By The 73rd edition of Miss Universe concluded on November 17, with 21-year-old Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark winning the crown. This is the first time a Danish contestant has become Miss Universe. India’s Rhea Singha could not make it to the top 12.
The last time an Indian won Miss Universe was in 2021, when Harnaaz Sandhu clinched the crown.
-
When was the first Miss Universe pageant held?
While beauty pageants in various forms may have been around for centuries, a formal, large-scale event with money riding on it became popular in the USA in the 1900s. Before the Miss Universe as we know it today, contests like Miss World and Miss America were taking place. In fact, the Miss Universe pageant was born out of a dispute between a winner of Miss America and the event’s sponsor, Pacific Knitting Mills.
Pacific Knitting Mills was a California-based company that owned a swimwear line called Catalina Swimwear. In 1951, the winner of Miss America, Yolande Betbeze, refused to pose for pictures wearing a swimsuit, because of her Catholic schooling. Pacific Knitting Mills then pulled out of Miss America, and from 1952, became one of the sponsors of rival pageants Miss USA and Miss Universe.
-
Donald Trump owned Miss Universe
The President-elect of the US, Donald Trump, was the owner of Miss World from 1996 to 2015. Trump had a tie-up with NBC, and since 2003, the event was broadcast on that channel. However, NBC cut ties with Trump in 2015 after his controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants. “[Mexico] are sending people that have lots of problems, and they are bringing those problems to us. They are bringing drugs, and bringing crime, and their rapists,” the businessman said, as reported by The Guardian. Trump then bought out NBC’s stake, becoming the sole owner of the company, only to sell it days later.
Trump has since been accused of sexist behaviour during his time at Miss Universe. Under him, the pageant travelled to Moscow in 2013. He had then tweeted, “Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant in November in Moscow – if so, will he become my new best friend?”
-
Current owner has filed for bankruptcy
At present, Miss Universe is owned by Thai conglomerate JKN Global Group and Legacy Holding Group USA Inc.
When JKN Global Group’s Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip bought the Miss World organisation and brand, she made history by becoming the first transwoman — and the first woman — to own it. Under her, the pageant allowed mothers and married women to participate from 2023, as reported by BBC.
However, in November 2023, JKN Global filed for bankruptcy. Jakrajutatip then posted on Instagram, “No matter what … I always put the Miss Universe Organization as my first priority in life. No matter how joyful or painful it’s gonna be…I will sacrifice and do everything for the great success of OUR UNIVERSE!”
After this, half the stakes in Miss Universe were sold to Legacy Holding.
