Critical Beauty

  Watch my fun interview with Ashley Brown, Miss Grand Noord-Holland 2024, who is competing in Miss Grand Netherlands 2024!

  Samoa returns to Miss Universe! On April 3, 2024, Manaia Event launched the Miss Universe Samoa pageant that will pick a Samoan representative to the 2024 Miss Universe contest held in Mexico in November. Director of Miss Universe Samoa, Leiataualesa Jerry Brunt, revealed that Miss Universe organization granted them the license to organize and recruit a candidate to represent Samoa, with efforts underway to finalize the selection criteria. Leiataualesa disclosed that they have asked MUO to consider exemptions for Samoa, for example, regarding traditional Samoan tattoos such as the malu worn by Samoan girls.  Vodafone Samoa, serving as the telecommunication partner for Miss Universe Samoa, pledged support and knowledge-sharing throughout the journey, building on their successful collaboration in sending Samoa’s first-ever contestant to the Miss Global pageant last year. Source: https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/108673 Samoa has competed in Miss Universe from 1975 to 1978, an

  Rumy Alqahtani will reportedly represent Saudi Arabia in Miss Universe 2024, however, it has been denied by the Miss Universe organization. Image: Instagram/@rumy_alqahtani The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) denied reports of Saudi Arabia sending a representative in the upcoming global tilt, saying that “no selection process” was made to determine whether she qualifies for the pageant. The 27-year-old Rumy Alqahtani made headlines after she announced on her Instagram page on March 25 that she was “honored” to be named the Arab country’s “first representative” for Miss Universe 2024. In her post, the beauty queen could be seen posing with the national flag of Saudi Arabia in her sparkly tube gown and tiara. “We would like to categorically state that no selection process was conducted in Saudi Arabia, and any such claims are false and misleading,” the statement read. “The selection of contestants to represent their respective countries in the Miss Universe competition is a rigorous

  Maria Gigante , 30, representing the Philippines, has been crowned Universal Woman 2024 on March 22, 2024 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She is the first woman from her country to win the title. She was crowned by outgoing queen Valentina Sanchez Trivella of Venezuela. Her court includes: 1st runner-up - Lisandra Chirinos - Venezuela 2nd runner-up - Elise Mysyshyne - France 3rd runner-up - Brianna Mai - Cambodia 4th runner-up - Tavera Pena Chabeli - Dominican Republic Making the top 12 were the delegates from Zimbabwe, Denmark, Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico and Great Britain. A total of 42 contestants competed in the second edition of the pageant whose aim is to “unite, celebrate and advance women’s contribution, diverse beauty and accomplishments.” The contest is open to women between 25 to 45 years of age regardless of marital status.

       The Miss Universe Costa Rica Organization, in charge of choosing the Costa Rican representative for Miss Universe 2024, confirmed that trans women will not be able to participate in this edition of the contest.      This was announced by Yessenia Ramírez , director of the beauty contest, during an interview with La Nación: “In the last beauty contests (in the world) trans women have been participating, who are medically and legally recognized as women. What about that requirement? Are they no longer going to be allowed?”      Ramírez replied: “I want to handle this in a very sensitive way, for the respect that that population deserves. For me we are all the same and we all deserve the same respect, but, in this specific case, this contest is for women and that is something that even the same people demand. It is not our issue, if it is not something that is to do justice to women, so to speak.” Source: https://www.nacion.com/viva/farandula/miss-universe-costa-rica-mujeres-trans-

The new Miss World is Krystyna Pyszkova , 23, of Czech Republic who was crowned in March 9, 2024 at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, India.   The first runner-up is Yasmina Zaytoun , 21, of Lebanon. The other two finalists are Lesego Chombo of Botswana and Aché Abrahams of Trinidad and Tobago.  Completing the top 8 and winning the continental queen titles are: Leticia Frota of Brazil (Miss World Americas & Caribbean), Jessica Gagen of England (Miss World Europe), Sini Shetty of India (Miss World Asia & Oceania) and Hannah Tumukunde of Uganda (Miss World Africa).   Krystyna is the second woman from her country to win Miss World, the first being Tatana Kucharova in 2006. Congratulations to the winner and finalists!