The three-hour special programming event started at 7.00am ICT on Monday 17th December 2018 at IMPACT Arena Muang Thong Thani. Five-time Emmy(R) Award winner and one of television's favorite entertainers, Steve Harvey, was the host of this year's Final Competition. Model, entrepreneur and body activist Ashley Graham returned as backstage host to take viewers behind the scenes. TV personality and style guru Carson Kressley and supermodel and pageant expert Lu Sierra teamed up once again as competition insiders to provide analysis and commentary throughout the live telecast. NE-YO, the three-time GRAMMY(R) award-winning megastar as the first performer took the global stage during this year's event in Bangkok, Thailand.
It's been nearly a month now since 94 contestants touched down in Bangkok and participated in a lot of activities such as the picture frame decoration for Smile Train's patients, a visit to Thai temples, getting to know more about Thai culture by wearing Thai silk evening gown on the night of Thai Night, a one-day trip to Krabi and Pattaya, a trip to "Un Ai Ruk Khlay Khwam Nao, Sai Nam Hang Ratanakosin (Love and Warmth at Winter's End)" – a festival organized by His Majesty King Rama X to learn Thai history and traditions.
The 94 contestants also participated in the National Costume Show where they showcased a variety of costume concepts that highlight the uniqueness of her culture as well as her individuality and personality prior to the Preliminary Competition, and also Press Junket where they closely gave interviews to the media leading up to the Final Competition which marked the new historical moment of Miss Universe Competition held in Thailand.
The 67th Miss Universe's theme was "Empowered Woman". The 2018 MISS UNIVERSE(R) selection committee is the first-ever all-women panel made up of entrepreneurs, business leaders and industry experts, some of whom are former Miss Universe titleholders. This year marked the first time in more than twenty years the same group of individuals will oversee both the preliminary and final rounds, ultimately crowning the new Miss Universe. Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters from South Africa crowned her successor at the conclusion of the three-hour special programming event.
Now in its 67th year, MISS UNIVERSE(R) welcomed more contestants than ever before, representing 94 countries including Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia. In the Final Competition of 2018 MISS UNIVERSE(R) the contestants were trimmed down to 20 semi-finalists. Then the judges chose a top 10, top 5, and top 3 consecutively. Finally, the only one contestant from the top 3 took home the crown. The continental format which was introduced in the 2017 competition remained, with the top twenty consisting of five semi-finalists fromEurope, five from theAmericas, five fromAfricaandAsia-Pacific, and five wildcards which could come from any continental grouping.
20 of the 2018 MISS UNIVERSE(R) front runners include
From Africa and Asia-Pacific
1. Tamaryn Green Miss Universe South Africa
2. Catriona Gray Miss Universe Philippines
3 Manita Devkota Miss Universe Nepal
4. H'HenNie Miss Universe Vietnam
5. Sophida Kanchanarin Miss Universe Thailand
From Europe
1. Magdalena Swat Miss Universe Poland
2. Zoe Brunet Miss Universe Belgium
3. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers Miss Universe Great Britain
4. Enik? Kecskes Miss Universe Hungary
5. Grainne Gallanagh Miss Universe Ireland
From the Americas
1. Akisha Albert Miss Universe Curacao
2. Natalia Carvajal Miss Universe Costa Rica
3. Marta Stepien Miss Universe Canada
4. Kiara Ortega Miss Universe Puerto Rico
5. Emily Maddison Miss Universe Jamaica
From Wildcards
1. Sarah Rose Summers Miss Universe USA
2. Sthefany Gutierrez Miss Universe Venezuela
3. Sonia Fergina Citra Miss Universe Indonesia
4. Mayra Dias Miss Universe Brazil
5. Francesca Hung Miss Universe Australia
The semifinalists moved on to the second stage of the competition and were tasked with giving an opening statement on the subject "How to Live an Inspired Life" to the judges and viewing public, consisting of a 15-second statement, after which the judges eliminated ten contestants and move on to the top ten and competed in the swimsuit by SIRIVANNAVARI (Maillot de Bain) and evening gown.
10 of the 2018 MISS UNIVERSE(R) front runners include
1. Tamaryn Green Miss Universe South Africa
2. H'HenNie Miss Universe Vietnam
3. Sthefany Gutierrez Miss Universe Venezuela
4. Catriona Gray Miss Universe Philippines
5. Natalia Carvajal Miss Universe Costa Rica
6. Akisha Albert Miss Universe Curacao
7. Manita Devkota Miss Universe Nepal
8. Marta Stepien Miss Universe Canada
9. Sophida Kanchanarin Miss Universe Thailand
10. Kiara Ortega Miss Universe Puerto Rico
The top five will compete in the Q&A portion where they must answer in 30 seconds, and are then cut down to a top three.
Followed by the announcement of Miss Universe 2017 Best National Costume winner "Miss Universe Laos On-anong Homsombath"
5 of the 2018 MISS UNIVERSE(R) front runners include
1. Kiara Ortega Miss Universe Puerto Rico
2. H'HenNie Miss Universe Vietnam
3. Catriona Gray Miss Universe Philippines
4. Tamaryn Green Miss Universe South Africa
5. Sthefany Gutierrez Miss Universe Venezuela
The top three then participated in the final word and final look portions, and the judges then chose Miss Universe 2018 and her two runners-up.
3 of the 2018 MISS UNIVERSE(R) front runners include
1. Catriona Gray Miss Universe Philippines
2. Tamaryn Green Miss Universe South Africa
3. Sthefany Gutierrez Miss Universe Venezuela
The top 3 contestants answered the same question "What is the most important lesson you've learned in your life, and how would you apply it to your time as Miss Universe" as part of the onstage interview. The Final Question round will determine the contestant's ability to articulate themselves under pressure while sharing a thoughtful, well-informed response. Again, all scores are averaged and the Top 3 contestants moved on to the Final Look.
The event concluded with the host announcing the winner. Miss Universe Philippines Catriona Gray crowned the new Miss Universe.
Catriona Gray's answer was "I work a lot in the slums of Tondo, Manila and the life there is very poor, sad and I've always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look in the beauty of the children and be grateful. I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson. If I could teach people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster and children would have smiles on their faces."
The 1st Runner-Up is Tamaryn Green, Miss Universe South Africa
The 2nd Runner-Up is Sthefany GutierrezāļĄ Miss Universe Venezuela
The event was an impressive and beautiful ending to the 67th Miss Universe held in Thailand.
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