Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark has made history by becoming the first Danish woman to win Miss Universe. The 21-year-old, who is a competitive dancer, entrepreneur, and aspiring lawyer, beat over 120 contestants in the pageant held in Mexico City on Saturday night.
Theilvig received her crown from the previous titleholder, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, amidst applause from her fellow contestants.
This year’s grand finale featured a performance by singer Robin Thicke and was hosted by Mario Lopez, star of “Saved by the Bell,” alongside former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo.
The event began with contestants being narrowed down to a shortlist of 30 based on results from a preliminary event on Thursday that included a national costume contest. The semi-finalists then walked the stage in swimwear before 12 advanced to an evening gown contest.
In the final round, the top five contestants answered questions on various topics, including leadership and resilience. When asked how she would live if not judged by others, Theilvig confidently replied she wouldn’t change anything, stating, “I live by each day.” She also encouraged viewers to keep fighting regardless of their background.
Chidimma Adetshina from Nigeria was the first runner-up, and Maria Fernanda Beltran from Mexico was the second runner-up. Suchata Chuangsri from Thailand and Ileana Marquez Pedroza from Venezuela rounded out the top five, with Pedroza making history as a 28-year-old mother.
For the first time, women over 28 were allowed to enter Miss Universe, with Malta’s Beatrice Njoya becoming the first woman in her 40s to reach the finals. This change comes amid calls for the pageant to modernize, which also led to the lifting of bans on married or pregnant women.
This year’s contest saw Cuba participate for the first time since 1967, and countries like Belarus, Eritrea, and the UAE joined for the first time. However, reports of Saudi Arabia’s debut were dismissed as false by the Miss Universe Organization.
Some national contests faced controversies, such as Miss Universe South Africa, where Adetshina quit due to xenophobic hostility but later represented Nigeria.
In Nicaragua, the Miss Universe contest’s director, Karen Celebertti, resigned last December amid accusations of conspiracy and treason against her and her family, allegations they denied.