Miss Universe 2023 Highlights: Miss Universe 2023 is Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios has been announced as the winner of the Miss Universe 2023 title in a grand event that was held at the Jose Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador on November 19 (according to IST). She was crowned by Miss Universe 2022 - USA’s R'Bonney Gabriel – on stage as the crowd applauded the winner.

In the 72nd Miss Universe pageant this year, contestants from 84 countries and territories competed against each other. The pageant was hosted by American television personality Jeannie Mai and Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo, apart from American television presenter Maria Menounos.

Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios has been announced as the winner of the Miss Universe 2023 title. The event was held at the Jose Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador, El Salvador.

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Miss Thailand honours Malala Yousafzai at Miss Universe 2023 for her struggle and achievements.

Thailand, Australia and Nicaragua enter the top 3 list.

Following the swimsuit competition, the announcement for the Top 10 finalists have been made and Shweta Shard from India in a bold glitter swimsuit and Erica Robin from Pakistan in a burkini, did not qualify for the swimwear stage to proceed to the evening gown competition.

Pakistani representative Erica Robin graced the swimsuit competition in a fully covered light pink loose gown instead of a typical bikini to honour her religion and country’s beliefs.

Following the swimsuit competition, the announcement has been made for the top 10 finalists who will proceed to the evening gown competition. Unfortunately, Shweta Shard from India did not qualify for this stage.

When asked to name one thing she wanted to do for her country, Erica had replied, “I would want to change this mindset that Pakistan is a backward country.”

While models, writers and journalists including journalist Mariana Babar congratulated Erica as "beauty and brains" on Twitter, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami party called it “shameful” and caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar ordered the country’s intelligence agency to investigate the organisers of the Miss Universe Pakistan pageant and how they were able to hold the competition seemingly in the country’s name without the government’s approval.

Rikkie Kollé of the Netherlands and Marina Machete of Portugal are the joint second transgender women to compete in the pageant, following Ángela Ponce of Spain in 2018.

Camila Avella of Colombia, Michelle Cohn of Guatemala, and Lorena Santen of Switzerland.

Jane Dipika Garrett of Nepal is the first plus-size delegate to compete in the pageant.

Miss Universe China 2023 Jia Qi was forced to withdraw from the competition when her visa wasn’t approved in time for her to participate. She may compete in the 2024 pageant.

For the first time ever, Miss Universe is allowing married women and women with children to compete.

In addition, the competition will also include two transgender women and a plus-size model.

After the previous swimsuit rounds, the 20 contestants to be selected for the semi-finals also includes Shweta Sharda.

India is represented by Shweta Sharda.

The 22-year-old model and dancer is from Chandigarh.

Shweta has been a part of reality shows such as Dance Deewane, Dance Plus, and Dance India Dance.

Besides being a contestant, she is also a choreographer for Jhalak Dikhlaja.

This year, around 84 contestants are taking part in the Miss Universe competition:

Albania: Endi Demneri (24)
Angola: Ana Bárbara Da Silva Coimbra (​23)
Argentina: Yamile Luján Dajud Zuluaga (​27)
Aruba: Karol Croes (27)
Australia: Moraya Wilson (22)
Bahamas: Melissa Elaine Ingraham (26)
Bahrain: Lujane Yacoub (19)
Belgium: Emilie Vansteenkiste9 (21)
Bolivia: Maria Estefany Rivero Giesse (26)
Brazil: Maria Eduarda Ribeiro Brechane (19)
British Virgin Islands: Ashellica Fahie (28)
Bulgaria: Yuliia Pavlikova (30)
Cambodia: Sotima John (23)
Cameroon: Issie Marie Princesse Ndoun (22)
Canada: Madison Elizabeth Svetlana Kvaltin (25)
Cayman Islands: Ileann Powery (25)
Chile: Celeste Viel Caballero (23)
China: Jia Qi (23)
Colombia: María Camila Avella Montañez (28)
Costa Rica: Lisbeth Tatiana Valverde Brenes (28)
Croatia: Andrea Erjavec (23)
Curaçao: Kim Joanna Dorothy Rossen (25)
Czech Republic: Vanesa Švédová (19)
Denmark: Nikoline Uhrenholt Hansen (21)
Dominican Republic: Mariana Isabel Downing Abreu (28)
Ecuador: Delary Georgette Stoffers Villón (23)
Egypt: Mohra Amin Tantawy (21)
El Salvador: Isabella García-Manzo Gutiérrez​ (20)
Equatorial Guinea: Diana-Lita Hinestrosa (25)
Finland: Paula Susanna Joukanen (22)
France: Diane Leyre (26)
Germany: Helena Marlen Bleicher (24)
Greece: Marielia Zaloumi​ (20)
Guatemala: Melanie Michelle Cohn Bech (28)
Guyana: Lisa Andrea Narine (26)
Honduras: Zuheilyn Michelle ‘Zu’ Clemente Moncada (22)
Hungary: Tünde Blága (27)
Iceland: Lilja Síf Pétursdóttir (19)
India: Shweta Sharda (22)
Indonesia: Fabiënne Fionnuala Nicole Groeneveld (23)
Italy: Carmen Panepinto Zayati (24)
Jamaica: Jordanne Lauren Levy (22)
Japan: Rio Miyazaki (20)
Kazakhstan: Tomiris Zair (19)
Kosovo: Arbesa Rrahmani (24)
Laos: Phaimany ‘Papao’ Lathsabanthao (28)
Latvia: Jekaterīna ‘Kate’ Aleksejeva (29)
Lebanon: Maya Aboul Hosn (25)
Malaysia: Serena Lee (22)
Malta: Ella Sophie Portelli (22)
Mauritius: Aurore Tatiana Beauharnais (23)
Mexico: Melissa Flores Godínez (25)
Mongolia: Namuunzul Batmagnai (23)
Myanmar: Amara Bo ​(26)
Namibia: Jameela Uiras Smith (23)
Nepal: Jane Dipika Elizabeth Bohara Garrett (22)
Netherlands: Rikkie Valerie Kollé (22)
Nicaragua: Sheynnis Alondra Palacios Cornejo (23)
Nigeria: Ugochi Mitchel Ihezue (26)
Norway: Julie Marie Tollefsen (27)
Pakistan: Erica Robin (24)
Panama: Natasha Lineth Vargas Moreno (25)
Paraguay: Elicena Andrada Orrego (28)
Peru: Camila Namie Escribens (25)
Philippines: Michelle Daniela Marquez Dee (28)
Poland: Angelika Jurkowianiec (27)
Portugal: Marina Machete Reis (28)
Puerto Rico: Karla Inelisse Guilfú Acevedo (25)
Republic of Ireland: Aishah Akorede (23)
Russia: Margarita Aleksandrovna Golubeva (22)
Santa Lucia: Earlyca Makeba Frederick (26)
Singapore: Priyanka Annuncia (26)
Slovakia: Kinga Puhová (22)
South Africa: Bryoni Natalie Govender (27)
South Korea: Soyun Kim (28)
Spain: Athenea Paulinha Pérez Nsué (27)
Switzerland: Lorena Santen (26)
Thailand: Anntonia Porsild (26)
Trinidad and Tobago: Marion Faith Gillezeau (25)
Ukraine: Angelina Usanova (26)
United Kingdom: Jessica Page Lennon (28)
United States: Noelia Victoria Voigt Briceño (24)
Venezuela: Diana Carolina Silva Francisco (26)
Vietnam: Bùi Quỳnh Hoa (25)
Zimbabwe: Brooke Bruk-Jackson (21)

Olivia Culpo, Jeannie Mai, and Maria Menounos are hosting the event.

Olivia Culpo, one of the hosts, is a former Miss Universe, having won the competition back in 2012.

- This is the first Miss Universe pageant being held in El Salvador since 1975.

- Former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo is hosting the pageant in El Salvador.

India will represented by 23-year-old Shweta Sharda, who became eligible to participate after winning the Miss Diva Universe 2023 in August.

Know more about here: Who is Shweta Sharda, the 23-year-old who will represent India at Miss Universe 2023?

The 72nd Miss Universe pageant will take place at the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in El Salvador, San Salvador on Saturday.

Here are more details about the contestants and where you can watch the competition live: Miss Universe 2023: Date, venue, time, where to watch the pageant in India