71st edition

Miss Universe 2022 may be held early next year

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

After the furor over its alleged sale of ownership for $ 20-million, the Miss Universe Organization outdid itself, yet again, with an internal memo sent to its national directors that read, "We are going to hold the Miss Universe event in the first quarter of 2023. We will announce it soon"

This move may have probably been affected by the FIFA event in December.

The postponement, when confirmed, will extend Haarnaz Sandu's reign by a few more months, while making the 2022 winner enjoy a shorter reign like that of Mexico's Andrea Mesa, who reigned for only 211 days in 2020.

Like 2020, two pageants are likely to unfold in 2023: One in the first half of the year; and the other at the end of 2023. Thus, there will be no Miss Universe event this year.

As of mid-September, more than 50 countries have already chosen and/or appointed their representatives, including Philippine national winner Silvia Celeste Cortesi.

Last month, the Miss Universe Organization made history by introducing a major rule change in the eligibility of its delegates. Starting with the 72nd edition, the annual pageant will now accept married women and young mothers, provided they fall within the age bracket of 18-28 years old.

"The Miss Universe Organization has always strived to evolve with the times and this latest decision was the natural next step. We believe that women should have agency over their lives and that a human's personal decisions should not be a barrier to their success," the memo read.

Previous to this development, only single and natural-born women were allowed to join the competition. In 2018, the organization allowed transgender women to join as delegates. It was Spain's Angela Ponce who made the historic breakthrough.

Fans, supporters, and pageant enthusiasts are hoping for a confirmation on the postponement of the 71st edition very soon. Stay tuned!