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Wendy Fitzwilliam, Miss Trinidad & Tobago won the title of Miss Universe 1998 in Honolulu, Hawaii on May 12. The most coveted title in international beauty went to the lovely 25-year-old, 6' tall law student from Diego Martin, Trinidad, and it marks the second time her island nation has won the Miss Universe title (the other being in 1977, when Janelle Commissiong walked away with the title in the Dominican Republic). She receives a prize package worth over US$160,000 and succeeds Brook Mahealani Lee of the USA, who gave up the title in her home state. The first runner-up was Veruska Tatiana Ramirez, Miss Venezuela, and the second runner-up was Joyce Giraud, Miss Puerto Rico.
The two finalists were:
Wendy Fitzwilliam, Miss Trinidad & Tobago won the Best National Costume award at the Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu, Hawaii at the Stan Sheriff Center on May 7. She receives a commenorative crystal trophy and a cash prize of $1,000. The first runner-up was Karim Bernal, Miss Peru, and the second runner-up was Katty Fuentes Garcia, Miss Mexico. Both also receive crystal trophies and cash prizes. Also announced that evening was the winner of the Miss Photogenic title, Vladimira Hrenovcikova, Miss Slovak Republic. In addition, the Top 10 Poll on the official Miss Universe Web site (see below) has been dominated by Joyce Giraud, Miss Puerto Rico, and Jewel May Lobaton, Miss Philippines, who have been flip-flopping between first and second place. Virginia Yung, Miss Hong Kong, Shawnae Jebbia, Miss USA, and Veruska Tatiana Ramirez, Miss Venezuela are also favourites of the page's Internet readers.
The judges for the Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu, Hawaii have been officially announced! For the pageant finals, the panel consists of:
Also announced were the two panels of judges for the preliminary competition and the national costume segment, both of which consist of ten of Hawaii's top citizens in the fields of government, university direction, hotel management, and entrepreneurship.
Jack Wagner, hit star of the American soap opera-drama "Melrose Place", has been named host of the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant. Julie Moran, weekend anchor of "Entertainment Tonight", will be co-hosting the pageant from the newly-resurrected "sky-box" vantage point. In addition, it has now been officially confirmed that Ali Landry will be on-hand to provide colour-commentary. Don't forget to check out the official Miss Universe site at http://www.missuniverse.com/universe, and the Miss Universe In Hawaii page (run by the pageant's host committee) at http://www.missuniverse.hawaii.com! The pageant finals will be held in Honolulu on May 12.
Janaina Berenhauser, Miss Brazil won the title of Miss Intercontinental on April 22 in Bad Lausick, Germany. She succeeds Lara Dutta of India. The first runner-up was Jessica Tapia, Miss Peru, and the second runner-up was Katharina Mainka, Miss Germany. Special awards went to:
Karine Fahmi, an 18-year-old student, won the title of Miss Egypt Universe during the first weekend in April. She was also voted Most Photogenic and will now represent Egypt in the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant, the finals of which are on May 12 in Honolulu. The first runner-up was Khouloud Orabi, who was also voted Miss Congeniality, and the second runner-up was Hala Al-Alfi. Dayanara Torres, Miss Universe 1993, was one of the judges in the national pageant which attracted 14 contestants. Our thanks to Jimmy Harris for this wonderful update!
Don't forget. . . The UPN Network is airing an "exposé" special on pageants on Monday, May 11 entitled "Beauty Pageants: Exposed!" Several former contestants and winners have spoken candidly about pageants and their experiences in competition, so look for that on the program. JPP is told that it is quite a well-produced documentary, moreso than a fluff show. Check for it in your local listings. This show is something of a pre-cursor to the Miss Universe Pageant, the finals and telecast of which will be shown on CBS at 9 PM Eastern, delayed Pacific, the following day, May 12.
Karim Bernal, Miss Huánaco won the title of Miss Perú on April 17 at the Maria Angola Hotel in Lima. Ms. Bernal, who won the titles of Miss Photogenic and Miss Internet, will now represent her country at the Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. The first runner-up was Vanessa Rojas, Miss Cusco, who will now represent her country at the Top Model of the World Pageant in Germany. The second runner-up, Gabriela León, Miss Lambayeque will now represent Peru in the Miss Intercontinental Pageant in Germany, more likely in 1999, since this year's pageant has been underway for since the third of April. The third runner-up, Julisa Arana, Miss Ucayali, will represent her country at Nuestra Belleza Internaciónal in Miami, Florida in November, and the fourth runner-up, Rosa Elvira Cartagena, Miss Ica, will represent Peru at the Miss América Latina Pageant in El Salvador. The remaining semi-finalists were: Paola Valega, Miss Amazonas; Mónica Herrera, Miss Ancash; Marisa Coello, Miss Ayacucho; Marisol Fernández, Miss Cajamarca; Tatiana Carbonel, Miss La Libertad; Ursula Bravo, Miss Loreto; and Patricia Puch, Miss Madre de Dios. Our sincerest thanks to Marco Fernández Blest for the update!
Hot news! The E! Entertainment Television Network will be airing a one-hour special on Sunday, April 19 entitled "Behind the Scenes of the Miss USA Pageant". The show features exclusive backstage footage of the pageant, including never-before-scene access to the delegates in their hotel, make-up areas, and autograph sessions. In-depth feature interviews with Shaunae Jebbia, Shauna Gambill, and many other Miss USA delegates, plus Donald Trump. The show airs at 7 PM and 10 PM, Eastern and Pacific. Set your VCRs!
Building on an earlier report, JPP has acquired some fascinating new information about beauty pageants in Iraq. Here is the press release from the pageant staff:
February 18, 1998, Baghdad—At the seventh annual Miss Iraq pageant that took place last night in Baghdad's Al-Rasheed Hotel, 30 delegates competed for the crown. The winner was Ban Kadret, 20, 5'10" tall. The new queen is a part time model in Montpellier, France, and a student of physical education. She will hopefully represent Iraq at the 1998 Miss
Universe pageant in Hawaii this May. Kanar Wahbi, 25, from Mosul was first runner-up, and she will participate at the 1998 Miss Europe Pageant, and Soma Al Jaff, 24, from Kurdistan will represent Iraq at Miss Asia Pacific 1998.
Miss Kadret is the third woman in her family to win the title: in
1991/92 and 1993/94, two of her cousins were titleholders and without a doubt, she got some pageant advice from them.
None of the past title holders of the miss iraq title ever made it to the international beauty competitions, due to the sanctions imposed on Iraq. This year's Miss Universe Pageant is to be held on U.S. soil and the new titlist has a small chance to participate at the competition. The next Iraqi beauty pageant is the Miss World-Iraq, which is to be held in August later on this year.
Miss Kadret is delighted with the cash and prizes that she recieved, which total $170,000. In a statement to the press, she said, "It would be nice to represnt Iraq at the Miss Universe, but if not, I'll endeavour to do my best to be a spokesperson for the Iraqi children and fullfill my obligations in raising money for the homeless and the children of Iraq." Miss Kadret he will start her reign in Iraq and travel to some Asian nations to talk about the children of Iraq. She is also scheduled to fly to Europe and Canada some time in July. Whether she will compete for the Miss Universe title this May remains to be seen.
Ten finalists were chosen for the Miss Universe Ghana '98 Pageant on April 10 at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra. A six-member judging panel chose ten lucky girls from the preliminary field of 24 who will compete for the national title and the opportunity to represent Ghana at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. The ten finalists are: Akosua Afriyie, Sheila Azuntaba, Agnes Baddoo, Nana Ama Baafour, Irian Bentsi-Enchill, Pearl Johnson, Estelle Kodjo-Ayivor, Edna Lomo, Felicia Ocloo, and Diana Wemuh. The finals of Miss Universe Ghana '98 will be held on April 18 at the same venue. Our thanks and best regards to Dan Mcevily for the update!
In preliminary action at the 1998 Miss Peru Pageant at the Maria Angola Hotel in Lima on April 9, several award winners were presented with their prizes. Karin Bernal, Miss Huanuco was chosen as Miss Personality. In addition, her regional costume was chosen as the best in the pageant, and it will be worn by the new Miss Peru in the Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. In other awards, Patricia Fuch, Miss Madre de Dios won the award for best healthy figure; Viviana Mendoza, Miss Callao won the award for the best skin; Gabriela Leon, Miss Lambayeque won the title of Miss Body; Rosa Elvira Cartagena, Miss Ica won the Miss Friendship prize; Vanessa Rojas, Miss Cusco won the award for best hair; and Julisa Arana, Miss Ucayali won the Miss Elegance award. Our thanks to Marco Fernandez Blest for the update!
Late-breaking news... Leilani Anne Dowding, 19, a student from Bournemouth, Dorset, won the title of Miss Great Britain Universe on March 11. She will represent the U.K. in the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant on May 12 in Honolulu. The pageant was revived after Great Britain did not send a representative to Miss Universe in 1997; no delegate was sent to the international finals last year because the status of the pageant had fallen so low in Britain. Our thanks to Matthew Fischer for the wonderful news!
Shanni McGraham, 19, won the title of Miss Jamaica Universe on April 4 at the Pulse nightclub in Kingston. She will now represent her country at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. The first runner-up was Victoria Harper, and the second runner-up was Natasha Clarke. Our thanks to Jimmy Harris and Dan Mcevily for the update!
Juliana Thiessen, Miss Calgary, 18, was crowned Miss Canadian Universe on April 5 at the Northlands Agricom in Edmonton. She will now represent Canada at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. The first runner-up was Shannon McArthur, Miss Windsor, 25, who placed third in 1996, and the second runner-up was Mindy Cournoyer, Miss Red Deer. The third runner-up was Caroline Frolic, Miss Toronto, 24, and the fourth runner-up was Anne-Marie Blackburn, Miss Edmonton, who was a semi-finalist in 1996. The remaining semi-finalists were Sabrina Notte, Miss Kelowna; Laurianne Campbell, Miss Mississauga; Reena Vohra, Miss Montreal; Rebecca Dmytrow, Miss Niagara; and Viktorija Kijundzic, Miss St. Albert, who placed second in 1997. Special awards went to:
The Miss Canadian Universe Pageant will be held on April 5 in Edmonton, Alberta, and will elect Canada's representative for the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. This year's contestants are vying for over CDN$50,000 in cash and prizes, with the winner not only going to Honolulu for Miss Universe, but also travelling across the country as a goodwill ambassador. The pageant will be preceded by a Silent Auction to benefit the Northern Alberta Variety Club. Here are the 26 contestants competing for the title, courtesy of Chan International and T-Era Productions:
Alberta:Jimmy's Pageant Page would like to heartily congratulate all the contestants in this year's pageant, and we extend our best wishes to you all in your quest for the title!
It has been announced that the finals of the 1998 Miss Intercontinental Pageant will be Web-cast LIVE from Germany. Stay tuned to JPP for more information!
Sabine Lindorfer, Miss Oberösterreich, 22, won the title of Miss Austria on February 27 in Kitzbuhel. She will now represent Austria in the Queen of the World Pageant to be held in November in Baden-Baden, Germany, and quite possibly could represent her country in the Miss World Pageant as well. Our thanks to Michael Knittel for the update!
Jaquliene Rotteveel, 18, was crowned Miss Universe Holland 1998 on April 4. She will now represent the Netherlands at the Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. This marks the return of a Dutch contestant following their absence from the 1997 Miss Universe contest. Our thanks to Marianne and Frank van Onlangs for the great news!
Luz Marina Gonzalez Ruiz Diaz, 19, won the title of Miss Paraguay in mid-March. She will now represent her country at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. Our thanks to Ed Dominguez!
Michela Dauzacker Marchi, Miss Mato Grosso do Sul won the title of Miss Brazil 1998 in Sao Paulo on April 1. She is the daughter of a former contestant in the Miss Mato Grosso state pageant, and is the first woman to from her state to win the national title. She will now represent Brazil in the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. The first runner-up was Adriana Luci de Souza Reis, Miss Rondonia, who will represent her country at Miss World in the Seychelles in November. The second runner-up was Luiseani Altenhofen, Miss Rio Grande do Sul, who will represent Brazil in the 1998 Miss International Pageant in Japan in September. The third runner-up was Paula Carvalho Arruda, Miss Rio Grande do Norte, and the fourth runner-up was Alessandra Costa Couto, Miss Acre. The seven remaining semi-finalists represented the states of Bahia, Ceara, Goias, Mato Grosso, Parana, Rio de Janeiro (who was also Miss Congeniality), and Sao Paulo. Our sincerest thanks to Roberto Macedo for the information!
Roksana Jonek, Miss Poland, 19, won the title of Miss Tourism International 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on March 30th. Ms. Jonek, who represented her country in last year's Miss World Pageant, wins a host of prizes including a $10,000 Malaysian Rupee cash gift. The first runner-up was Gabriela Adamcova, Miss Czech Republic, 22, and the second runner-up was Mellanny M. Gabat, Miss Philippines. The third runner-up was Oi Bee Bee, Miss Malaysia, and the fourth runner-up was Miriam Eloise Vivas Luna, Miss Honduras. Our thanks to Alvin Tan for the update!
Veronica Larrieu of Santa Cruz was named Miss Bolivia earlier this year and will represent her country at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. She is related to Miss Bolivia 1964, Olga Monica del Carpio, who is one of only two Bolivians to place in the semi-finals in the history of the Miss Universe Pageant.
Dallys Lopez was chosen as Miss Hawaiian Tropic Panama on March 28 at the El Panama Hotel in Panama City. Ms. Lopez, who was chosen amongst a field of 12 contestants, will represent her country at the Miss Hawaiian Tropic Pageant later this year. Our thanks to Julio Burgos Mata for the update!
Chalida Taochalee, 24, won the title of Miss Thailand 1998 on March 28 in the Bangkok Convention Center. The Miss Thailand Pageant celebrated its 35th anniversary this year with the pageant being telecast worldwide. Ms. Taochalee, who beat out 75 other contestants for the title, will now represent her country at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant on May 12 in Honolulu. Our thanks to Anurun for the information!
Dania Prince, representing Choluteca, was crowned Señorita Universo Honduras (Miss Universe Honduras) on March 28 in the José Simón Azcona Auditorium in La Ceiba. The first runner-up was Bárbara Fortín representing Tegucigalpa.
Joanne Darrell, a 21-year-old student and former police cadet, was crowned Miss Bermuda in late December. Ms. Darrell, a social science major who is studying at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, will now represent Bermuda at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant on May 12 in Honolulu.
Jessica Olers, 20, from Dalarna, was crowned Miss Sweden on March 25. She will now represent her country at the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Honolulu on May 12. She is first Miss Sweden who is not blonde since 1972. Thanks to Ed Dominguez and his eagle eyes for spotting this report.
Maria Jose Besora Villanueva, Miss Murcia, 22, won the title of Miss Spain 1998 on March 1. In addition to the title, she also won the awards for Miss Elegant, Miss Television (voted by the pageant telecast's viewers), and "Miss Cultured Pearl". The first runner-up was Rocio Jimenez, Miss Cadiz, and the second runner-up was Maria Jose Fonseca, Miss Navarra. Our thanks to Andrew Gayo Smith, Arturo Garcia, Jose Bello, and Ed Dominguez for the update and our apologies to JPP readers and friends for the prolonged delay in posting the results.
Linor Abargil, 18, of Netanya, was named Miss Israel 1998 on March 24. She is a student and professional model. The first runner-up was Hagit Raz, 19, from Holon, who is currently a singer awaiting her army duties. The second runner-up was Galia Abramov, 18, who is a student from Haifa. Ya'arit Barzilay, from Tel Aviv, was the third runner-up, and Milana Reznikov, 19, from Ashkelon, was the fourth runner-up. It has yet to be decided at which pageants each of the top three will compete in, but it appears that the winner will go to Miss World (in November in the Seychelles), the first runner-up will go to Miss Universe (on May 12 in Honolulu), and the second runner-up will compete in Miss International (in Japan this September). Our thanks to David Izeak for this update!
Kadri Valjaots, 18, won the title of Miss Estonia 1998 in early March. She will now represent her country at Miss Universe on May 12 in Honolulu. She also won the Miss Internet award. The frist runner-up was Mari Loorensi, and the second runner-up was Kairi Ruukholm. Our thanks to Matthew Fischer for his dedication in tracking this information down!
Jaslyn Chong won the title of Miss Singapore Hawaiian Tropic on March 26 in Singapore, and will now represent her country at the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Pageant in Las Vegas. Ms. Chong was formerly Miss Singapore Petite International 1995, and placed as third runner-up in the 1995 Miss Petite International Pageant in Texas. Our thanks to Alex Liu for the information.
Yelana Sprina, 20, of Kiev, was crowned Miss Ukraine 1998 in Donetsk on March 1. Thanks to Donald West for the information!
Aldona Elezi, 19, was crowned Miss Albania on March 9 in Tirana. This year's pageant was the first in two year's for Albania, Europe's poorest nation. The contest, which attracted 31 entries, held its fifth edition since Albania cast aside the isolationaist Stalinist political regime the country was ruled under in 1990. The event was cancelled for 1995 and 1996 due to civil unrest and political instability. The winner received a gold crown worth $15,000 US dollars in the pageant, where the first runner-up was just 14-years-old. Our thanks to Jimmy Harris for the update.