South African self-defence trainer crowned Miss Universe

Las Vegas

BEAUTIES from across the globe converged in Las Vegas on Sunday night (Monday morning, Singapore time), where Miss South Africa was crowned the new Miss Universe.

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, 22, edged out her rivals from Colombia and Jamaica to take the title.

Last year's winner, Iris Mittenaere from France, placed the shiny crown on Ms Nel-Peters to a din of squeals and cheers at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

Fans of the pageant submitted the questions that the final five contestants were asked during the competition.

When asked to name the most important issue women face in the workplace, Ms Nel-Peters cited the lack of equal pay.

"In some places, women get paid 75 per cent of what men earn for doing the same job, working the same hours, and I do not believe that is right," she said. "I think we should have equal work for equal pay for women all over the world."

She hails from Western Cape Province and recently earned a business management degree from North-West University.

Back home, she helps train women in self-defence skills. Her passion for self-defence came from having been hijacked and held at gunpoint about a month after winning her title as Miss South Africa, she said in a video published on the Miss Universe website.

In the "Final Word" portion of the competition, Ms Nel-Peters said: "Miss Universe is a woman who has overcome many fears, and by that, she is able to help many women overcome their fears."

She added: "She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for, and I think that is exactly who I am."

In the pageant's 66th year, a total of 92 women from around the world - including first-timers from Asian countries Cambodia, Laos and Nepal - took part.

The first runner-up was 22-year-old Laura Gonzalez of Colombia, who has been preparing to be an actress since the age of 16. After graduating from a performing arts school, she moved to Bogotá to build her career.

Coming in third was Davina Bennett of Jamaica. The 21-year-old is a model pursuing a degree in marketing at the University of the West Indies.

The women from Thailand (Maria Poonlertlarp) and Spain (Sofia del Prado) made up the rest of the top five.

Ms Poonlertlarp, 25, was the only Asian representative to make it to the top five. Her performance was the best by her country at the Miss Universe pageant since 1988, when Porntip Nakhirunkanok was crowned the winner.

American comic-turned-TV host Steve Harvey hosted the annual event for the third consecutive year, making several jokes at his own expense.

In 2015, he famously made a mistake heard round the world, by announcing the wrong person as Miss Universe, resulting in an extremely uncomfortable, tense correction and a deluge of internet memes.

Grammy-winning singer Fergie and pop star Rachel Platten provided the musical entertainment for Sunday's show. AFP, REUTERS