The 74th Annual Miss Universe contest will return Friday, November 21 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Bangkok, Thailand with a new batch of hosts and judges, who will have to choose a winner from 120 women.
Contestants who take the stage will be representing over 100 countries from across the globe as they compete for this year’s crown. The judges have an impressive group of contestants to choose from, including a civil engineer, a “Big Brother” star, and a Ph.D. candidate specializing in HIV research.
Information on the 2025 Competition
The pageant theme for 2025 is “The Power of Love,” which the Miss Universe Organization website describes as a thematic mechanism to bring together the 130 competing nations “in a shared vision of compassion, inclusivity, and strength.”
“Through this celebration, we honor love as a force that empowers, breaks barriers, and inspires positive change across the world,” the website reads.
A new winner will be crowned in Thailand on Friday morning by Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig, the first woman from Denmark to win the title.
The contest will take place at 8 a.m. in Thailand, meaning that television coverage for US viewers will begin at 8 p.m. ET on November 20 (the day before in the US). It will be available to watch for US viewers on Telemundo or via streaming on Peacock.
Who Will Host Miss Universe 2025?
Hosting the English-language broadcast of the pageant is American comedian Steve Byrne. He will be joined by Puerto Rican actress and 1993 Miss Universe pageant winner Dayanara Torres, as well as the 2022 winner R’Bonney Gabriel, who will both be serving as additional commentary hosts.
Carlos Adyan, Danilo Carrera, Jessica Carrillo, and Jacqueline Bracamonte will host the Spanish-language broadcast.
Who Will Judge Miss Universe 2025?
Two judges have resigned from the pageant. Omar Harfouch, a Lebanese-French composer, was the first to step down after making accusations of rigging, according to NBC News. Harfouch took to his Instagram to post a statement explaining his resignation.
The same day, a second judge, former French soccer star Claude Makélélé, also stepped down, citing “unforeseen personal reasons.”
Following that, the president of the Miss Universe selection committee, Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, also dropped out of the pageant. Her decision was made just days before the Miss Universe pageant took place.
According to PEOPLE, Miss Universe Organization has since announced new judges: Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova, Zimbabwean colonel Miniyothabo Francisca Baloyi, and Filipino singer Louie Heredia.
Additional main competition judges include Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza, Miss Thailand 1998 Nok Chalida, author Ismael Cala, model Sharon Fonseca, Indian Olympic badminton bronze medalist Saina Nehwal, and Brazilian artist Romero Britto.
