Fresh off a stress-relieving day with the Miami Heat dancers, the 88 contestants vying to be crowned Miss Universe 2014 are back at work preparing for next weekend's big show.
A bevy of gorgeous women will compete in the 63rd Annual Miss Universe Pageant in hopes of dethroning Gabriela Isler, the third Venezuelan winner over the last six years and seventh overall. The preliminary round - which includes swimsuit, evening gown, and interview categories - takes place on Jan. 21 while the main show, on Jan. 25, cultivates with the long-established tradition of Isler bequeathing her tiara to the winner.
Among the early crowd favorites are candidates from Colombia, Mexico, India, the United States Spain, Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela, and the Philippines. The latter five shouldn't be a surprise to anyone as they were among the top finishers last year.
When: January 25, 2015
Where: Florida International University, Miami-Doral, Fla.
Start Time: 8 p.m. EST
TV: NBC, Telemundo
Live Streaming: MissUniverse.com
Judges:
Kristin Cavallari (TV personality and shoe designer), William Levy (Film and television actor), Lisa Vanderpump (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills), Manny Pacquiao (Filipino congressman and eight-division world champion boxer), Louise Roe (Fashion Journalist)
Top 5 Predictions:
Mary Jean Lastimosa (Miss Philippines) - the Philippines-raised beauty queen may have the strongest online presences of all contestants, relying heavily on her Filipino fans' voices. She also has the most number of Facebook likes and page views on YouTube for her official Miss Universe interview.
Paulina Vega (Miss Colombia) - Known for her elegant walk and nocturnal lagophthalmos - the ability to sleep with her eyes open - Vega may be dark horse of the competition. Her intimidating 5 foot 9 inch stature is the archetype for a model, something Vega has worked at since she was eight years old.
Nia Sanchez (Miss U.S.A.) - Sanchez has come a long way from her days a princess character at Disney World. The Mexican-American holds a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do after bonding with her dad over the sport as a child, and her time living in a women's shelter with her mom is an inspiration to aspiring contestants.
Migbelis Castellanos (Miss Colombia) - The 19-year-old could give Venezuela consecutive Miss Universe winner for the second time in both the country and the pageant's history. The journalism student worked on Bachelor's degrees in Social Communication and Political Science at Universidad Rafael Belloso Chacin before winning Miss Venezuela as a 17-year-old. Among her hobbies are watching baseball and cooking complex dishes.
Desiree Cordero (Miss Spain) - The first runner-up at Miss Universe 2013 may not let that opportunity slip again. One of Spain's most successful models, Cordero stays in shape by kickboxing and by delving into extreme sports.
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