In a press release issued by the Miss Georgia Scholarship Pageant, Higgins says: "Due to my current job
responsibilities as a middle school teacher and the responsibilities and time commitment as Miss Georgia,
I have decided to not fulfill the duties of Miss Georgia 2009. I am grateful for the opportunity to have
been chosen as Miss Georgia and fully support the system and wish Emily Cook the best of luck." (Ledger-Enquirer, 6/28/2009)
• LOST AND FOUND : An apologetic volunteer, not a thief, was to blame for the disappearance of the Miss Nevada crown
(worth US$400), which turned up late Friday afternoon at a Reno alteration shop, said pageant organizer
Teresa Benitez-Thompson. Unbeknownst to pageant organizers, the volunteer misplaced the crown in a small
box that accompanied other boxes and hanging bags of clothes to the business Thursday. Organizers originally thought
the crown, almost identical to the one worn by Miss America, was stolen from the locked Reno hotel room of a pageant
board member. They realized their mistake after having volunteers retrace their steps and finding the box with the
crown behind a planter at the shop, Benitez-Thompson said.
"The volunteer is so embarrassed. She loves the pageant and couldn't be any more apologetic,"
she said. "We sincerely thought an unauthorized person had the crown. Our belief in mankind has been affirmed with
its discovery." The crown, which is fitted with rhinestones, had arrived earlier Thursday from K.A. Concepts, the
official maker of Miss America crowns. Benitez-Thompson said the company makes one crown for each state, and
getting a replacement before Saturday night would have been impossible. As a backup, a former Miss Nevada arranged
to loan her crown for the event. Until the crown surfaced, Circus Circus hotel-casino security was investigating the
case, and had been reviewing security tapes and checking room keys. "I was so nervous we wouldn't have a crown,
and I didn't get any sleep last night," said Benitez-Thompson, Miss America pageant director for the state and
Miss Nevada 2002. "But we have our crown and couldn't be happier." (MSNBC.com, 6/27/2009)
• MISS MALAYSIA RETROSPECTIVE : "Ever wondered what happened to previous Miss Malaysia Universes? Do they fade
into the background or do they go on to better things? We look in on six former queens and a runner-up."
Read more.
• INDIA LOVES WHITE WOMEN : Young British actresses struggling to find work at home are moving to Bollywood to
capitalise on the Indian film industry's appetite for white talent. The recession-hit show business in Britain
and an increasing demand for white performers has spurred an estimated 1000 British actors and dancers to move
to Mumbai in the past three years. British actresses can earn £1000 ($2050) a day in Mumbai and say opportunities
are plentiful. The traditional roles for white women in Bollywood were as the exotic backing dancer,
prepared to show off bare skin. Now they are moving to Mumbai to establish serious film careers.
Hazel, 24, from Kent, has been in Mumbai for five years and is well established
on the Bollywood circuit, where she is known simply by her Christian name. "I first did adverts for Ponds,
Nokia and Samsung and then got my first proper role in a film in MP3," she said. "You can lead such a great
lifestyle in India. There is the constant begging, pollution and sleazy casting directors that you have to
be careful of, but it's all worthwhile... I'm almost famous!" The success of "Slumdog Millionaire" has put
India on the map in terms of worldwide film audiences, and Bollywood is becoming more globally minded.
"Ten years ago there were hardly any white girls working in Bollywood. Now they are everywhere," said
Debjoy Ray, of Globosport Modelling agency. "Indians have a liking for white skin and equate it with beauty."
(The Age, Australia, 6/28/2009)
• TAIWAN AGAIN : Taiwan (Republic of China) will host the 2009 Mister International pageant for the second consecutive year,
according to Mister International organizer Alan Sim. The current titleholder Ngo Tien Doan of Vietnam
will crown his successor during the finals scheduled for November 28. Nearly fifty countries are expected to compete in the
fastest growing global male pageant in the world.
• DEATH OF AN AMERICAN BEAUTY : Her swimsuit poster launched a thousand male fantasies. Her feathered locks made
curling irons de rigueur for women and kick-started the most pervasive hair trend of the '70s. She was Hollywood's golden
girl. And, now, Farrah Fawcett, who epitomized the all-American ideal of beauty, died June 25th after a three-year battle
with cancer. She was 62. In September 2006, Fawcett learned she had anal cancer. The devastating news led to a
reconciliation with her on-and-off boyfriend, Ryan O'Neal, 68, the father of their troubled son, Redmond, 24.
O'Neal was by her side as Fawcett went through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and the actress was
declared cancer-free in February 2007. But later that spring, she learned the cancer had returned. After growing
weary of ineffective treatments in the USA, Fawcett traveled to Germany in September 2007 for alternative cancer
therapies.
Fawcett will long be remembered as the pistol-packing blonde Jill Munroe on
the '70s classic Charlie's Angels. But her legacy may be that she was never completely victorious in the
decades-long battle she waged to overcome that enduring, indelible sex-symbol image. It is fitting that Fawcett -
who launched to superstardom on the small screen - also said goodbye the same way. In May, NBC aired
the documentary Farrah's Story, which chronicled Fawcett's battle with cancer and attracted nearly 9 million viewers.
"I'm holding on to the hope that there is some reason I got cancer and that there is something, that may not be
very clear to me right now, that I will do," Fawcett said in an interview filmed for the documentary,
according to Access Hollywood.
Read ABC News' special tribute to Farrah.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, July 6, 2009.
PHOTO CREDITS: Reuters, Belga Pictures, ANP, AFP
| 6.22.2009 | Monday
• THE NEW MISS EL SALVADOR UNIVERSE is Mayella Mena, 20, who was crowned Friday. Her court includes first runner-up is
Andrea Clamount, second runner-up is Pamela Silva, third runner-up Bessy Quiñónez, and
fourth runner-up Michelle Bustamante. Thirteen young women participated in this year's pageant. View the coronation here.
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE CHINA is Jing Yao Wang, 19, who was crowned Saturday. The first runner-up is
Yu Jun Liu and the second runner-up is Mei Qi Li.
• ETHIOPIA RETURNS TO MISS UNIVERSE : Melat Woldesenbet Yante was selected as "Ethiopia Top Model 2009" at a casting
held last weekend. She will represent her country in the Miss Universe Pageant, to be held in the Bahamas. Info courtesy
of the Sub Saharan Informer and provided by Gadol Ton.
• SHE MIGHT SUE : Carrie Prejean's attorney said he will sue the Miss California USA pageant's executive
director if he doesn't retract remarks he made about Prejean. Pageant boss Keith Lewis said Prejean was
stripped of her Miss California title last week because she was uncooperative, violated her contract and missed
some public appearances. Lewis told CNN's Larry King it was clear Prejean didn't want input from pageant officials
and "she was not interested in upholding the title or the responsibilities" that accompany it. Prejean's lawyer,
Charles LiMandri, sent a letter Thursday to Lewis's attorney accusing Lewis of sullying Prejean's reputation
and causing her "severe emotional distress," CNN said.
LiMandri reportedly also referred to Lewis as a gay activist and accused him of
pushing for Prejean's firing because she opposes same-sex marriage. "Carrie Prejean's good name has been tarnished
by your client's false and defamatory accusations," CNN quoted LiMandri's letter to Lewis's lawyer as saying.
"Please view this letter as a last opportunity for Mr. Lewis to retract the defamatory statements made against
my client and to seek to restore her good name," LiMandri said. "If he does not comply, I will have no alternative
but to recommend that Ms. Prejean proceed to do so through litigation." (UPI.com, 6/19/2009)
Villafane could not be reached for comment. Her attorney, Maribel Vidal, did not
respond to messages left with her office in San Juan. A pageant spokeswoman, Libni Garcia, declined in an interview
with The Associated Press to disclose details about the accusations, saying more information would be released in
a legal action the company plans to file against Villafane. But she said problems between the queen and pageant
officials began shortly after the woman won the title last August. "We were trying to handle this conduct of hers,
but it was impossible," Garcia said. "It was constant." The production company appointed another contestant from
last year's pageant, Tamara Perez, to serve the remainder of Villafane's term, which expires Aug. 26 with the
next competition. The contest is open to 16- to 24-year-olds who are 5-foot-5 or shorter. Villafane is 5-feet-2.
(Associated Press, 6/19/2009)
• WORK IT, GIRL! Tami Farrell, the new Miss California USA, is making lemonade out of lemons. Last Thursday,
Tami attended the Billabong Design for Humanity Event, and she exclusively spilled the details about her new title to
Celebuzz. "You know it was definitely a shock at first but it's a huge honor to represent our state. It was a little scary
jumping into all of the controversy but I think that when life gives you lemons you make lemonade and I'm just trying
to make the best of the situation," said Farrell, who inherited the title from Carrie Prejean when Prejean
was ousted for failing to meet her contractual obligations. Tami further explained her plan to use this attention for
good, saying, "I think in the midst of all this controversy, what I'm trying to do is refocus all that attention
onto more positive aspects of our program. We work with so many amazing charity alliances, so I'm just really trying
to focus on that for now."
Farrell was wearing her Miss California sash and was all smiles as she talked
about being able to meet Larry King. "The coolest thing thus far I'd have to say is meeting Larry King.
That was pretty high up on a list of things to do in a lifetime so that was a great experience," said Farrel.
Looks like Tami is off to a great start, and it doesn't hurt having Miss USA judge/gossip maven Perez Hilton ? who
was highly critical of Prejean's stance on gay marriage?on her side either. "I really like Perez and I'm just grateful
for him being so kind to me because it was scary stepping into all of this controversy," Farrell noted. "You have a
lot of opinionated people writing stories, so it's always nice to have someone on your side." (Celebuzz, USA. 6/19/2009)
• THE PRICE OF PAGEANTS : Being a beauty queen is expensive. Sarah Wilson and Jacqueline Wilkins have learned that first hand.
Wilson, Miss Reno Sparks, and Wilkins, Miss University of Nevada, Reno, have each spent about $2,000 hoping it will pay off on June 27.
The best friends will face off against each other and 10 other women from around the state in the Miss Nevada pageant.
The two met three years ago when both were interns for Walt Disney World in Florida. They met again at an orientation at UNR,
and their friendship grew. From dresses, shoes, bathing suits, hair, makeup, spray tans and even a product called
Butt Glue, contestants at this stage of the Miss America pageant system pay for everything themselves.
"It really does start to add up," said Wilson, who, as a full-time student, worries about the cost of competing. She said
she saves up when she knows she needs to buy another dress. "We wear the dresses again, and I make sure I pick clothes that I can
wear to other events," she said.
Both Wilson and Wilkins are competing in the Miss America pageant for scholarship money, but the road to paying
off student loans and paying for graduate school isn't a free ride. The title comes with $9,000 in scholarship money if crowned
Miss Nevada at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in Reno. But until then, and if you don't win, it's hard to come up
the money to pay for gowns that cost $200 and more. "You can't just wear a regular prom dress," Wilkins said.
She said pageant dresses are made to hold up against wear and tear. "They are just better made, and then you have to pay for
it to fit perfectly."She said it can be tricky because working out can change the way a dress fits. "I've gotten more back muscles
so I had to have my dress refitted again," said Wilkins, who bought her dress at a shop called Crowns and Gowns in Sacramento.
Wilson bought her dress online. Both said the week before a pageant gets pricey with airbrush tanning and nail appointments,
haircuts, makeup lessons and preparation time that takes away from working.
"It adds up quickly. These are things you don't have to do, but I feel better when I have my hair colored and
I'm tan so it's important to me," Wilson said. According to Teresa Benitez-Thompson, Miss America pageant director for the
state and Miss Nevada 2002, judges won't be critiquing the women on the quality of the clothes. "It's more about picking things
that look good on you," she said. Thompson said when she competed, she wore a $15 bathing suit she found at Ross.
"We aren't one of those states that has girls wearing $10,000 evening gowns," she said. "All of our Nevada girls are pretty savvy
when it comes to spending." (Associated Press, 6/20/2009)
• TRAGEDY NEAR BEAUTY : Suspected Muslim guerrillas hurled two grenades near a crowded town plaza where a beauty contest was being
held in the southern Philippines, killing at least one person and wounding 32 others, security officials said Sunday.
The attack happened late Saturday in the predominantly Christian town of Maasim, Sarangani province, about 1,000 kilometres south
of Manila, police chief Abraham Madrid said. Maasim is predominantly Christian in a region which is home to most of the
country's minority Muslim population. A bombing there last August was blamed on Muslim rebels, and Madrid told The Associated
Press that investigators were trying to determine if the same guerrillas were behind Saturday's attack.
He said two men hurled one grenade each: one at a group of men playing a card game at a table,
the second at another group of men at a karaoke bar, near the Maasim town plaza, where a beauty contest was being held. At least
one person was killed and 32 wounded. Army Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon blamed Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas
for the attack. The 11,500-strong rebel front has been fighting for decades for self-rule by minority Muslims in the south.
(Associated Press, 6/21/2009)
• WENDY VISITS ANGOLA : Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam from Trindad and Tobago arrived Friday in Angola
for a working visit at the invitation from the Ministry of Environment. According to a communiqué issued by the Ministry of
Environment, Fitzwillian is due to meet with Angolan government officials, as well as visiting local institutions
and tourist sites. Currently, deputy chairperson of a development and technology company in Trinidad and Tobago,
Fitzwilliam is the ambassador of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for Caribbean region.
(Angola Press, 6/20/2009)
• ALBERTO'S MUSE : Gabriela Berríos Pagán, an 18-year-old professional model from San Juan, was chosen Wednesday as "La
Musa de Carlos Alberto," ("Carlos Alberto's Muse") at the Centro de Convenciones in Miramar, Puerto Rico. The
reality show - which was co-hosted by former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera - sought the ideal muse of inspiration for
world-famous pageant couturier Carlos Alberto. Berríos will be Alberto's main house model and will be accompanying
the designer to fashion-related events. (El Vocero, San Juan, 6/19/2009)
• ILLEGALLY HELD : A former Miss Ethiopia is to receive damages after being unlawfully detained by immigration authorities.
Jerusalem Mehari, was unlawfully held at an immigration detention centre for several weeks in 2008 pending removal to
Eritrea after being refused asylum, the High Court in London heard. The former beauty queen will receive a pay-out even though
she still stands accused of manipulating the asylum system. Removal directions were declared unlawful by an immigration judge because
Mehari was a Jehovah?s Witness and there was a risk of her suffering persecution in Eritrea. Judge Kenneth Parker QC said both
sides would be given two months to agree how much she should receive in damages. The Home Office accepted the ruling. Mehari, 29,
who first came to Britain as a student studying fashion design, and has competed in beauty pageants all over the world, is now
fighting Home Office proposals to remove her to Ethiopia after being accused of abusing the system. (Ecadforum.com, 6/16/2009)
• NOT INDO ENOUGH? The newly crowned Miss Indonesia Karenina Sunny Halim might have amazed people with her
fluent English, but surprised just as many with her poor Indonesian. On the final night of the Miss Indonesia
pageant last week, Kerenina needed a translator to help her understand the judges' questions. Karenina admits this is
a weakness but has promised to improve her Indonesian language skills. "It's been hard for me to speak Indonesian,
because I use English every day," says the half-American woman. "But I will learn. Indonesian is an easy language, as
long as we're willing to learn." (The Jakarta Post, Indonesia, 6/19/2009)
• CB INTERVIEWS GASPAR CRUZ, Executive Director of Miss Teen World and Co-Director of Miss United States International.
Get to know him!
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, June 29, 2009.
PHOTO CREDITS: Belga Pictures, Nuestra Belleza El Salvador, Wire Image, The Inquisitr, Associated Press, Victor Andrade
| 6.15.2009 | Monday
• THE CARRIE PREJEAN CONTOVERSY CONTINUES : In an interview with Larry King Live last Friday, dethroned Miss
California USA Carrie Prejean said she was surprised about her dethronement and that she never got any
support from her former state director Keith Lewis. She kept insisting that the reason she got fired
was because of her answer to the same-sex question during the Miss USA finals last April 19th. Now, mounting evidence
suggests that Prejean indeed violated her contract with K2 Productions and the Miss California USA Organization, and that her
firing had nothing to do with her personal opinion on same-sex marriage.
FOX News published the transcript of
the exchange of e-mails between Prejean and Lewis
that reflect Prejean's insubordination and haughty attitude as well as the escalating tensions between parties.
This was followed by Prejean's lawyer Charles LiMandri accusing pageant officials of fabricating claims.
Meanwhile, Lewis's lawyer Timothy F. Shields fired off an eight-page letter to LiMandri as a response to Prejean's
"absurd" allegations. In this letter, Shields cites several concrete examples of Prejean's breach of contract;
it also quotes Prejean's mother, a very hostile Francine Coppola who apparently had met with
MUO President Paula Shugart last Friday and told Shugart something to the effect "that God would make sure she
burned in hell."
As I write this journal entry, TMZ just reported that Hustler Magazine wrote to
Carrie and offered her $500,000 "to play the role of Miss California in an 'interactive parody film' called
"You're Nailin' Palin" - which stars the XXX version of failed VP candidate Sarah Palin. The Hustler letter
ends with a scathingly humorous punch "Don't worry, you'll also have an opportunity to enjoy some opposite sex as well."
• CARRIE'S SUCCESSOR : Carrie Prejean's first runner-up Tami Farrell (photo) is now the new Miss California USA 2009.
Farrell was Miss Teen USA 2003 from Oregon. She moved to California and represented Malibu in the state pageant.
With Prejean's dethronement, this means that her name has been erased off the history of Miss USA. Farrell
was on FOX News Thursday to speak about the tumultuous pageant and becoming the newly crowned queen. She was
interviewed by Neil Cavuto. Farrell said, "It's a great honor to represent our state. I didn't imagine it to happen this way.
And especially to be stepping into the line of fire. But I'm really excited to move forward."
Prejean was reportedly asked to pose for Playboy; Farell said she would not
be interested. According to the Kansas City Star Farrell recently finished recording her first demo CD and
performed during a Christian cruise to the Bahamas last summer. Also she worked with Christian recording
artists, Sonic Flood, on a new CD project. Farrell also answered questions for FOXnews.com . Asked if she
has spoken with Prejean, she said, "No I haven?t. Unfortunately she and I never really established a relationship
or friendship at the pageant, but I wish her the best of luck in whatever she does now." (FOX News, 6/12/2009)
• THE NEW MISS EARTH VENEZUELA is Jessica Barboza who was crowned Friday at the Centro de Convenciones
del Sambil Margarita (Island). Barboza will represent her country in the 2009 Miss Earth pageant to be held in the
Philippines in November. She was also selected as Sambil Model Maracaibo, Miss Internet and Miss Connair. Her first
runner-up is Andreina Gómes who was selected as Sambil Model Valencia and will compete in the Miss Continente
Americano 2009 pageant. (Sambil Models Venezuela)
• THE NEW MISS MONDO ITALIA is 19-year-old Alice Taticchi of Perugia, Umbria who was crowned Friday. She will
represent Italy in Miss World 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa in December. Info courtesy of Paul Palmero.
• THE NEW MISS PUERTO RICO TEEN is Adriana Moledo who was crowned last Thursday. Moledo represented the municipality of Ponce.
Her court includes of first runner-up Lizmarie Dieta of Guayama, second runner-up Madelisse Columna of San Juan,
third runner-up Nicole Colón of Aibonito who was also selected as Miss Critical Beauty Teen, and fourth runner-up
Estefanía Padró of Barranquitas. The pageant was organized by Luis Santiago Productions. Thanks to Héctor Joaquín for
this info.
• THE NEW MISS ROMA is Tereza Zamkova who was crowned in Prague on June 12. The first runner-up is Judita
Gatysova and the second runner-up is Tereza Vasilova. Miss Roma International is an annual beauty contest,
drawing Roma contestants for the title from all over Europe. Roma is the culturally and politically correct term for "gypsy."
• ONE PAGEANT PER YEAR : In 2008, the Vietnamese government ruled that Miss Universe Vietnam pageant would be the
only pageant allowed to take place in Vietnam, that is, to select the Vietnamese representative to Miss Universe 2008
which was held in that country. This year, the Vietnamese government will allow only one pageant - Miss World Vietnamese -
the winner of which will compete in Miss World 2009. The pageant will be patterned after Miss Italia Nel Mondo or
Miss Chinese International, in which the candidates do not have to live in Vietnam but of Vietnamese heritage.
Thanks to Donald Nguyen for this info.
• RUSHED? Australia's Miss Universe contender Rachael Finch has engaged lawyers to take her case to the Australian
arm of the organization, claiming she was rushed into signing the contract. She claims she "cries for hours" each night since
winning her crown after being railroaded into a three-year management contract that feels like a "prison sentence".
The Sydney-based beauty, who was crowned in April, has written to the Miss Universe organization in America describing
the meeting in which she signed her contract with Miss Universe Australia, locking her into the exclusive management agreement.
Despite receiving thousands of dollars from designers and sponsors, Finch said she had been left to pick up the tab
for her own travelling expenses. Miss Universe Australia national director Deborah Miller said she was concerned
the negative publicity would affect Finch's chances in the Miss Universe competition. (Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia, 6/12/2009)
• LUPITA'S CHOICE : After several months of searching, Lupita Jones has selected the Mexican representative
to the 2009 Miss International pageant which will take place in November in Japan and China. The lucky woman is
Ana Gabriela Espinoza Marroquín who was Mexico's rep to Miss World 2007 where she was a semifinalists and won
the Beach Beauty fast-track event. A native of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Espinoza says that she is already well-prepared
and that she loves beauty pageants. She replaces Laura Zúñiga who was dethroned due to her involvement with
drug traffickers and thus was imprisoned for forty days. (El Mundo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 6/13/2009).
• DISAPPOINTED : Relations between the organizer of a New Zealand teen beauty pageant and the winner have turned ugly after a row
about prizes. Fifteen-year-old Jana Hurst of Rodney, north of Auckland, expected a designer bag and necklace
after taking the Miss Teen Christchurch crown in April. She was invited to compete by organizer Barbara Osborne,
who approached her through online talent directory Star Now. Ana's family paid the $250 entry fee and say they spent thousands
of dollars on flights, accommodation and other expenses during their five-day stay in Christchurch. She won, but instead of
the Louis Vuitton bag and black pearl necklace she was expecting, she was presented with a Farmer's makeup kit
still bearing the $39.95 price tag.
She said all the contestants received goody bags donated by local businesses. "These girls
are just so ungrateful if they said they didn't receive anything." Jana was also unimpressed with the way the contest was run.
She flew south with her mother Glenys and family friend Tania Bennett, winner of Miss Universe New Zealand in 1984.
Glenys said they paid $50 for tickets to the final and were disappointed to find it was a low-budget affair in a hotel
conference room. "When I got down there I thought, 'Oh my God, what have I got my daughter into?'," Glenys said. "I was devastated."
Bennett said the contestants were earlier interviewed at a backpackers where the judges were staying, in a common area while
tourists wandered past. "If pageants have gone down to this level, then I can see why they get a bad name." Osborne supplied
an email she received from Jana the day after the event. In it, Jana says she is looking forward to working with Osborne
again and that she had a "fantastic time". Osborne also supplied comments written by Jana on Star Now which says the
competition was "amazing". (The New Zealand Herald, 6/14/2009)
• MISTREATED : The controversy swirling around the Miss Bahamas Universe Pageant continues amidst claims that
the organization was uncooperative and disrespectful to the reigning Grand Bahama queen, 19-year-old Garelle Hudson.
"The experience could have been better for Miss Grand Bahama," said Glen Davis, president of the Miss Bahamas Grand
Bahama Pageant." Read more.
• INTERESTING : "Let's face it: much like your first tube of red lipstick, it might be time to toss your mom's beauty advice.
From putting toothpaste on pimples to sleeping with a meat mask, Elle collected the best bits of outdated beauty advice and
revised these secrets to suit the modern woman." See a slideshow of time-warped beauty advice.
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, June 22, 2009.
PHOTO CREDITS: Associated Press, Getty Images, The New Zealand Herald
| 6.8.2009 | Monday
"I have decided reluctantly to relinquish my title as Miss Earth Bahamas 2009/2010.
Taking the valuable lessons that I have learnt from this experience, I will now focus my energies and attention on
pursuing my bachelors degree in international relations." Hours after receiving Bethel-Sears' resignation letter,
Rolle told The Nassau Guardian that she was sad to see her go. "We are still working out the details," she said.
"We wish Ms. Bethel-Sears all the best because she was trying to get the time that she needed off from college
to attend the international pageants and her college was unable to give her the two and a half months off.
"...The integrity of the pageant remains intact. We support Ms. Bethel-Sears
in her educational endeavours and we know that she is going to do well. We are saddened that she will not be able
to represent us at the Miss Earth pageant, but we realize that her educational pursuits are also important."
Rolle said Amanda Appleyard, who was the second runner-up, will now take on the title of Miss Earth Bahamas
as she will become the new first runner-up. However, Rolle said she is unsure who will fill the vacancy left
in the second runner-up slot. "For the title of Miss International we have to contact the two runners
(Alyssa Knowles, third runner-up and Camille Kenny, fourth runner-up) because Alyssa is already back
in college studying to be a medical doctor, so since we're just finding out we're still trying to get in contact
with her so we can't make any decision on that right now."
Bethel-Sears insisted she has nothing but fond memories about her experience
in the pageant, but added that she is concerned about the negative publicity surrounding it. "It saddens me that
there is so much controversy surrounding the Miss Bahamas Universe pageant of 2009. Many of us have worked extremely
hard and long with the help of many persons to achieve our goals in the pageant and this has been overshadowed
by the controversy." The controversy erupted immediately after the pageant and has lasted days. Last Friday,
tensions boiled over during a press conference held to validate the scores tallied by the accounting firm,
Deloitte and Touche. During the press conference, which was held at the firm's office off Collins Avenue,
pageant organizers fired back at claims of corruption as at least two judges and disgruntled family members
of the former contestants verbally battled with Rolle. (The Nassau Guardian, Bahamas, 6/4/2009)
• THE NEW MISS INDONESIA is Karenina Sunny Halim of Jakarta who was crowned Friday in Jakarta. The first
runner-up is lati Putri Dewi of Sulawesi Barat and the second runner-up is Viviane of Bali.
The current Miss World Ksenia Sukhinova assisted in the crowning of the winner. Thirty-three contestants from 33
provinces in Indonesia took part in the pageant.(Reuters, 6/6/2009) Watch the coronation.
• THE NEW MISS SWEDEN is 21-year-old Renate Cerljen, who stands 175 cm, won the Miss Universe Sweden
2009 title last night. She will compete in Miss Universe 2009, in the Bahamas. Info courtesy of Michael Knittel.
• THE NEW MISS NAMIBIA is Happie Ntelamo who was crowned last Saturday night at the Windhoek Country Club
& Resort in Windhoek. She will go to Miss World 2009. The first runner-up is Tanya Schemmer and the
second runner-up is Susan van Zyl. Info courtesy of Paul Palmero and Conny Maritz.
• WHAT SHE THINKS : Sandra Seifert's disqualification from the 2009 Binibining Pilipinas pageant led
her to compete in 2009 Miss Philippines Earth which she expectedly won. In a recent interview with Manila Times,
Sandra points out the difference of her experiences joining the two pageants: ?I looked younger compared to how
I looked in Binibini because in Miss Earth we were encouraged to go for a more natural look. In Binibini,
we were made up everyday. I also looked happier and not so haggard because our schedules were more spread out.
We got more rest opportunities. Everything was very natural. It was also very soothing. In Miss Earth, we could sit,
unwind and act natural. In Binibini, we always had to be so ?perfect? and poised even when there were no
judges around.?
On her joining Miss Philippines Earth, Sandra commented:
?Before I joined Miss Earth, I did my research just to see if I wanted to do this. Before, people would ask me,
?Oh did you join Miss Earth for vindication?? I said no because I didn?t want to waste my time and Miss Earth?s
time just to get back at people. That?s childish. I want to do something and to put my time in something I believe
in and that would allow me to generate more good.? (Manila Times, Philippines, 6/7/2009)
• C'EST FANTASTIQUE : After only six months of her reign, Miss France 2009 Chloé Mortaud is joining
Direct 8 television. She is co-hosting Les dossiers people with Allan Van Darc. This is the first
time that a reigning Miss France is headlining a show. (TV Mag, France, 6/5/2009)
• ES FANTASTICO : For the first time in its history, the Miss Spain pageant will be held outside Spain - Cancún,
Mexico to be exact. The finals are slated for July 18, and all 52 candidates will be lodged at the
Grand Oasis Cancún Hotel. Miss Spain 2008 Patricia Rodríguez traveled to Cancún last week accompanied
by Andrés Cid, president of the Miss Spain Organization, to finalize the negotiations with the local hosts.
(El Dia, Tenerife, España, 6/4/2009)
• A KOTTER-ING EDGE : Kim Kötter, Miss Netherlands Universe 2002, is the new franchise holder for Miss
Universe Netherlands, Mister Netherlands, and Miss Germany Universe. (RTVoost, Netherlands, 6/5/2009)
• NEW DESIGNER FOR AUSSIE COSTUME : Perth designer Ruth Tarvydas has been selected to create the costume for
Australia's Miss Universe delegate Rachael Finch. Tarvydas said to expect more of the same sexy silhouettes
when the Miss Universe dress is officially unveiled in Melbourne next month. ``It's all about the wonderful iconic
things in Australia, merged with our beautiful women, merged with Australiana, and very sexy,'' she said.
``Our gown is fashionable, it's sexy, but it's also very Australian. I think it will look beautiful on Rachael.''
The national costume always generates the most controversy at the Miss Universe
competition and Australian contestants have displayed some cringe-worthy creations in the past. Last year Jayson Brunsdon
was lambasted for his flowing landscape-inspired dress for Laura Dundovic, which came with tiered frilled-neck
lizard and boomerang breastplate. One critic described it as a toilet-roll dolly channelling illustrator May Gibbs.
Other recent cliched national costumes include a Steve Irwin outfit, a lifesaver cossie and a wattle-and-gumnut ensemble.
Even Miss Universe winner Jennifer Hawkins didn't escape scrutiny when she wore a steel-grey ballgown featuring maps
of Sydney at the 2004 pageant. But Finch said she couldn't be happier with Tarvydas's yet-to-be-revealed design.
``I need something that reflects our culture, our beauty, our spirit,'' she said. (Sunday Times, Australia, 6/6/2009)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, June 15, 2009.
PHOTO CREDITS: Miss Bahamas Universe, WireImage, Associated Press, FilmMagic, El Universal
| 6.1.2009 | Monday
• THE NEW MISS MALAYSIA UNIVERSE is Joanne Belle Ng Li Vun who was crowned May 30th in Kuala Lumpur.
The first runner-up is Cassandra Patrick and the second runner-up is Claudia Tania Sibert.
Former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova was one of the judges. The pageant has a new management led by
Syeba Yip who promises "to restore the glamour" in Malaysian pageantry. (AsiaOne, Singapore, 5/30/2009)
• THE NEW MISS GUAM UNIVERSE is Racine Manley, who was crowned Saturday in Agana. Her court includes first runner-up
Clarissa Damian and second runner-up Jodee Catahay. Manley won three awards: Best in Swimsuit, Best in Evening Gown,
and Miss Photogenic. Catahay won Miss Congeniality and the Cecilia Bamba Award. Rebecca Tomada won the Best Native Costume.
Thirteen young women participated in this year's pageant. (From Miss Universe Guam).
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE TANZANIA is Iluminata James who was crowned last night at the Mlimani Conference Centre in
Dar-es-salaam. The newly crowned queen edged the first runner-up, Evelyn Almasi, and the second runner-up,
Hidaya Maeda for the beauty pageant title. (Swahiliremix.com, 5/30/2009)
• THE NEW MISS ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES is 20-year-old Veronique Petra Williams of Chateabelair who was
crowned May 30th at Victoria Park in Kingstown. She will represent her country in the Miss Carival 2009 pageant on July 3,
but it is not certain if she is competing in Miss Universe. The first runner-up is Yasmeen Hadaway and the
second runner-up is Nickilla Slater. Williams bagged all three major awards (swimsuit, evening gown, interview).
(Carnivalsvg.com, 5/30/2009)
Chiong was dethroned last December by Eventos S.A. who claim that Chiong withdrew from
the Reina Hispanoamerica 2008 pageant in Bolivia without advising them. Chiong now claims that she and other delegates had
been sexually harassed in Bolivia. After Figueroa was crowned, Chiong rushed to the police station to file a complaint
against Dominguez for giving her bruises on her arm. Chiong's forced removal from the stage was caught on tape via a hand-held videocam and was uploaded in YouTube,
but it has been taken down since then due to copyrights violation. However, the videoclip was saved by Prensa Libre who
interviewed her. Howard Turner of Eventos S.A. released a statement on May 27th denouncing Chiong's accusations and
her behavior during the election of the new queen. Turner emphasized that no force was used against Chiong.
Hector Medina, the moderator of Bellezas de Guatemala Message Board, will provide an exclusive interview with Chiong
which will be translated into English by Critical Beauty, so come back soon. Meanwhile, if you haven't seen it yet, you can
see a graphic synopsis of the scandal here.
Four Tibetan participants of the Miss Tibet 2009 beauty pageant pose for media in Dharmsala, India, Friday,
May 29, 2009. From left are Dolkar, 24, Ngawang Choying, 18, Tenzin Choezom, 20, and Yeshi Lhamo, 24.
• POSTPONED : Two pageants organized by ERM World Organization have been postponed due to the outbreak of the H1N1 flu.
The Miss Bikini International pageant, which was supposed to be held this month, has been temporarily shelved. Same thing goes
for the Miss Leisure pageant, which was originally planned for June. Read the postponement notice in Miss Bikini International
and Miss Leisure.
• THE NEW MISS AMERICA LATINA is Johanna Solano, an 18-year-old psychology student from San Jose, Costa Rica who was crowned May 24th at the
hotel Barceló Punta Cana Premium in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Solano's court includes first runner-up Diana Franca, 20, representing
USA; second runenr-up Williana Siquiera of Brazil; third runner-up Denisse Garrido of Canada; and fourth
runner-up Maria Fernanda Fernandez of Guatemala. Twenty-five 25 candidates representing Spanish speaking nations
competed in a night full of beauty and spectacle. During the event Barceló Hotels & Resorts was recognized for its 10 years
of work and cooperation with the competition, sponsoring Latin beauties in the continent?s different destinations.
(Dominican Today, 5/26/2009)
• MISS AMERICA VISITS PUERTO RICO : Art McMaster, President and CEO of the Miss America Organization, and Miss America
2009 Katie Stam were welcomed to Puerto Rico on May 26 by Joselo Sostre, Executive State Director of the Miss Puerto
Rico Scholarship Program, along with his newly appointed staff at a press conference in San Juan. They were greeted by
media outlets that included magazines, newspapers and television outlets who covered The Miss America Press Conference.
McMaster was pleased to announce the January 30, 2010 Pageant date on TLC live from Planet Hollywood. The press conference
was also highlighted by having the very first Miss Puerto Rico participate, Miss Puerto Rico 1948, Irma Nydia Velazquez
- marking her 60th anniversary! Katie will return to Puerto Rico for the July 31 Miss Puerto Rico Pageant and crown the
2009 winner who will compete for Miss America in January 2010. (By the Miss America Organization)
• RELEASED : Former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd (above) hobbled out of hospital last week, accompanied by her
footballer boyfriend Jamie O?Hara, after a brawl in London?s west end club Crystal. The 25-year-old model had to have an
emergency operation on her calf on Monday (May 25th) after a vicious attack in Crystal nightclub in Marylebone.
That came after another assault in a club earlier this month when Lloyd was allegedly punched in the face by a woman
after a row with friends of her boyfriend Jamie O?Hara?s ex-girlfriend. After the surgery at the private Wellington hospital
in St. John?s Wood, her trauma and orthopaedic consultant Elliot Sorene said: 'She is very lucky that major blood
vessels and arteries were not involved, otherwise she would have been left permanently paralysed." He added: "Miss Lloyd was
very lady-like throughout the whole harrowing episode." She also had 20 stitches in her lower back. Two women were arrested and
bailed after the incident.
• HOME SWEET HOME : Former Miss North Dakota turned journalist Roxana Saberi and her parents were greeted Saturday at the Fargo
airport by a crowd of well-wishers waving "Welcome home Roxana!" banners and lining up for hugs. When it was her turn to speak,
Saberi needed comfort from her parents and North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven as she struggled keep her composure. "It's the first
time I've really cried in public," she said. Students and teachers from her alma mater, Concordia College in neighboring Moorhead,
Minn., brought maroon and gold balloons. The school band played patriotic songs, and Saberi sang along to the Star Spangled Banner
before a welcome home ceremony. Saberi, who spent six years in Iran and has dual citizenship, was arrested on Jan. 31 and
charged with spying for the United States. The U.S denied the charges. She was sentenced to eight years in prison, but an
appeals court reduced that to a two-year suspended sentence and released her on May 11. Saberi's former boss in Fargo, general manager
Charley Johnson of television stations KVLY and KXJB, said Fargo should be a good place for Saberi to work on the book. (Bismarck Tribune,
5/31/2009)
"The family banded together outside and demanded to speak to my wife who is the pageant
organiser and she was subjected to questions about how she was judged and what the criteria were," says Desmond.
He says his wife had to explain in meticulous detail why the couple's daughter did not win the overall pageant. Jannat's main sponsor
was Masala restaurant which is owned by J.R Hospitality. The company's shareholders are Jannat's great uncle Jaswant and her uncle
Rimpu Chahil. The restaurant's name was placed prominently on the pageant?s programme and was a paid advertising spot
according to the organisers. Rimpu had also ordered tickets for the Kaur's wider family to attend the pageant at a cost of $50 each.
The family's total bill, which was to go to the pageant's children charity, was $5,600. A cheque to cover the $5,600 was passed to
the organisers three hours before the pageant, but then reversed in the days following. Rimpu claims the decision to cancel the cheque
was made before the outcome of the competition was known. He says he cancelled the cheque because he had issues over how the
competition was run.
Even the couple who awarded Jannat with her miss beauty with a purpose crown appeared to be
in on a deal. The couple are car dealers Mirza Saabat and his wife Sherene. Mirza indicated he could help the pageant winner with
a car for a year, under the right conditions. Desmond said he asked the couple where the Mercedes was, but they refused to donate
it after Jannat didn't win. There was one other irregularity during the lead up to the pageant that confused the organisers.
Desmond said in rehearsals, another member of Rimpu Chahil's family approached the pageant organisers and offered them a blank cheque.
?During the course of the rehearsals twice his sister, who is Jannat's mother, offered us a cheque to fill in what ever amount
we wanted to but we didn't really feel comfortable about that," he says. The pageant's charity, The Variety Club, also lost out in
the competition after the Kaur?s failed to donate their $5600. The pageants actual winner, Magdelena Schoeman, will
represent New Zealand in the Miss World New Zealand pageant later this year, Jannat Kaur is now officially barred from
any Miss World competition in the future. (3news.co.nz, 5/26/2009)
• VICTIM OF ABUSE : Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado revealed in the Mexican TV show "NXclusiva" that she
was a victim of domestic violence. Alicia confessed that she had been brutalized by her ex-boyfriend, singer
José Manuel Figueroa. Alicia was informed that Figueroa is currently experiencing bad times, though this seems
to please her: "His life is costing him, and the truth is he deserves to suffer and I am not that hypocritical to
say God bless him!" (People en Español, 5/29/2009)
• HER NEW FLAME? Former Miss Universe Cecilia Bolocco, who turned 44 on May 19th, was seen in a discotheque in
Santiago, Chile dancing with a 28-year-old handsome entrepreneur Luis Miguel Carmona. Friends say that Cecilia
is sometimes alone and does things as she pleases, like going out with a young man 16 years her junior. Carmona is
a friend of the family; Cecilia's father Enzo Bolocco has known Carmona's parents for years. Besides Carmona,
Cecilia's new circle of friends includes two men in the fashion industry and several individuals from Chile's elite
and influential society. (La Tercera, Santiago, 5/29/2009)
• TOP-EARNING MODELS : Less than two years ago, Claudia Schiffer declared that the age of the supermodel was over.
Magazine covers and beauty contracts had become the province of celebrities. The industry's newest generation had not
quite attained the international, first-name basis fame that Naomi, Cindy, and Christy had pioneered. A lot has changed in
two years. While fashion magazines and retail brands still market their wares with stars from music and movies, models
have moved off the runway in equal measure, expanding their brands into fashion, entertainment, and philanthropy.
The age of the multi- hyphenate model has replaced the age of the supermodel, giving the top girls more earning
power than ever before.
Forbes magazine issued a list of the world's top earning models, ranked according to estimated earnings
from June 2008 to June 2009. Returning at No. 1 this year is Gisele Bundchen, who earned an estimated $25 million in the last year from numerous
campaigns including Versace, True Religion jeans, Dior, and Ebel watches. The Brazilian model has rare range - from high
fashion to mass market--and measured impact on the success of the brands she represents. She also has her own
Brazilian shoe line and tabloid fame on par with movie stars - thanks in part to her recent marriage to
NFL superstar Tom Brady. Following Bundchen are German Heidi Klum and British Kate Moss ($8.5 million each),
Brazilian Adriana Lima ($8 million), Dutch Doutzen Kroes ($6 million), Brazilian Alessandra Ambrosio
($6 million), Russian Natalia Vodianova ($5.5 million), Ukrainian Daria Werbowy ($4.5 million), Australian
Miranda Kerr ($4 million), American Carolyn Murphy ($3 million) and Brazilian Emanuela de Paula ($2.5 million).
(Forbes, 5/27/2009)
• RESTRICTING TAN : Miss Ohio 2008 Karissa Martin stopped by the Statehouse in Columbus on Thursday to testify before the
House Consumer Affairs and Economic Protection Committee in support of a bill that a generation ago might have lost her
cool points on the pageant circuit. House Bill 173 seeks to require children under age 18 to obtain a doctor's prescription
to use tanning salons. The bill's co-sponsors believe that tanning increases the risk of skin cancer. Testifying along
with Martin were two dermatologists and a 26-year-old melanoma cancer survivor.
Martin, of Woodsfield, in southwest Ohio, adopted skin-cancer prevention as her pageant
platform while competing for the Miss America crown earlier this year. The removal of a mole with abnormal skin cells when
she was 14 (caused by sunburn) helped shape her cause celebre. She admits that her stance isn't popular with everyone,
including a niece in high school. "They all know how I feel about it. Do they still do it? Yes, sometimes." Because melanoma,
the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is the second most common cancer in women between the ages of 20 and 35, Martin likes
to take her message to young people. But it's not just cancer, she said. "I'm not someone to lay out in the sun.
I'm not one to use a tanning bed," Martin, 20, said earlier in the month on the heels of a Statehouse news conference
to recognize May as Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in Ohio. (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, 5/29/2009)
• DOUBLE LIFE : Former Miss Washington, Elyse Umemoto, has recently revealed that she was in an abusive relationship
during her year representing the state. Two weeks after the Yakima-native finished in the top three of the 2008 Miss
America pageant, she was brutally assaulted by her boyfriend and left bruised and battered. It was part of a pattern of
abuse in the relationship that had started in 2007. She hid the violence during her reign, living what she called a
"double life". Now, Umemoto has come forward to tell her story to help other women. "If this can happen to me - I was
almost Miss America - nobody's exempt," she told the Seattle Times. (Examiner, USA, 5/29/2009)
• NEXT UPDATE : Monday, June 8, 2009.
PHOTO CREDITS: Miss Bahamas Organization, Wire Images, La República (San José), El Vocero, La Prensa, 3news.co.nz
MAY 2009
• THE NEW MISS UNIVERSE ROMANIA is Elena Bianca Constantin, 20, who was crowned in Bucharest on June 27th
by current Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza (photo). Constantin, 20, will represent Romania at the Miss Universe
beauty pageant due to be held in Paradise Island, Bahamas, on August 23, 2009. (Reuters, 6/28/2009)
• FIRED : The Miss Puerto Rico Petite competition stripped the reigning queen of her crown Friday, accusing the young
woman of "intolerable conduct" that included threatening and assaulting pageant staff. Keishla Villafane Rivera, photo,
also used "coarse language" and violated the terms of her contract by agreeing to use her image in an advertisement
without the consent of the pageant, the organizers said in a statement. Luis Santiago Productions, the pageant company,
said it was obligated to dismiss the 19-year-old queen after she made death threats and assaulted staff members.
Its statement provided no details of the purported misconduct.
Miss Philippines Geramie Dizon (center), who was crowned the winner, poses with runner-up Miss Mongolia Saruul Ganbaatar (right)
and second runner-up Miss Taiwan Christina Wen (left) at the Miss Asia USA beauty competition in Los Angeles on June 13, 2009.
The competition was open to US residents who can claim at least 25 percent Asian ancestry and 19 finalists
representing
13 Asian countries took part.
Cavuto asked Farrell if she thought she had to be careful with her words and
statements. "When you are taking on a responsibility or becoming a beauty queen, you are not just given a crown,
you are given a microphone ... It's a huge responsibility." But what about gay marriage? Farrell feels it is
"hilarious that the world is turning to beauty queens for the answers" on gay marriage, but she didn't have
a strong opinion on either side of the debate. "I don't think I have the right, or anyone has the right, to
tell somebody who they can or cannot love. I think this is a civil rights issue, and I think the right thing
to do is to let the voters decide."
Jana said all the contestants competing the Miss Teen Christchurch and Miss Christchurch
titles bestowed at the pageant, were taken to a jewellery store by Osborne and a judge, shown the necklace and told both
winners would get one. Two other contestants confirmed the store visit and said they also expected the Miss Teen
Christchurch winner to receive the bag and necklace. "I'm so disappointed with how it all turned out," Jana said.
Osborne said she'd been organizing pageants around New Zealand for three years and denied Jana missed out on prizes.
The necklace was a sponsored gift for Miss Christchurch. Osborne said the girls were told there was a possibility of a
Louis Vuitton bag, but it was never confirmed. "There was nothing to say it was going to happen, I was just giving an update."
• GIVING IT UP : Ife Bethel-Sears, (photo) the first runner-up in the Miss Bahamas Universe pageant, who was crowned
the 2009/2010 Miss Earth Bahamas, relinquished her title yesterday, saying she planned to focus on her educational
pursuits instead. Bethel-Sears placed behind Kiara Sherman, 25, who was crowned the 2009/2010 Miss Bahamas
Universe at the May 24 pageant. In a resignation letter addressed to Miss Bahamas Universe CEO Gaynell Rolle,
the 20-year-old said: "I have given the events subsequent to the pageant much thought. Further, in consultation
with the dean of Smith College, it is now apparent I would have to make a choice between deferring my studies
for another year and pursuing the role of Miss Earth Bahamas. 
• ALICIA DISSES BARBARA : In a recent interview with Mexican newspaper El Universal, 1996 Miss Universe
Alicia Machado (photo with her baby Dinorah) commented that she never really liked her fellow Venezuelan ex-Miss Universe Barbara Palacios
who won in 1986. She remarked, "I can't stand Barbara. I can't even look at her picture; she seems fake to me and
she never fails to give me advice everytime I have done something with my career. Who does she think she is, telling
me what to do with my life? Not even my mother says anything to me. I don't belong to her generation." (El Universal,
Mexico, 6/7/2009)
• BAHAMAS BEAUTIES : At 17, she was the youngest in the pageant, but Joanna Brown, photo, representing Grand Bahama, won
over the judges with her maturity, grace, intelligence and charm to capture the 2009 Miss Bahamas World title Sunday night.
The 6'0" high school graduate now begins preparations for the Miss World pageant, which will be held in Johannesburg,
South Africa in December of this year. Finishing second in this year?s pageant was Llatetra Laing who captured the
Miss Bahamas Tourism Queen title; she will compete in Miss Tourism Queen International pageant in China next year.
Third place went to Dashanique Poitier who will represent the Bahamas in the next Miss Intercontinental
pageant. Rounding out the top five were Devera Pinder and Gabrielle Major. (From Miss Bahamas Organization)
• MISS GUATEMALA CONTROVERSY : A new Miss Guatemala Universe was crowned just past midnight on May 26th. Her name is Lourdes Figueroa, a 20-year-old
student and model from Guatemala City. Angelica Guevara was crowned Miss Guatemala World. The pageant was going smoothly
until an uninvited Jennifer Chiong, photo, Miss Guatemala 2008, unexpectedly showed up to try to crown her successor. Chiong
was removed from the stage by force by Mike Dominguez of Eventos S.A., the pageant organizers who own the Miss Universe
franchise for Guatemala.
The pageant
will start on June 5, and the winner will be decided on June 7. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)
• CANCELLED CHECK : Miss World New Zealand was thrown into disarray this year after Jannat Kaur, photo, winner of beauty with a purpose,
returned her crown resulting in a cancelled cheque from her family that was promised to a supporting charity. The Kaur family were
reportedly upset that their 18-year-old daughter, and current Miss India New Zealand, had not won the overall crown. Desmond and
Rose Foulger have been running beauty pageants in New Zealand for 17 years; they just recently won the right to host
Miss World New Zealand. Desmond says he couldn't believe it when the crown got handed back. "I was standing at the side of the stage
waiting for photos to finish and out of the crowd came the uncle. He said words to the effect "hang on to this we don't need it,"
says Desmond. "I gave it to my wife and a little later another member of the family brought the plaque back and said we don't need
this either." Desmond claims Jannat's family confronted his wife, Rose, immediately after the overall crown was announced. 