SEVENTY-FOUR delegates worldwide, considerably fewer than the usual 90-plus contestants yearly, will battle it out for the right to be named Miss Universe 2020 which has been sidelined last year by the pandemic.
The Philippines is pinning its hopes for a fifth title in the 69-year history of the pageant in the person of Miss Universe Philippines 2020 Rabiya Occeña Mateo of Iloilo, who is the no. 1 fan and sponsor favorite and has been touted by various pageant websites and blogs as among the strongest competitors for the 69th edition of the annual beauty extravaganza.
Previous Pinay Miss Universe champions were: Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margie Moran in 1973, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015 and Catriona Gray in 2018.
Longest-reigning Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi from South Africa will crown the new winner who, in turn, is expected to be the shortest-reigning titleholder when she passes on the crown to a new winner at the 70th finals this coming December.
The ten-day pageant is a fast race for the May 16 (May 17 PH time) finals to be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood City, Florida.
The national costume competition unfolds today with Mateo set to wear a spectacular ensemble created by the late Rocky Gathercole. Tomorrow the girls will parade in swimsuits (by Ema Savahl) and evening gowns of their choice during the crucial preliminary competitions. They will be wearing shoes by Filipino “king if the heel” Jojo Bragais.
Rabiya will be wearing evening gowns by Dubai-based Furne Amato both for the preliminaries and finals.
An all-women, 8-member selection committee — including Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee and Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera — will determine the top 20 semifinalists who will join the fan vote winner for the final swimsuit competition, after which a second cut of 10 finalists will parade in evening gowns.
A final cut of five ladies will be asked different questions after which they will deliver their final statements. The four runners-up will be announced and eventually, Miss Universe.
We have chosen the following delegates (in random) most likely to advance to the finals: Mariangela Villasmil of Venezuela, Daniela Nicolas of Chile, Nova Stevens of Canada, Alina Luz Akselrad of Argentina, Julia Gama of Brazil, Saritha Reth of Cambodia, Amandine Petit of France, Adline Castelino of India, Ayu Maulida of Indonesia, Andrea Meza of Mexico, Anshika Sharma of Nepal, Estefania Soto of Puerto Rico, Natasha Joubert of South Africa, Andrea Martinez of Spain, Amanda Obdam of Thailand, Asya Branch of the USA, Vanessa Velasquez of El Salvador, Klara Vavruskova of the Czech Republic, Migueal Symona Willisms of Jamaica, Jeanette Akua of Great Britain and Mateo.
The finals will be hosted by Mario Lopez and Olivia Culpo; Lopez last served as host during Miss Universe 2007, while Culpo was crowned Miss Universe 2012. Paulina Vega and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters will serve as expert analysts, and Cheslie Kryst will serve as a backstage correspondent; they had previously been crowned as Miss Universe 2014, Miss Universe 2017, and Miss USA 2019, respectively. American rapper and singer Pitbull will perform.
The live satellite feed will be aired locally by ABS CBN on A2Z 11 on Monday, May 17 at 8 am.
