5 Most Iconic Miss Universe Moments Over The Years
Miss Universe is a pageant that always makes waves and this year’s edition was no different. The recently held pageant crowned Miss Nicaragua as Miss Universe and featured a number of moments that signalled a move in the right direction for the contentious event.
In the preliminaries, Miss Thailand Anna Sueangam-iam, who finished the competition with the first runner-up title, made the case for eco-conscious fashion when she wore a dress made of upcycled aluminium can tabs. Miss Universe 2023 also had two transgender women compete in the pageant, gaining major points for inclusivity.
Aside from these, there have been a number of moments on the Miss Universe stage that have gone down in history as iconic and here are a few of our favourites…
Most Iconic Miss Universe Moments
The 72nd Miss Universe Competition - Preliminary Competition
Miss Pakistan’s burkini
Miss Universe 2023 had another moment that ensured its place as one of the finest pageant years in the history of the event. Miss Pakistan Erica Robin made history by becoming the first woman to represent the notoriously conservative country in the pageant. She made a powerful statement onstage when she donned a burkini, another first for the event, for the swimsuit round.
The 2015 Miss Universe Pageant
Steve Harvey’s infamous mix-up
There are few moments in pop culture history that would come close to the hold this one had on the entire world. In 2015, host Steve Harvey committed the worst possible mistake on stage at a pageant when he mixed up the names of the winner and the runner-up. In a now-viral moment, he accidentally announced Miss Columbia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner before revealing Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach as the real winner. Yikes!
Celebrities Visit Build - December 12, 2019
Zozibini Tunzi’s momentous win
The Miss Universe pageants, and its ilk, have been rightfully criticised for issues like promoting rigid standards of beauty and body standards. However, in 2019 South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi won the title, becoming the first person in the history of the pageant to win with afro-textured hair. This was especially significant as it marked a shift from the traditionally Euro-centric beauty standards of the pageant and heralded in an era of inclusivity.
2015 Miss USA Pageant Only On ReelzChannel - Show
Miss USA Brook Lee’s relateable answer
In case you weren’t familiar, each finalist in the pageant has to go through a Q&A round where the contestant is asked a philosophical question and is expected to come up with a poignant answer on the spot. Over the years, there have been some hits and misses but Miss USA Brook Lee’s answer is still one of the best ones. When asked, “If there were no rules in your life for one day and you could be outrageous, what would you do?”, she replied, “I would eat everything in the world. You do not understand. I would eat everything twice!” The answer was met with raucous laughter and applause and she, rightfully, went on to cinch the crown.
THAILAND-MISS UNIVERSE-2018
The first transgender contestant
In 2018, Miss Spain Angela Ponce became the first transgender woman to compete in the pageant’s history. She paved the way for more inclusivity in the event and inspire other transgender pageant aspirants to step up to the stage. Before Ponce, Jenna Talackova fought a legal battle (and won) against the Miss Universe Canada pageant to be allowed to participate as a trans woman.
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