South Africa''s Demi-Leigh wins Miss Universe 2017
Las Vegas, November 27
India's Shraddha Shashidhar lost out on the Miss Universe 2017 title, failing to make it even to the top 16. South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters walked away with the crown, ending a nearly four-decade long jinx for her country in one of the world's biggest pageants.
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After Manushi Chhillar's victory at the Miss World 2017, India had pinned high hopes on Shraddha, 21, a media graduate, to end India's 16-year drought as Lara Dutta had last brought back the crown in 2000.
As many as 92 women from around the world were competing for the Miss Universe 2017 title at the pageant, hosted by Steve Harvey.
Iris Mittenaere from France crowned her successor Demi-Leigh.
The winner has a degree in Business Management and she is passionate about a programme she helped develop to train women in self-defence in various situations.
Demi-Leigh plans to share these workshops and help as many women as she can, according to the official Miss Universe website.
Colombia’ Laura Gonzalez and Jamaica’s Davina Bennett were announced as first runners-up and second runners-up, respectively.
In the competition’s Q&A section, Nel-Peters was asked, “What quality in yourself are you most proud of and how will you apply that quality to your time as Miss Universe?” She responded by saying, “As Miss Universe you have to be confident in who you are as an individual. And Miss Universe is a woman that has overcome many fears and by that she is able to help other women to overcome their fears.
“She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for and I think that is exactly who I am.”
Miss Venezuela and Miss Thailand were the other contestants who made it to top five at the pageant.
The event, which was held in Las Vegas, was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey. A total of 92 contestants participated in the pageant.
Harvey is known for his infamous gaffe during the Miss Universe 2015 pageant when he mistakenly named the first runner-up as the winner.
Harvey referred to his blunder and said he was grateful to the Oscars.
“I’ll tell you what I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving weekend. I’m grateful for the Oscars. ‘Cause it let me off the hook. So, you can sit here and act like you didn’t see what Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway did, but it got me off the hook,” Harvey was quoted as saying by E Online.
He was referring to the Oscar awards ceremony earlier this year when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced “La La Land” as the best picture. It was only after the entire cast and crew were on the stage that the mistake was realised—the award had actually gone to “Moonlight”. Agencies
