Harnaaz Sandhu of India has been crowned Miss Universe 2021.
The 21-year-old model from Punjab represented India at the 70th Miss Universe competition held in Eilat, Israel. She brought home the crown 21 years after actor Lara Dutta won the title in 2000.
Sandhu beat 79 other contestants, including runner-up Miss Paraguay Nadia Ferreira and second runner-up Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane, to claim the prestigious title.
The previous Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico, crowned Sandhu at the event, which was live-streamed globally.
In Israel, the pageant was held in the middle of the night, wrapping up at 5 am local time (4am BST) to accommodate the primetime schedule in the US.
The pageant, which was hosted by US TV personality Steve Harvey, included traditional displays of national costumes, evening gowns, and swimwear, as well as a series of interview questions to test contestants’ public speaking skills.
Before winning on Sunday (12 December), Sandhu had previously been crowned Miss Diva 2021 and became the third Indian woman to be crowned Miss Universe, after Dutta and Sushmita Sen (1994).
Sandhu was born and raised in the city of Chandigarh. She began competing in pageantry as a teenager, winning titles such as Miss Chandigarh 2017 and Miss Max Emerging Star India 2018.
After winning the title of Femina Miss India Punjab 2019, the model competed in Femina Miss India, where she ultimately placed in the Top 12.
As Miss Universe, Sandhu will now reside in New York City and participate in a number of events around the world.
Miss Bahamas, Chantel O’Brian, has won the Spirit of Carnival Award, at the 70th annual Miss Universe competition in Eilat, Israel.
O’Brian received the award yesterday after she competed in the pageant’s preliminary competition.
Carnival Cruise Line sponsors the award and it is given to the delegate that embodies the company’s values of “fun, friendship, diversity and inclusion.”
“Chantel has a passion for childhood education and mentorship that led her to co-founding The Leading Ladies Project, an organisation prioritising the education of underprivileged girls,” Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy said.
“It was an honour to announce her as the recipient of the ‘Spirit of Carnival’ award as she joins a group of esteemed women who have served in this time-honoured role for Carnival, and we look forward to supporting her and her initiatives in The Bahamas.”
O’Brian, who is the daughter of a Haitian immigrant to the Bahamas, follows in the footsteps of Miss Dominican Republic 2020, Kimberly Jiménez, as a recipient of the Spirit of Carnival Award.
She became the godmother to Carnivals’ newest vessel, Mardi Gras.
Jiménez was later joined by Miss Universe Andrea Meza and Miss USA Asya Branch for the first voyage of the Mardi Gras in October 2021.
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