Miss Universe takes place is the 66th Miss Universe pageant, to be held on 26 November 2017. The event is scheduled to be held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
The show shall be presented by comedian, television host, producer, radio personality, actor and author, Steve Harvey. The following regulars are not participating in this edition of the pageant. They are Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Republic of Ireland, Lebanon, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and Zambia. Cambodia, Laos and Nepal are the debut countries.
SantaBanta.com brings to you the favourites along with the odds to win the contest. The odds have been calibrated from oddschecker.com, nicerodds.co.uk and William Hills. Our experts have prepared this list based on the past experience, performances of their home nations in earlier editions and vital stats of the contestants.
AGE 22
HEIGHT 5'7'
At number 1 we have Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters who recently earned her degree in Business Management at North-West University after making history at her high school for holding two leadership positions. Demi-Leigh's biggest motivation comes from her half-sister who has a disability, that lives in Potchefstroom with her stepmother and father.
AGE 25
HEIGHT 6'0'
At number 2 it's Maria Poonlertlarp, currently lives in her hometown Bangkok. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in International Business Management and a Master's Degree in Marketing. Maria enjoys trying new things, especially foods from different cultures. With Thailand having the second highest rate of teenage pregnancies in SEA, Maria is passionate about sharing the importance of sex education for the safety and health of teens.
AGE 22
HEIGHT 5'11'
At number 3 it's Laura Gonzalez from Cartagena de Indias has been preparing herself to be an actress since the age of 16. After she graduated from a performing arts school where she studied acting, she moved to Bogota to kick start her career. Since taking the risk to pursue acting, Laura has worked to develop herself in theater, short films and TV. Aside from acting, Laura enjoys relaxing activities such as Yoga and Pilates. Laura hopes with her experience in front of an audience, she will be confidently crowned the next Miss Universe.
AGE 26
HEIGHT 5'8'
At number 4 we have Rachel Peters, graduated with a degree in business and has since been working in the events industry. She is always up for a new challenge and loves coffee, the beach, surfing and interior design. Rachel found a way to combine all the things she loves by opening a small cafe on the small island of Siargao.
AGE 22
HEIGHT 5'10'
At number 5 we have Kseniya Aleksandrova, graduated from the Plechanov Russian Economic University with a Finance degree while also working as a model. Since the age of 19, she has been working with two Moscow model agencies to support herself financially. She plans to continue her studies and earn a second degree in Journalism.
AGE 22
HEIGHT 5'11'
At number 6 it's 22-year-old Sofia del Prado grew up in Villarrobledo, Albacete, but has been living in Madrid for four years. When she graduated high school, she moved to Madrid to go to college to pursue a degree in International Relations. After graduation, she carried out her internship at an international winery in the Department of International Commerce.
AGE 23
HEIGHT 5'8'
At number 7 Stefania Incandela would best describe herself as persistent, passionate and strong-willed. She has a degree in public relations and seeks to help children who suffer from domestic violence. Stefania believes children deserve to grow surrounded by affection and happiness to build a better future. In her free time, she can be seen riding her bike. Stefania has competed in three different international pageants, and hopes to take home the crown in her fourth pageant as Miss Universe.
AGE 26
HEIGHT 5'10'
At number 8 we haev Kara McCullough. Kara was born in Naples, Italy, but raised in Virginia Beach for the majority of her childhood. Her mother's position as Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy exposed Kara to many different cultures and places at a young age, including Sicily, Japan, South Korea and Hawaii.
AGE 18
HEIGHT 5'8'
At number 9 Monalysa Alcantara has made a name for herself in Brazil for pioneering a beauty self-awareness organization. Monalysa dreams of being a world-known influencer for women rights, race and gender equality. If she takes home the crown, Monalysa hopes to advocate for beauty self-awareness throughout the world. She expects to finish her studies in business administration in the coming years and continue pursuing her modeling career.
AGE 19
HEIGHT 5'10'
At number 10 it's Denisse Franco who would best describe herself as a curious person. She is a recent high school graduate who is furthering her education to pursue a degree in medicine with a future plan of becoming a gynecologist. Denisse works closely with Smile Train that provides free cleft and lip palatte surgery to children globally.
AGE 21
HEIGHT 5'7'
At number 11 we have 21 year-old Shraddha Shashidhar who would best describe herself as adventurous and enthusiastic. A media graduate who specialized in journalism, Shraddha aspires to be a globetrotter and a television host of global repute. Having migrated to 24 states and studied in 11 schools, she is a master of many trades.
AGE 21
HEIGHT 5'9'
At number 12 Danna Hernandez is pursuing a degree in Public Relations and Communications. For advocacy, Danna has been working tirelessly on her health and wellbeing initiative by visiting schools around the island after Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria. She has put all her efforts towards recovery missions with the Red Cross, of which she is an active member.
AGE 26
HEIGHT 5'11'
At number 13 we have Bunga Jelitha, a professional international model for 12 years now, began her career at 13 years old. Through modeling, she loves to travel and learn about the cultures of the places she visits. Bunga hopes to make history as the first Miss Universe Indonesia to win the title of Miss Universe.
AGE 25
HEIGHT 5'9'
At number 14 it's Olivia Rogers. Olivia is a qualified speech pathologist specializing in pediatrics. Whilst completing her degree, Olivia started her own business selling her self-taught illustrations and paintings. Besides her medical and artistic work, Olivia has also modeled for 8 years. In her spare time, Olivia manages an Instagram account for her dog Mooshie reaching over 124K followers. Olivia is an ambassador for CanTeen, Captain Courageous, and is a spokesperson for mental health. Olivia hopes to inspire others to manage their mental health issues without feeling embarrassed.