Turkey, Egypt, Austria and Belgium Have Miss Universe winners

If we look into the list of Miss Universe title holders, we will never see a winner from countries like Austria, Belgium, Turkey and Egypt. But if we look deeper into the history of beauty pageants, these 4 countries I have mentioned have actually one winner each. It happened from the period of 1929 to 1935.

You might argue that Miss Universe pageant was held first in 1952 in Long Beach, California. You are right but this is the pageant we are accustomed to nowadays. This is the pageant which is currently under Donald Trump. But I am talking a different pageant that is now a history. There was once a beauty pageant called the International Pageant of Pulchritude where the winner was sashed or named Miss Universe. It started in 1926 in Galveston, Texas.

This pageant is also known as International Pageant Contest or Miss Universe Contest by its followers. It was held in the US until 1931. But when the US economy went to drain known as Great Depression, US decided to stop this.

Belgium came to rescue the pageant by bringing it to Brussels in 1932. In 1933 and 1934, the pageant was not held for an unknown reason but it came back once again in 1935 which marked its final staging. It was not held since then because of the World War II.

In 1952, a separate pageant was given birth by Catalina Swimsuit Company. It was named Miss Universe. This is the pageant we love to watch now but it has no connection with the old one.

The winners are:

1926 - USA - Catherine Moylan
1927 - USA - Dorothy Britton
1928 - USA - Ella Van Hueson
1929 - Austria - Lisl Goldarbeiter
1930 - USA - Dorothy Dell Goff
1930 - Brazil - Yolanda Pereira
1931 - Belgium - Netta Duchâteau
1932 - Turkey Keriman Halis
1935 - Egypt - Charlotte Wassef

You will observe that in 1930, there are two winners of the said contest. This is because there were two editions - the Brazil version and the US version.

In 1929, International Pageant of Pulchritude became so popular in Brazil. The Brazilians had high hopes their representative would win. But when their girl did not make it, the angry Brazilians created their own Miss Universe Contest the following year in 1930 where their girl won the title. The representative from the US was also excluded in the semi-finals. It is not clear if this was a vendetta by the Brazilian judges.

The winner shown in that picture posted above is Dorothy Dell Goff of the US in the 1930 US version of the pageant.

Watch this video also.

Watch VIDEOS of the Miss Universe 2009 swimsuit presentation

Watch videos of the Miss Universe 2009 contestants during the swimsuit presentation in Bahamas.

The best Miss Universe 2009 candidates during the swimwear and national costume events

Michelle Malcolm, a broadcast journalist in Bahamas, is joining the 84 candidates competing at Miss Universe 2008 in their daily activities. She is posting her regular updates about the pageant and her comments on the girls at Critical Beauty.

Michele attended the the swimsuit presentation last Sunday and the national costume parade last Monday. She made a lists of the ladies who impressed her both for the swimsuit and the national costume.

I am posting here her list for you to read.

Below are the ladies who caught her eyes during the swimwear presentation in alphabetical order:

Angola – great body, strong catwalk
Australia – fabulous body, beautiful face, good catwalk
Bahamas – the home town girl received a thunderous round of applause for her strong catwalk skills
Brazil – pretty face, great body
Canada – fabulous body! Not an ounce of fat anywhere!
Cayman Islands – great body, strong catwalk
Colombia – great body, sexy catwalk
Czech Republic – very good body, and oh that face!
Dominican Republic – very great body, excellent catwalk
France – good body, very outgoing and sexy on the runway
Great Britain – Loads of personality, good body
Honduras – fabulous body, fabulous catwalk, beautiful face
Hungary – beautiful face, great body, but needs work on the catwalk
Iceland – very good body, great catwalk Jamaica – beautiful face, nice body
Japan – great body, strong catwalk
Mexico – good body, lots of personality, good catwalk
Netherlands – very good body!
Nicaragua – great body, fun to watch on stage
Norway – fabulous body!
Puerto Rico – fabulous body, great catwalk skills
Russia – great body, amazing face, very sexy catwalk
Slovak Republic – good body, very good catwalk
South Africa – great body, legs for days!
Spain – very good body
Sweden – fabulous body, pretty face, catwalk skills could be stronger
USA – fabulous body, arguably the best in swimsuit at this competition!
Venezuela – great body, classic beauty

And below are the ladies who impressed her during the national costume parade in alphabetical order:

Angola, who wore a traditional dress showing scenes of everyday life in Angola
Bahamas, whose costume depicted the sun that covers The Bahamas
Bolivia, inspired by a dance of her country
China, a dramatic warrior
Colombia, a colorful traditional dress
Czech Republic, a gown with a butterfly motif
Ecuador, representing a bountiful harvest
El Salvador
India
Jamaica
Kosovo
Mexico
Namibia
Nicaragua, which represented the fury of a volcano
Panama, representing Diablo in pheasant feathers, glass and crystals
Peru
Philippines, a colorful twist to the traditional Filipiniana
Thailand, a combination of the Thai Hill Tribe and traditional costume
Ukraine
Venezuela, an exquisite costume which reminded me of the film My Fair Lady

She added that there judges presented at the national costume event. They will be the one to pick up the winner of the Best in National Costume. The judges include President of the Senate of Bahamas, Lynn Holowesko; the CEO of Mailboxes Etc. in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, Mr. Gershin Major; Founder of the Bahamas International Film Festival, Leslie Vanderpool; artist John Edward Cox; Junkanooer Kishlane O’brien; entrepreneur Elaine Pinder; and retail executive Rochelle Walker of Solomon’s Mines.

Michelle also added that the candidates who have the biggest fans or supporters in every event are Miss Bahamas Kiara Sherman (of course), Miss Philippines Pamela Bianca Manalo, Miss China Jing Yao Wang and Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez.

Asian girls at the Swimsuit presentation

Last night was a swimsuit presentation of all the candidates competing in Bahamas for the Miss Universe 2009. Asia is I think one of the strongest batches this year, if not the strongest, but there is something funny with the photos of the delegates from this region.

Their mouths were wide open while they were parading in their swimsuits. Basing my comments on the pictures, Miss Philippines Pamela Bianca Manalo and Miss Japan Emiri Miyasaka were the best. They look regal and poised.

Miss Vietnam Vo Hoang Yen who is said to have a killer catwalk is a big disappointment, not with her catwalk but with her body.

Aside from Miss Philippines, Miss India Ekta Choudhary also donned a one-piece swimwear. Most of the Asians sported two-piece and I guess this was a wrong choice for them. This is only my opinion.

Were they imitating Miss Venezeula Stefania Fernandez who had the biggest of them?

Miss Indonesia Zivanna Letisha Siregar in a two-piece swimsuit

It's good to see Miss Indonesia Universe Zivanna Letisha Siregar in a two-piece swimsuit. Since 2005, Indonesian girls to any international beauty pageants always have chosen the "more conservative" one-piece swimwear than the "more revealing" two-piece. Indonesian girls wearing swimsuits can face public ridicule and government restrictions. This is in fact the reason why Indonesia, the biggest Muslim nation in the world, did not actively participate in beauty pageants in the past.

In 1996, Alya Rohali was forced to withdraw from Miss Universe when she was shown wearing the bikini. The following year, Indonesia stopped sending their girls to Miss U until 2004.

In 2005, when largest archipelago in the world resumed joining Miss U, the Indonesians publicly denounced Artika Sari Devi and warned her the consequences if she was seen parading in a swimsuit. That was one of the most anticipated events during the Miss U pageant in Thailand. But Artika was so brave that she defied all odds and went on to become the only Asian at the Final Top 15.

After the pageant, many feared for her life if she would return back home. But she came home safely.

I guess, the legacy of Artika paved the way for the Indonesian to accept or embrace swimsuit competitions in beauty pageants. Since then, Indonesia regularly participated at the Miss Universe pageant.

Going back to Zivanna, she has one of the freshest faces among all the ladies competing in Bahamas for the 58th edition of the pageant. She is one of Asia's front-runners in the beauty department. So, if she duplicates Artika's fate in 2005, it won't be a surprise.

You can check Zivann's long gown and national costume here.

Last year, at the 2008 Miss Universe in Vietnam, Putri Raemawasti was the first one to wear the two-piece.

Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez is not mingling with Latin American candidates?

Is it true that Miss Venezuela Stefania Fernandez is not mingling with the Latin American girls? They say Stefania prefers to mix with the European candidates. Allegedly, she is avoiding the Latinas.

If this is true, probably Stefania would like to identify herself with her other heritage. She is a mix of Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Venezuelan.

I have a feeling that Venezuela might not make it to the Top 15 this year just like in 2004 when Ana Karina Anez Delgado broke the 20-year winning streak of her country and in 2006 when Jictzad Nacarid Viña Carreño failed to advance. But the sash factor might work well on her also.

I've said that Stefania might not advance because I am not yet impressed with her photos and interview.

Her interview at the Miss Universe official website is so disappointing. She moves her hands too much which can distract the judges. There are also photos of her in which she looks not beautiful although most of them are stunning especially in her swimsuit picture. Her gown is also too busy. The design is too much to appreciate.

But if she choose to change her gown at the preliminary, I might be proven wrong.

 

 

Miss New Zealand Katie Taylor is Underrated

No one is talking about Miss New Zealand Katie Taylor. This blonde Kiwi beauty queen is one of the underrated contestants to the Miss Universe 2009 pageant. Believe me, she has what it takes to become a winner.

Katie looks very fierce in her official swimsuit photo. She's very hot and lovable. In her 3-minute interview, Katie sounds so natural. She's very charming.

Her waterloo is her long gown. The colour of her gown which is yellow does not complement her white skin and blonde hair. Katie should have chosen a gown of darker colours. Blue, red and black were perfect choices.

But I have a feeling she can make the cut. I haven't seen her catwalk skills yet but I guess she has this vibrant personality that will make her stands out in the group.

New Zealand won the Miss Universe in 1983 with Lorraine Elizabeth Downes. The last time it had a semi-finalist was in 1992 with Lisa Maree De Montalk.

Katie is trying to end the 17-year drought of her country in Miss Universe. Goodluck to you, Katie. you're one of my sentimental favourites.

"I'm the winner" says Miss Colombia Michelle Rouillard?

Rumour has it that Miss Colombia Michelle Rouillard is very confident. She apparently made a statement that raised the eyebrows of the other contestants. She said that she is the next Miss Universe winner and the other girls should be happy to contest for the First Runner-up.

Miss Colombia Michelle Rouillard (center) poses with Miss Spain Estíbaliz Pereira (left) and Miss Domincan Republic Ada de la Cruz (right) with their swimsuit infront of the Atlantis Hotel in Bahamas.

That was indeed a very strong statement from this half-Colombian and half-French beauty queen. One thing is for sure, she has no problem with her self-esteem. That's good if she works it for her advantage.

Another rumour about her is that other Latin delegates are questioning her real age. Some of the delegates from Latin America believe she's over 30 years old. Allegedly, one contestant even tried to ask for her passport so that she can verify her year of birth. The incident insulted Michelle.

Take these rumours with a grain of salt. A lot of gossips are being fabricated by fanatic and this one might be just a work of a wild imagination.

Miss Thailand Chutima Durongdej Faints

Miss Thailand Chutima Durongdej fainted last Thursday, August 6, while she and other fellow candidates for the Miss universe pageant were visiting the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas.

I don't know if you've already heard this but this is a report coming from a Senior Manager of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Michelle Malcolm, who is having regular updates about the pageant at Critical Beauty.

Apparently, the reason why Miss Thailand fainted was because of the heat in Bahamas. Most of the candidates especially from the Nordic countries are still trying to adjust from the heat.

Chutima was not able to join the rest of the candidates at the veranda of the National Art Gallery for refreshment because she was tended to. But the Thai beauty was able to join them for lunch at the next stop - the historic Graycliff restaurant.

I am impressed with Chutima's attitude in the pageant. No one can deny her effort to make herself visible in every photo shoots. She makes sure she's in every photos with a drama. That's her style and it's working. She's very vibrant and playful.

Because Chutima doesn't have the prettiest face in this batch, she's trying to compensate this with her outstanding personality. It won't be a surprise if she makes it to the Top 15.

Asians, this year, are very competitive.

 

Miss Thailand Chutima Durongdej in her official swimsuit photo.

Rachael Finch will be in the Top 15 of Miss Universe 2009

Rachael Finch, Miss Australia Universe 2009, in a swimsuit during her national pageant.

We would love to make our Top 15 prediction for the Miss Universe 2009 but it's too early. We'll do it later but as early as now we are sure Miss Australia Rachael Finch will be one of them.

Why are we so sure? It's because Donald Trump, the owner of the pageant, is really trying so hard to win the Australians. He wanted Miss Universe to be hosted by Australia for the second time.

In fact, he offered the hosting of Miss Universe 2009 to some cities in Australia but he was refused because they weren't interested. Now, he wanted to bring the pageant closer to the Aussies.

Donald is determined to get the Aussies' attention. Read this article from news.com.au. Donald is full of praise for Rachael and Jennifer Hawkins, Miss Universe 2004, is one of his all-time favourite Miss Universe.

Just to add, I remember reading a book authored by Donald Trump that his most favourite Miss Universe is Amelia Vega of Dominican Republic who won the pageant in 2003 in Panama. I forgot the title of that mini-book but I report this when I find it out.

Here's the news.

Miss Universe 2004, Jennifer Hawkins

MISS Universe pageant co-owner Donald Trump is full of praise for Australia's Rachael Finch as she tries to follow in the footsteps of one of his all-time favourite winners, Jennifer Hawkins.

The tycoon said he had heard only good things about the current Miss Universe Australia and had been informed the Queenslander was "wonderful".

"I've heard Rachael is beautiful and I hear she's a lovely lady," Trump said.

The glamorous 21-year-old from Townsville will travel to the Bahamas next month in the hope of clinching the crown, won by Hawkins five years ago.

Trump, who also owns the Miss USA competition, said Hawkins was one of his favourites because she was so problem-free, unlike many others.

"Jennifer Hawkins is one of my all-time favourite Miss Universes," Trump said.

"She's phenomenal. She's a great person and just absolutely beautiful.

"She was absolutely great, she was so problem-free."

Trump's pageants have been riddled with controversy recently.

Miss Universe Australia finalist Stephanie Naumoska made international headlines for her skeletal-like frame. "

I think she was too thin, but I hope she's better,'' Trump said.

In the Miss USA competition, the most recent Miss California was dethroned after missed appearances, topless photos and homophobic comments.

But Trump admitted controversy can be positive too.

"Frankly the controversy is a good thing, not a bad thing, because everyone's talking about my pageants," Trump said.

Jennifer Victoria Koranteng wins Miss Universe Ghana 2009

Ms. Jennifer Victoria Koranteng, a 22-year old Theatre Arts and Psychology graduate of the University of Ghana, is to represent the country at this year's Miss Universe show scheduled for August in Bahamas.

This followed her selection during the Pageant competition held in Accra on Friday night.

She beat four other contestants to win the Miss Universe Ghana 2009 title after excelling in four categories of grueling task performance.

This included individual presentation, physical fitness or swimsuit appearance, interview and questions on national and world affairs, and composure and grace.

The other contestants were Daphne Grace Allotey, first runners-up and Suzana Darko, second runner up and Angela Effum and Matilda Hammond.

Miss Koranteng, who displayed exceptional smartness, intelligence and confidence, said she would rely on those qualities to win the world title for Ghana in August.

She will leave Ghana for Bahamas in July to enable her undergo a training session to prepare her for the show.

Miss Tibet 2009 kicks off with swimsuit round

Dharamsala, June 5 - First phase of a three-day Miss Tibet beauty pageant competition kickstarted with a swimsuit round at a resort here this afternoon.

The competition started with four contestants Dolkar, 24, from Dehra Dun; Ngawang Choying, 18, from Darjeeling; Tenzin Choezom, 20, from Dharamsala and Yeshi Lhamo, 24, from Bir, performing a ramp show in skimpy swimwear around a mini swimming pool of Asian Health Resort here.

The participants contested for 10 points judged by five jury members for their figure, skin, posture and poise.

A handful of public enthusiasts willing to spare 200 rupees for a not more than 30-minute show turned up to watch, what has been described by many in the exile Tibetan community as, the “most daring” part of the beauty pageant.

A strong media presence, including documentary filmmakers, however, dominated the scene of today’s competition round.

Scores from six more competition rounds in the next two days will add up to decide the final crowning of this year’s Tibetan beauty on the grand finale night on Sunday at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA).

The Presentation and talent rounds will be held Saturday at TIPA.

Lobsang's Miss Tibet pageant is small but has been fairly controversial too. Since it was first started by Lobsang Wangyal Productions in 2002, the exile Tibetan community has reacted with quiet mixed feelings and attitude.

Not surprisingly, the contest has also irritated the Chinese, whose troops began occupying Tibet in 1949. In the past winners of Miss Tibet were forced to withdraw from international beauty pageants after objections from the Chinese government. This has given Miss Tibet its much needed media attention and with it its share of success on the international stage.

At times, however, the pageant struggled itself to survive witnessing only a single participant.

Nevertheless, Lobsang has remained adamant with a pledge to take his one-man show to greater heights all along the way.

“My Miss Tibet show is already eight years old now,” Lobsang delights over the successive continuation of his pageant.

And this year, he has added one more flavour to his show- Dinner with Miss Tibet.

“It is going to be more interesting this time,” Lobsang says of his newly conceived idea, which he says will help him to cash in little more funds for his production unit.

“There is lottery tickets on sale and one winner will be drawn from the lots for an exclusive dinner with winner of this year’s Miss Tibet title. The lottery ticket is priced at Rupees fifty. And the winner can bring along one companion,” Lobsang explains.

“And it is going to be a grand dinner with Miss Tibet 2009 at Mcllo Restaurant & Bar,” Lobsang confirms.

Carolina Gomez, Miss Universe Runner-Up is Considered to star in Grey's Anatomy

I have a good news for the fans of Miss Universe 1994 first runner-up, Carolina Gomez Correa of Colombia. I know you've been wanting to read the latest updates on her. A lot of  fans have been asking how she is nowadays. Luckily, I  got news she was considered to star in Grey's Anatomy.

Whoah. Can you believe that folks? Yes, our dear Carolina who is 33 years old now was considered to play the role of Meredith Grey in the Colombian version of the popular show. This series will be set in a Bogota hospital. Take note, we are not talking about the US version.

Here's the bad news. Carolina was only considered to play the role and she was replaced by a younger singer and actress, Veronica Orozco.

Do you wanna know the reason? You won't believe this gals. Apparently, the reason is because our Carolina is "too old for the role". Sigh.

The Colombian version of 'Grey's anatomy' will be produced by Julio Sanchez Cristo from Vista Productions. The series will be screened on the RCN channel.

Carolina was a crowd favourite during the 1994 Miss Universe in Manila, Philippines. Miss India, Sushmita Sen, beat her for the crown. But our Carolina made history by registering the highest score in the evening gown competition at the finals with a 9.897. No other Miss Universe semi-finalists have ever matched or surpassed that.