On Sunday, India’s Harnaaz Sandhu has crowned Miss Universe, beating out a field of 80 contestants in a pageant marred by politics and the pandemic.
Andrea Meza of Mexico, the previous Miss Universe, crowned her successor at the Israeli Red Sea resort town of Eilat.
To fit the primetime schedule in the United States, the pageant was held in the middle of the night, winding up at 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. EST).
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The pageant featured typical demonstrations of national costumes, evening gowns, and swimwear, as well as a series of interview questions designed to assess the competitors’ public speaking abilities.
However, it has gotten a lot of attention in recent weeks for different reasons.
Contestants were encouraged to skip the event as part of a grassroots Palestinian-led boycott to protest Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
The South African government, which is likewise a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, has withdrawn its support for the country’s delegate because of her participation.
According to Sara Salansky of the Israeli Tourism Ministry, Israel was chosen to host the competition earlier this year due to its successful coronavirus vaccination program.
Due to the pandemic, the pageant was postponed last year, and Meza was crowned in May for her brief reign.
Steve Harvey, a well-known American television personality, presented the competition on Sunday. The pageant was expected to reach an estimated 600 million viewers in 172 countries via the FOX network, according to organizers.
