Natalia Guimaraes, Miss Universe 2007 1st runner-up, is pregnant

During the Miss Universe 2007 that was held in Mexico, Brazil’s Natalia Guimaraes sashayed on stage with poise and confidence. Aside from Japan’s Riyo Mori, she was one of the semi-finalists who I thought who could win the crown because I just fell in love how she projected on stage and on camera. That is why I was so happy when the candidates were narrowed down to two. Natalia and Riyo were holding each other’s hand to the delight of the crowd.

SCANDAL??? Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori's semi-nude pictures

Miss Universe 2007 Riyo Mori of Japan is once again the talk of the town after "provocative" pictures of her surfaced on the net. These pictures are taken during a photoshoot for the 100th year celebration of the famous Hello Kitty brand. I guess the concept is to get 100 known people who pose semi-nude or with the Hello Kitty badges covering only those parts of the body which need to be covered - you know what I mean. LOL.

Trivia: No Miss Congeniality has Gone to Win the Miss Universe Title

The Miss Universe is a prestigious international event that has grown since its inception from 1952. The international beauty pageant with participants from over 80 nations is bound to have some interesting trivia.

In this space we have provided you with such information that is not very commonly known. The origin of the Miss Universe beauty pageant was shrouded with a controversial start. The local bathing beauty contest, spearheaded by Catalina Swimwear in Long Beach, CA metamorphosed into the international annual tradition of Miss Universe 2008. It was when Miss America 1951 Yoland Betbeze refused to wear swimwear for Catalina Swimwear that the brand’s manufacturer Pacific Mills pulled out of the event and started Miss Universe beauty pageant.

The controversies related to the event began from the inception of the beauty pageant. Armi Kuusela of Finland, who became the first Miss Universe in 1952, gave up her crown shortly before her one year reign as the Miss Universe ended. The beauty from Finland did so as she wished to get married to a Filipino tycoon, Virgilio Hilario.

Another Miss Universe who resigned prior to the full one year completion as her Miss Universe reign was Miss Universe 1974, Amparo Munoz. Ms Munoz resigned her title in the six month of her reign.

Though the event is bases on global harmony and equity, there have been incidents in the past when protests have occurred against some of the contestants of the event. In 1993, Miss USA Kenya Moore was booed by the local crowds, when the event was held in Mexico. Fourteen years later in 2007, when the event was again organized in Mexico, Miss USA Rachel Smith was booed by the local crowds owing to what they saw as US unfriendliness toward illegal immigrants.

In another interesting incident Miss Universe 1996, Alicia Machado of Venezuela was warned by the Miss Universe organization as she had exceeded the maximum weight required during her reign.

In the year 1999, Miss Guam Universe Trisha Elaine Heflin was barred from participating in the Miss Universe 1999 for being pregnant. The Miss Universe 1999, Mpule Kwelagobe however won the title that year as she gave a fitting reply to the controversial question, whether a Miss Universe who became pregnant be allowed to continue her reign. The young lady from Botswana to the question replied that a Miss Universe should be allowed to continue her reign as being pregnant was a sign of femininity, which Miss Universe stands for.

The Miss Universe 2007 was also a hotbed for interesting and unique information. Miss Sweden, Isabel Lestapier Winqvist, unexpectedly pulled out from the event owing to complaints in her country that the beauty pageant degrades women. Sweden has won the coveted crown three times in the past.

It will be an interesting fact to note that no Miss Congeniality has ever gone to win the Miss Universe title.

The newly constituted nation Kosovo has sent its delegate for Miss Universe 2008 for the first time in the beauty pageant in Vietnam.

NOTE: In the picture is Miss China who won Miss Congeniality at theMiss Universe 2007 pageant in Mexico.

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An Interview with Riyo Mori

Riyo Mori is the second Japanese to win the Miss Universe crown in 2007 after Akiko Kojima in 1959. That was after 48 years.

Riyo is a trendsetter in this pageant. She wore a gown designed by a famous designer during the final night of the pageant in Mexico. When she passed her crown to Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela last June in Vietnam, she bravely wore a tuxedo - a very unconventional for a beauty queen. But she was lovely in that night. Clearly, Riyo was revolutionizing the beauty pageant world.

I would like to share with you an interview conducted by CNN to Riyo.

CNN: What made you decide to enter the Miss Universe competition?

Riyo Mori: My Grandmother. Japan, 50 or 60 years ago, was very conservative. Women had to stand behind men and never talk, never give an opinion -- and my grandma was different. I love her so much. She found out that there was Miss Universe Japan and that's how everything started. She said, "Riyo, you're young, you can dance, you can teach dancing, you love it, it's good -- but maybe you should see a different world. Just go for it." And I said, 'OK' and now I'm here.

CNN: What's it like for you to be back in Shizuoka?

Riyo Mori: It's so nice to be back home. I can relax, I can sleep. This is my first vacation, I think -- just having fun with my family, my friends, and talking to my friend in a café. That was my normal life before and since I became Miss Universe it suddenly stopped. I always have to be in the mood, and I have to be Miss Universe, so this is just perfect for me to be in my hometown of Shizuoka.

CNN: How would you describe your relationship with Tokyo?

Riyo Mori: I love Tokyo, like I love New York; I love big cities. The first time I came to Tokyo was even before becoming a finalist for Miss Universe Japan. I was so excited. Also I was scared too, because people look so fashionable and people look so confident here and I was just a tourist from the countryside. I was very nervous.

People from all over the world come to see Tokyo, and so that's why you can see very unique people here. People speak Spanish, French, German, English, and Japanese; there's a very mixed culture here

CNN: How would you define Tokyoites?

Riyo Mori: I feel like people are so energetic here, so different from Shizuoka. People keep moving -- they never stop. Tokyo never sleeps. Tokyo people are so busy all the time. I wouldn't say they are cold, they're just busy; they don't have time to talk to others.

I need a balance, I have to be in Shizuoka for maybe 50 percent of the year and I have to be in Tokyo too, because I need this energy.

CNN: How did you become a dancer?

Riyo Mori: I started to learn dance in mother's dance school. My mom is my best friend, of course, my mother and teacher. So we have very unique relationship. We are not just mom and daughter, we're also teacher and student.

My mom teaches jazz dance, tap dance, modern dance, but she doesn't teach ballet. I thought I should learn how to teach ballet, so I can have different class than she has. So I went to Canada when I was 16. I went to high school and professional ballet school in Canada. It was very, very tough, but it was worth it now that I can teach ballet. Now I want to teach young people, through dancing, how to be positive, patient and happy. These three things are very important to me.

Dancing means a lot to me, because dancing is my life, part of my life. I have been dancing for a long time -- maybe 17 years. Dancing is great because this is how I express myself; this is where I learned how to be confident.

CNN: What was your mum's reaction to you winning Miss Universe?

Riyo Mori: She was very happy when I won Miss Universe --'my daughter can travel the world and see people' -- see the culture that she couldn't. So she was very happy.

CNN: Outside dancing, what else do you enjoy?

Riyo Mori: I'm a huge fan of baseball. Baseball fans here in Japan are very supportive and crazy. They can go crazy too, but that's a good part of Japanese people -- if you like something, you're very into it and support it.

CNN: What else do you love about the city?

Riyo Mori: I think Tokyo is the best place to shop. Ginza is a great place and I like the atmosphere too. When I became finalist for Miss Universe Japan, almost every week I went to Harajuko to shop. Also, this is very close to Miss Universe Japan's office, so I was back and forwards to the office almost all the time.