Curiosities and backstage tidbits from this year's contest

5/30 - Final Tidbits from Mexico by the Mexican Paparazzo

-There was no coronation ball, just a private VIP event with no access to the general public and most media vehicles.

-Misses Tanzania, Mexico , Russia , Ukraine and Venezuela were some of the special guests personally invited by Donald Trump to a private lounge.

-When the press asked Miss Brazil why she did not congratulate Miss Japan in the pageant’s conclusion, she simply answered: “I didn't …and that 's final!”

-Misses Brazil and Angola bought lots of cans of spicy salsas to take back home to their countries.

-Miss Venezuela joked and said: “I had no time to drink tequila in Mexico, only pepto bismol!”

-Misses Puerto Rico and Peru arrived to the cocktail party really sad and with teary eyes. Miss Peru in particular had a hard time accepting her non-inclusion in group of 15 semifinalists. She also forgot her purse and accessories in the cab. All her belongings were worth US$5000!!!

-Miss USA was heavily guarded by security and rushed to her room right after the pageant was over. No pictures were allowed.

-Sabino Gámez from Honduran newspaper, La Prensa, said the event was a complete disaster. “No pictures or foreign press were allowed, I had to pay to get in everywhere and then they didn't let me take my camera with me.”

-Vanessa Minillo  was so jealous that she prohibited her boyfriend, Nick Lachey, to take photograph as with any of the contestants.

- In Mexico pageant observers thought Miss Japan deserved to win for her glamour and attitude. Miss Brazil was compared to Amelia Vega for her phenomenal performance on stage, and then for her after pageant attitude off-state... Most believe Miss Universe should have been Korea or Venezuela.

- Adios mis amigos! And after how Mexicans behaved (again!) during the Miss Universe pageant, I am really not sure if I will be ever reporting from a Miss Universe held in Mexico again!

Disclaimer: We thank the Mexican Paparazzo for taking his time and reporting for Global Beauties. However, his personal opinions do not necessarily match those of GB's editors.

5/29 - Happy Happy Happy A considerable amount of contestants had huge smiles plastered on their faces after the pageant was over. The reason? "WE ARE GOING HOME!!!!" Mexico was a good host for a whole month, but it's time to go back home. An informal poll was conducted among a group of contestants at the hotel about what they missed the most. A good percentage mentioned their boyfriend, while others mentioned their cell phone; three of them said that they miss their beds. But the favorite? "Mommy's cooking!"

- All about Miss Universe 2007

- The show had beautiful moments, like the opening number, clearly inspired in the Victoria’s Secret fashion show (not only the stage, but also the backstage scenes).

- From the first images shown on television, it was hard to imagine that the candidates of Greece and Spain would be left out of the Top 15.

- Surprises among the Top 15 were Misses Ukraine, Czech Republic and Nicaragua, although the last one started getting ground after the preliminaries. The qualification system, nevertheless, is questionable: What criteria does the MUO use to select 6 out of the 15 semi-finalists? Perhaps stunners such as Greece, Spain, Serbia, Guatemala, South Africa and Estonia were chosen by the judges, and then replaced by MUO’s choices (low scores given to non-expected semi-finalists show it clearly).

- Ukraine made it to the quarter-finals for the second time in a row.

- Thailand did it too, and it is a pity she did not have a chance to wear her stunning evening gown. The same is valid for Miss Denmark.

- Miss Czech Republic, who had semi-nude photos published in a Czech tabloid magazine last year, was probably the biggest surprise of the night. She finished in 12th place.

- It was the first time in history that Slovenia placed in Miss Universe or any Grand Slam pageant. She finished in 11th place, missing a Top 10 spot to Nicaragua by a very slim point difference (less than 0.01).

- It is very unfortunate that not a single European candidate reached the Top 10. Overall Europe had the most competitive group of contest this year.

- Nicaragua had been dreaming (and working hard to achieve it) with placing for the last 30 years. Not even her inappropiate gown choice was able to hurt her accomplishment. Nicaraguans must be very proud.

- Miss India lacked in attitude, but had one of the most stunning faces in the competition. Her performance (9th place, one notch over that of Miss India 1997), was enough to keep India on the top of the Grand Slam Ranking.

- Mexico has no reasons for complaints. Her hips looked so large on TV she would make J-Lo look thin, so not leaving the competition after swimsuit was already a victory for her. The USA booing was shameful. In Miss Universe it’s the only country where it happens when Miss Mexico is eliminated from the competition.

- Miss Angola had an incredible face and plenty of sex appeal. Although it was Angola’s best historical placement (7th), many agree that she deserved better.

- It was absolutely delightful to see Tanzania doing so well! She did everything right and made her country’s debut at Miss Universe a dream-come-true – a 6th place to be celebrated!

- What a month it has been for Miss USA, Rachel Smith. She was booed by Mexican audiences all month-long, fell flat on her butt when competing in evening gown, and had to deal with the Mexican lack of politeness and respect at the final event last night.

And you know what? She faced it all with amazing grace and poise! Her runway skills were amazing (Americans usually are very bad in this field), her answer was nice, she was cool, collected, stunning. Her gown was probably the best of all 10 semi-finalists. Kudos to Rachel Smith, who proved that winning sometimes goes beyond taking home a sash and a crown. It was a 5th place with the taste of gold for the USA.

- Miss Korea was for many the queen of the night! It is hard to remember when such a beautiful face was seen competing at Miss Universe for the last time.

One interesting comment about her interview: We have been receiving e-mails from Koreans claiming that her interpreter did a poor job by translating her last sentence as: “I wish I had superpowers so that my wallet would never dry up”, while in reality she said “I wish I had superpowers so that my wallet would never dry up, so that I could always keep on helping other people”.

If so, the meaning of her answer was indeed dramatically changed, which might have cost her the title. 4th place was great, but she could have taken it all.

-The Venezuelan essence and tradition in pageants were brought back to Miss Universe after a long, long time. Miss Venezuela was breathtakingly beautiful, gave a great answer and was not as “affected” as most other Latin candidates. She was classy. Well-deserved 3rd place position, and like Korea, she could have been the winner.

- Miss Brazil clearly put all her effort into this. Unlike most former Misses Brazil Universe in the last decade, she had sparkle, stage presence, sex appeal, and although she wasn’t among the prettiest women in the bunch, her charisma gained her some of the highest scores in last night’s competition and a 1st-runner-up position. However, many noticed that she did not even greet Miss Japan when she heard she was the 1st runner-up, which was not a nice attitude. The expression on her face said “Wait a minute, am I not the winner?”. It's hard to remember the last time it happened. Where's your "fair play" Miss Brazil?

- Japan nailed the competition yesterday night and totally deserved the crown! Her swimsuit presentation was flawless, in evening gown she had “fashion” written all over her, her answer was great. This woman had been showing attitude ever since she was crowned Miss Japan. She was in the hands of Ines Ligron, probably THE BEST Miss Universe national director today, and worked hard to arrive here. The Universe has a worthy winner in 2007!

- Zuleyka Rivera returned more beautiful than ever to crown her success. As a matter of fact, some extra pounds did her well! However, what’s up with the way she crowned the new Miss Universe? She did not smile, she did not compliment the winner, and she even allowed the crown to fall from her hands. It wasn’t the best way to end her controversial reign.

- The winners of Miss Photogenic and Miss Congeniality were easy to predict. China was said to have the loveliest personality in the group, and Miss Photogenic went once again to the most pageant fanatic country (certainly Puerto Rico paced 2nd), since this prize is voted by the general public in the internet (Miss Philippines’ expression was priceless: “damn, if at least I were chosen by professional photographers!). In time: What happened to the Best National Costume Award? It was taken right off the official website.

- The show was OK, but lacked in personality and innovations. If we weren’t told it was taking placing in Mexico, who would have guessed it until the booing began? The musical attraction was not very tasty, and it really makes us wonder what kind of audience MUO is trying to target. Scott Grossman’s choreography hasn’t changed in a long time, and neither have the pageants’ format. It was great though to see the scores back.

- The hosts were good, especially Vanessa Minnillo, who did well dealing with the Mexican audience’s booing towards Miss USA. Nonetheless, Bob Barker, Bog Goen, among others, are missed from the times when all semifinalists were interviewed in a more personal way, giving the judges and viewers a better idea of their personalities.

- Hours before the pageant began, dozens of protesters held a mock ceremony in downtown Mexico City that featured "Miss Marijuana," "Miss Sexual Health" and "Miss Human Rights" and other candidates with obscenities written across their sashes. The group yelled "Neither ugly nor beautiful, should a woman be considered an object!"

-The Japanese are so happy with Riyo’s that Miss Universe might take place in the land of the rising sun next year. That would be fantastic!

- Both GB Miss U judges, and GB staff and correspondents in Mexico who voted for the grid all month long, did quite well, having predicted 4 of the 5 finalists correctly.

-Also, for those fans who love to point out GB is never right (which is completely far from the truth), the Starting Grid included 12 out of the 15 semifinalists. The remaining three girls (Czech Republic, Ukraine and Nicaragua) all made the grid at some point.

-GB would also like to thank its visitors who believe in us! 10 million hits during the Telecast night proved why GB continues to be the #1 pageant site on the internet.

- MU2008 in Asia? After the contest, a brief press conference took place on stage with the new Miss Universe and Donald Trump, who commented that there is a "pretty good chance" that Miss Universe 2008 could take place in Tokyo, although he added that Russia and China have also showed interest in hosting the event.

When asked about the booing towards Miss USA, he said that "it's not an attack to the delegate, it's an attack to USA politics".

5/27 - The Mexican Paparazzo is back - "Hola amigos! Tomorrow a new Miss Universe will be crowned, and who will be our new reina??? As I said before, I attended the presentation show and could observe our "athletes" (yes, after one month of competition I think we can call them athletes!) from a close distance. Let me begin by saying that this might be the year of the dragon or the blonde, meaning, expect as the winner an Asian or an Eastern European "knock-out".

The girls from Europe: I see Spain as the front-runner in the region, since she is well-liked by all in Mexico, has beauty and performed well last Wednesday night. Estonia and Greece follow her. Estonia is tall, sexy, impressive. Greece has been a favorite since the beginning, and even though her presentation wasn't the best, I am sure she can still pull it. Russia looks like a classical beauty from those old movies, I particularly like her, while Serbia is stunning, sexy, ravishing! Italy surprised us all, let's see how far she can go.

Asia & the Pacific: Korea is perfect. I thought she was good, but on Wednesday she proved to be THE BEST after delivering two flawless presentations. She could (and should) take it all. Japan is her major competition in the group. She also did everything right, but could not reach Korea's perfection level. Thailand is the third WOW candidate from the region, she was amazing, a great surprise. I believe the three above mentioned to be sure bets for semifinal spots, and trying to cause a surprise are New Zealand, Philippines, China and Kazakhstan. India must count on the weight of her sash, she was not really impressive (but could've been saved by a good interview).

South America: Venezuela is the only candidate in the region who I believe will be fighting for the title. Unlike India, Venezuela was able to bring the magic back and regained the trust of Venezuelan fans. Peru is the 2nd best choice in the region, followed by Brazil and Paraguay (at least three of these 4 beauties will be at the semifinals). Bolivia and Ecuador could pull a surprise and even Argentina was able to display excellent runway skills and may sneak into the semifinals (although she's still a very long shot).

North & Central America: I might keep my identity secret after what I am going to say next, but I must be honest. Miss USA is the one to beat in this region. She's been doing a terrific job and should get far in the competition. Our Rosa Maria (Mexico) comes right next, and I am sure, this time Mexico will do well competing at home. Guatemala and Nicaragua are two good reasons for Central American pride. In my opinion, both have made the cut. Then we have elegant Panama, sexy Costa Rica and stunning Canada running as possible surprises (I had Canada as a sure bet, but a wrong gown choice made me change my mind).

Caribbean: no sure bets here, but Jamaica reigns supreme in the Caribbean! She could be the one from this region. Puerto Rico is still strong, although her presentation was pale. I still think that she has a "assured spot" waiting for her (permanent member of the Security Council, remember?). The Dominican Republic literally grew on stage, and many believe she did enough to impress the judges. Long shots who could still at least dream are Aruba, St. Lucia and the US Virgin Islands.

Africa and the Middle East: there are three real contenders here - Tanzania, South Africa and Angola. All three are believed to be capable of even fighting for the title. The others, I am sorry but no chance.

As you know, I say whatever comes to my mind, so here is my opinion about the presentation show's biggest disasters: Georgia was the worst in swimsuit and Belgium in evening gown (sorry girls, you should've put more effort in this!). Strong delegates who should change their gowns at the final night are Nicaragua, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, Tanzania and Venezuela.

Who will be the next Miss Universe? Some say Mexico will take it, others believe Venezuela, but I still go with a dragon (Korea, Thailand or Japan), or a blonde (Serbia, Estonia or Russia).

Suerte a todas!"

Disclaimer: We thank the Mexican Paparazzo for taking his time and reporting for Global Beauties. However, his personal opinions do not necessarily match those of GB's editors.

5/26 - Scandal Only a few hours until finals, but a new scandal surrounding one of this year's contestants has emerged. Czech tabloid 'Aha' published on Friday a topless photo of Lucie Hadasova (Czech Republic's delegate).

Being a tabloid, it is not known if the photos are real or doctored. Organizers of the Ceska Miss pageant (whose winner goes on to compete in Miss Universe, different than the Miss Czech Republic pageant) have not commented on this issue.

The photos raised again the topic whether Miss Universe contestants should pose naked or not. Miss Nevada USA Katie Rees was dethroned in December due to racy photos.

And let's no forget: Miss Slovak Republic appeared completely naked on the pages of Playboy.

(courtesy of Theonlinewire.com)

5/24 - Presentation Show The National Auditorium was only 1/3 full of its total capacity, however, when people tried to buy tickets for this event (via Ticketmaster), the system would say that the event was sold out. We wonder what happened to all those with extra tickets...

Colombian recording artist Fonseca sang during the 'halftime show' and performed his hit "Te Mando Flores". A lot of people thought his performance would be longer than that, so they went to the restrooms, to grab a bite, etc.

The result: Since Fonseca only sang one song, lots of them missed the first group of delegates competing in their evening gowns.

Evening gowns: The gown competition of Miss Universe 2007 was an endless parade of colors, interesting designs and creativity. Some delegates wore gowns from reknown international designers such as

Miss Japan (Riyo Mori) wore a Gucci gown from the Spring/Summer 2007 collection (photo, left)

Miss USA (Rachel Smith) wore a gown by Puerto Rican designer Carlos Alberto, who also designed Zuleyka Rivera's dress.

Miss Panama (Sorangel Matos) wore a gown designed by Colombian Alfredo Barraza.

Miss Uruguay (Giannina Silva) wore a design by Colombian Amalin de Hazbun

Deja Vu? While the Miss USA 2007 opening number got pointers from the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (slow-motion close up shots, backstage scenes), the Miss Universe 2007 stage copied the latest installment of the fashion show held last year at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Left: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show stage Kodak Theatre - November 2006	Right: Miss Universe 2007 stage Auditorio Nacional - May 2007

5/23 - The Mexican Paparazzo says it all - "Hola GB amigos! Here I am, the Mexican Paparazzo, with all inside scoop on this year's Miss Universe pageant! Where should I begin??? Hummm, let's see...

* Many people have arrived in Mexico to support their candidates, including national directors, hairdressers, missologists, relatives, friends, international press...

* Miss Russia, one of the favorites, did very poorly in her interview. In her 30-second presentation she said that she loved museums. Then she could not name a single museum from her home-town or the ones she has visited in Mexico. It was really embarrassing...

* Venezuela tops most people's list as the #1 favorite for the crown. If a latina wins, it will be either her or Mexico.

* Another WOW delegate is Miss Korea. She is probably Venezuela's main competition at this point. Honey Lee is very sweet and has a face to die for!

* Since many believe Miss Universe wouldn't have the courage to keep on ignoring the rest of the world and crowning a Latin beauties, Korea and Japan are the two favorites to take it all: the first one for her flawless beauty, the second for her sense of fashion, cool personality and spectacular stage presence.

* This year Miss Universe counts with a handful of gorgeous blondes, such as Estonia, Slovak Republic, Serbia, Czech Republic, Slovenia and so on. One of them could also emerge as the winner.

* Speaking on Miss Slovak Republic, some national directors are irritated with her "Playboy" history. Is it or isn't it allowed for a candidate to have posed nude for a men's magazine??

* Miss Greece, the most photogenic among the contestants, apparently was not happy with her preliminary interview...

* Still on yesterday's interviews, three Eastern European delegates claimed they spoke Russian and they got Russian interpreters to assist them. Guess what?? They did not speak Russian at all and could not be understood by the judges!

* Miss Singapore left the room in tears...

* Eye on Misses Italy, Spain and Thailand. They are phenomenal!

* Tanzania is a question mark. Some love her, others don't like her looks at all. What will the judges think?

* The African delegate who should be on the top of the hill is Angola! My God, she is amazing, and a sure bet for a top 15 spot.

* There are rumors that we will have a 2001 flashback and Miss Mexico will be the next Miss Universe. We Mexicans hope so!

* Nicaragua and New Zealand came out of their interviews very, very confident. Those could be pleasant surprises...

* Brazil fascinates me with her bubbling personality and big eyes (she looks Middle Eastern to me). However, in the "fashion department" she is very poorly assisted! She wears some plastic shoes in all occasions, formal or informal. They are horribly tacky and make her look cheap. I hope her beauty and personality win the battle against her crew's awful taste...

* Contrary to what most people think, Puerto Rico could be a semi-finalist. Even though her face is not among the prettiest, her body is beautiful and she has some of the best catwalk skills n the competition. Besides, if Miss Universe were the United Nations, Puerto Rico could be considered one of those few permanent members of the Security Council...

* These are the ones I believe will be among the semi-finalists for sure: Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Angola, Spain, Canada, Estonia, Slovak Republic and Greece. Strong possibilities are Brazil, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Jamaica.

* Miss China is the front-runner for the Miss Congeniality Award. She is lovely, and could also be a semi-finalist.

* Uruguay and Peru had a violent fight the other day! They said all kinds of stuff one another, but now they are "in good terms" again.

These are my comments and thoughts before tonight's Presentation Show. I will be back after the show (I have the best seats in the house!) and let you know what changes (if so), so stay tuned! For now, adios!

The Mexican Paparazzo"

Disclaimer: We thank the Mexican Paparazzo for taking his time and reporting for Global Beauties. However, his personal opinions do not necessarily match those of GB's editors.

5/19 - The Odds Maker - Three betting agencies have published their winning odds' for all 77 Miss Universe contestants. Bet365 has Venezuela and Tanzania in first place, at 10/1. Venezuela also tops the lists of both Paddy Powers and Sky Bet at 8/1.

Combined results of all three agencies give us the following Top 15: Venezuela, Korea, Tanzania, Greece, India, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, Indonesia, Paraguay, Slovenia, Russia, Estonia, Serbia and the Philippines.

You may visit oddschecker.com for details.

5/18 - From chilaquiles to God, with no ceremony - Do you know that saying "No news, is good news"? Well, it may be true in some situations, but it should not be applied to Miss Universe's press coverage. It is true that this year Miss Universe is getting much more press attention than last year, with news pieces in several Mexican and other Latin newspapers. The problem lies in the content (or the lack of it) in such articles.

Recently a Mexican publication had the headline "Mexican Food breaks Miss Universe contestants' Diets". And it goes on with a Latin candidate affirming that "chilaquiles are wonderful!", and yet another beauty who thinks "Mexican food is great, especially spicy ham with tortillas, hummmmmm!". Suddenly, Miss Mexico comes in and says: "Someone gave me a rosary as a gift. I am keeping it because I believe in God".

Sorry, but what were we talking about??

If a paper, tv station, web site or magazine, is going to cover the Miss Universe pageant, shouldn't it send people with some knowledge of the subject to do it? Or at least someone creative, able to go after interesting and entertaining news?

Will we have to cope with Latin girls repeating, over and over again, that they love Mexico, they love the food, people are so nice, so on and so forth? These media vehicles should have people who speak English and can interview interesting girls who have more than the usual boring cliche to say (GB prepared a list with 16 of these girls, CLICK HERE. In addition to those, try Lebanon, China, Denmark, Barbados, Belize and Jamaica, they are fun and have much to say as well).

Then, Americans are now officialy exempted from being targeted as the only people on the planet who know nothing about world geography. We've seen some atrocities in some Latin articles, such as translating Mauritius as Mauritania, Guyana as Guinea (!!!) and, the big winner, Turks & Caicos as Turkey (!!!!!!!!). Yes, look at Miss Turks and Caicos, she really looks Turkish...

Finally, let's start counting the number of participant countries correctly: 77 (seventy-seven or SETENTA Y SIETE), not 86, 90, 89, 78, 83, 84, 87...

It's a great opportunity for the media to entertain their public with interesting stories under different point of views and cultural backgrounds. They still have 10 days to do it. But will they?

5/15 - It's in Asia, after all! It's been confirmed that Miss Philippines never said that she would not be photographed with the Asian delegates because the Philippines "is not an Asian country". Apparently what happened was that when Miss Philippines saw the Asian group being photographed, and she was not in it, she approached the photographer and asked "hey, how about me? Am I not Asian"?.

Miss Japan's limited knowledge of the English language caused the misunderstanding. On your left, the lovely Asian ladies striking a pose, including the almost controversial Miss Philippines!

- Is Bob Barker back? - Bob Barker, the most loved Miss Universe MC of all times, may be one of the judges in this year's pageant. Come on down, Bob!

- Cancelled - The fashion show including this year's 77 contestants has been cancelled. It's a real pity, since it was one of the most entertaining events of Miss U.

- Favorites - GB's Starting Grid was updated yesterday and showed a new leader: Miss Greece. Venezuela and Spain have also been on the top of GB's list, which means that in 2007 there's not a clear option for the crown, but rather, quite a few good options. New on the list is Miss Italy (12th), who has been conquering fans with her fresh looks, vibrant personality and trendy wardrobe.

5/13 - Quién es esa niña (Who's That Girl) During the taping of a segment that included the 77 contestants enjoying the beach at Cancun, a gorgeous delegate who had been sporting curls throughout the competition showed up with straight hair... and it definitely worked! She's Miss Slovenia, Tjasa Kokalj, who looked like a young Olivia Newton John and has been scoring points with the local press covering the event. Will Slovenia have its first finalist (or even winner)? It could happen!

An elegant Gala - On Friday, the 76 contestants attended a formal dinner hosted by the Governor of Quintana Roo, Felix Gonzalez Canto. The event was held at the Gran Melia Cancun and popular Mexican singer Ana Barbara was one of the attendants.

Fun under the sun - Most contestants agree that the days in Cancun were some of the best they've had so far. Although there were long hours of photo and video shootings, they had some free time to enjoy the beauty of the spectacular local beaches.

Be careful with the tortillas! - One of the problems with such a long pageant is that several contestants end up gaining weight. The Cancun bikini photos made it very clear! It is believed that the 77 candidates have gained an average 1.5 kilogram each (some more, others less) in the first two weeks of competition. If we multiply 77 by 1.5 we will get 115.5 kilograms in total, enough weight to add two more candidates to the pageant. Hey ladies, don't touch the tortillas!

Ines' Blog - Ines Ligron, Japan's national director, wrote some of her pupil's impressions on the pageant and some candidates, which caused discomfort among some internet fans and contestants themselves. For instance, she mentioned that when a photographer tried to take a picture of the Asian delegates, Miss Philippines left the group saying "Sorry, but I am not Asian!" (image how the fanatic Filipino fans reacted to that!). She also mentioned that some of the Latin contestants were jealous of all the medial attention Miss Mexico had been getting.

Miss Congeniality - On the brighter side, Miss Japan had all great comments towards Miss China. In her own words, Miss China is friendly to everyone and well-liked among contestants. She could easily win the Miss Congeniality awards!

Naive - We are sure Ines was absolutely honest and even naive with her comments, but when it comes to international pageantry, some diplomatic care is required. Some of the comments have been erased, but you can check Ines' blog HERE. Her Miss Japan is once again a favorite to win the crown. Best of luck to both Riyo and Ines!

5/10 - Looooong pageant - Last year's the contest lasted 2 weeks. This year, a whole month of activities is taking place. The first big event will be the Fashion Show, expected to take place soon. This is where everyone will be able to see the delegates' expertise on the runway. Also, the National Costume competition will take place on Sunday, May 20th at the Zocalo in Mexico City (outdoors). But it's not until the 23rd that the competition officially takes place, when the 77 delegates will be scored in swimsuits and evening gowns by a panel of preliminary judges.

* Different web sites, different opinions - just like Global Beauties' Starting Grid, where our own favorites for the crown are announced with constant updates, names of favorites start to pop up in other specialized web sites covering the 2007 Miss Universe pageant. Let's take a look around:

- Chilean Charm, for instance, singles out six beauties: Japan (trendy and original); Tanzania (unique and modern beauty); Venezuela (unquestionably stunning); Russia (THE model); Mexico (Latin sensuality); and Spain (100% charismatic).

- Poland's Globmiss has selected 20 favorites: Albania, Angola, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, Greece, Honduras, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Thailand, USA and Venezuela.

- Belgium Miss & Mister has a couple of favorites per geographical region: Tanzania and Angola in Africa; India, Japan, Philippines and Thailand in Asia; Czech Republic, Spain, Estonia and Croatia in Europe; Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, USA and Venezuela in the Americas. Miss Belgium is not mentioned at all.

- Filipino website Missosology, has Ukraine as the #1 favorite for the MU crown, followed by Russia, Colombia, South Africa, Korea, Switzerland, Venezuela, Mexico, Thailand, Poland and Indonesia.

- You can also participate in Critical Beauties' polls or play judge at Pageant Almanac.

As you can see, there's a world of diversity when beauty is the subject!

*Confident Chinese Delegate: in an interview for the Xinhuanet news agency, Zhang  Ningning, Miss China, said that she is confident about placing among the semi-finalists: "The competition and western beauty values are strong, but Asian beauties are elegant and believe in myself". Miss China is 20 years old, stands at 1.80 m tall and her statistics are 87-60-90. She was born in Shenyang, and her parents work in the local commerce back home. She hopes to spread the word about the Chinese culture in Mexico and learn about as many different cultures as possible.

* Miss Elegance - If there was a "Miss Elegance" title, the winner would probably be Miss Philippines. Attending fancy dinner parties, walking on the streets of Mexico or playing the piano, Anna Theresa Licaros' posture and poise are always irreproachable. She will certainly score high in the evening gown competition!

* Very expensive - Those who wish to attend the Benefit Gala by the Construction Industry, at the Centro Banamex, on May 19, should get ready to spend some USD 1000 for dinner! Big Macs, anyone?

*From Chiapas - The polyforum was packed with people who wanted to see the delegates up close. The event was a little disorganized at first, but after it started, everyone's priority was to see the girls!
-The most applauded contestants during this presentation were: Mexico (host contestant), Venezuela (big favorite), Spain (gorgeous face) and Tanzania (who left the audience speechlest with her beauty and her shaved head). Misses Jamaica, Estonia, Finland and Korea were also some of the audience's favorites.
-The heat took a toll on Miss USA, Rachel Smith, who was feeling somewhat tired.
-Soap actress and TV presenter Maribel Guardia hosted the event. She represented Costa Rica at the Miss Universe 1978 pageant in Acapulco, which was a launching pad for her successful showbiz career.
-Flags from Honduras, Venezuela, Costa Rica and Guatemala were spotted inside the Polyforum.
-Fans had to content themselves with watching delegates from their seats. Security prevented them from getting any closer.
-Carlos Guerrero, organizer of the late Senorita Mexico pageant (which was responsible of sending Mexican delegates during the 70's, 80's and late 90's) was the organizer of this event. -thanks to the Mexican Paparazzo

*A few of this year's contestants brought to the competition some international experience from participating in other pageants. Miss Argentina being the most experienced of them all, took part in Miss World, Miss Earth (where she was a top 4 finalist), Reina Sudamericana, Reina Internacional del Cafe, among others.

Miss Costa Rica is the reigning Reina Mundial del Banano and won the Miss Mundo Latino pageant two years ago. Miss Panama represented her country at the 2006 Miss Tourism Queen International pageant, in China and in Miss Piel Dorada in Costa Rica. Miss Denmark participated at Miss Baltic Sea 2006, while Miss Poland won that same pageant. Miss Brazil was crowned Top Model of the World, in China, earlier in the year.

Miss Norway, who is half filipina, was a semifinalist in Miss Intercontinental 2006 in the Bahamas. She also won the 'Mutya Ng' pageant back in the Philippines, and was supposed to represent that country at the Miss Asia Pacific 2006 pageant which was never held. Miss Venezuela was a finalist at Ford's Supermodel of the Year in 2003, and Miss Zambia took part in the Miss World 2004 contest.

* The Donald is coming: Lupita Jones, director of Nuestra Belleza Mexico, confirmed to media on Saturday that Donald Trump -owner of the Miss Universe Organization- will indeed attend the finals of this year's pageant, to take place on May 28th. Dates are not confirmed, but the Donald is supposed to arrive -with the celebrity panel of judges- on May 27th.

* It's also said that 'the Donald' and the Miss Universe organization will select 6 of this year's semifinalists, while the preliminary judges will select 9, making a total of 15 lucky women who will have the opportunity to compete for the crown on May 28th. This has yet to be confirmed.

Last year, the Donald got to pick 5 semifinalists.

* Television Special: starting on May 14, a 30-minute daily Miss Universe television special will be telecast in Mexico. It will be hosted by Lupita Jones (Miss Mexico and Miss Universe 1991), Marisol Gonzales (Miss Mexico Universe 2003) and Silvia Salgado (Miss Mexico Universe 1999). Priscila Perales (Miss Mexico Universe 2006) is being considered as a possible commentator for the final telecast of Miss Universe 2007 (it hasn't yet been confirmed). (thanks to Lestat!)

* The Mexican Paparazzo's tidbits for today:

- Miss Russia confirmed her favoritism among Mexicans after her bikini shots were released. As a matter of fact, blondes are very popular in Mexico, which means that Misses Russia, Estonia and Czech Republic get a big cheer wherever they go!
- Miss Finland, who's very tall and elegant, was a pleasant surprise. She's been often compared by pageant fans to Unnur Birna, a former Miss World from Iceland.
- When Misses Mexico and Hungary photographed side by side, some people were stunned with their resemblance. Could they be twin sisters??
- The local press mentioned Miss Brazil as one of the trendiest and most friendly candidates during yesterday's night event. Miss Japan, as always, made it to the list of "most fashionable" as well.
- Miss Spain, when asked if there was a part of her body she disliked, answered with sense of humor: "Yes there is, but of course I won't tell you which one it is!".
- Miss Mexico claims she feels much more confident and prepared for "whatever comes in her way" after her last weeks of preparation. (thanks to the Mexican Paparazzo!)

* Crowned and confused: Sri Lanka's Aruni Rajapakse won the Miss Sri Lanka Universe pageant in March; she was interviewed by the media, sent her paperwork to the contest. And at the last moment, she never made it to Mexico and vanished from the list of contestants. Nothing has been released about her non-participation in the pageant.

* Some delegates have felt ill due to the altitude of the city, 2240 m (7349 ft) above sea level. This factor, along with the food, had as a result some contestants suffering mild cases of stomach flu. However, the concensus was, 'better getting sick now than later in the competition'. Can you imagine getting sick of the stomach during the preliminary swimsuit competition? Not a pretty sight.

* Six delegates were chosen to join Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera for a tour on the streets of Mexico City. They were Argentina (Daniela Stucan), Canada (Inga Skaya), Colombia (Eileen Roca), Jamaica (Zahra Redwood), Mexico (Rosa Maria Ojeda) and Switzerland (Christa Rigozzi). They hopped on a "turibus" and toured the streets of the city. For security reasons -due to some protests at the University-, the turibus had to be diverted and took the beautiful delegates to the Hard Rock Cafe, where they had lunch.

* Some delegates have still to arrive in Mexico: Albania (Sadina Alla), Kazakhstan (Gauhar Rakhmetalieva), Greece (Doukissa Nomikou) and Tanzania (Flaviana Matata). The last delegate to arrive will be Nigeria (Ebinabo Potts-Johnson).

* Although the group of 77 delegates is not complete, photographers of the media (as well as television cameras) have been focusing on a certain group of delegates. As of today, the most photographed delegate is Miss USA (Rachel Smith), followed by Miss Mexico (Rosa Maria Ojeda).

Other 'darlings' of the media include Misses Estonia (Viktoria Azovskaja), Colombia (Eileen Roca) and Costa Rica (Veronica Gonzalez) who have been photographed non-stop during the recently held events at the Camino Real hotel.

* Roommates - here are some of the roommates in this year's pageant: Venezuela and Spain; Mexico and Uruguay; Paraguay and Peru; Puerto Rico and Honduras; Argentina and Dominican Republic; Bolivia and Colombia.

* Judges Speculation - Dayanara Torres, Miss Universe 1993, is suppose to return to the judging panel of Miss U after 6 years. There are rumors that Pelé, one of the world's all-times greatest soccer players, has been invited to be a judge as well. Brazil won its 3rd World Cup title with Pelé playing in Mexico, back in 1970.

* Fashion Queen - Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, is one of the most fashionable delegates around. She is properly dressed for all occasions and follow a simple rule most candidates seem to ignore: less is more! Miss Spain is another good example of supreme elegance.

* Among the contestants who caused a positive impression on Mexicans is Miss India, Puja Gupta. In addition to having one of the most beautiful faces in the competition, she has lots of sparkle.

* A few "powerhouse" countries are terribly missed in this year's Miss Universe pageant. Trinidad & Tobago, for instance, has two Misses Universe and had been placing among Miss U's semi-finalists since 2003. The Netherlands won its first (and only so far) Miss Universe title in Cancun, Mexico, back in 1989. In 2007 it will not even be represented in the pageant. Chile and Namibia, with 1 winner each, also missed this year's pageant, just like Great Britain (no titles, but several finalists and semi-finalists) and Iceland. But perhaps the biggest "Miss" of 2007 will be Sweden, which with three Misses Universe, is one of the most traditional countries in the Miss Universe history.

* The Philippines, a pageant-crazy country, has good reasons to celebrate: it has three representatives this year! In addition to Miss Philippines, Anna Theresa Licaros, Misses Norway, Kirby Ann Basken, and Germany, Angelina Glass, are half Filipino.

* Many have been the controversies over contestants who photographed semi-nude before participating in the Miss Universe pageant in the past. However, this year's Miss Slovak Republic, Lucia Senasiova, has appeared completely naked in the pages of the famous PLAYBOY magazine. When she was crowned Miss Universe Slovak Republic a few weeks ago, this fact was all over the news, so we ask: does it mean that it is now allowed by the Miss Universe Organization?

* While most contestants have already landed in Mexico City, Miss Greece is still to be crowned. The Greek representative will be chosen tonight and then fly to Mexico tomorrow morning. That's what we call a life change from the night to the day!

* The Caribbean brings some extremes in height this year, from the very tall Misses Barbados and Puerto Rico, to the shortest delegate around, Miss Aruba. Another statuesque beauty is Miss Estonia, also among the tallest in the class of 2007.

* About half of this year's 78 contestants are already in Mexico to take part in this year's pageant -the longest in years, with a full month of activities-. They will be staying at the Camino Real Hotel in the Polanco area in Distrito Federal.

* For security reasons, the hotel is off-limits to fans and those who do not possess a media credential. Only credentialed members of the media can photograph the delegates.

* Miss Ecuador, Lugina Cabezas, caught the media's attention by coming off the plane wearing the regional dress of an "otavaleña". Otávalo is a largely indigenous town in Imbabura Province, Ecuador.

* The first contestant to arrive in Mexico was Miss Korea, Honey Lee, who's been in the host country since last weekend.

* The last contestant to arrive will be Miss Greece, who will be elected on May 3rd. On Sunday, the 78 contestants will travel to Chiapas where they will participate in photo shoots, tapings and a special reception held by the Governor.

< Back