Miss Universe 2021 to be held in Israel, Steve Harvey to return as host

Miss Universe is heading to Israel for its 70th competition.

The Miss Universe Organization announced Tuesday that the pageant will be held this December in the southern resort city of Eilat.

Steve Harvey will once again return as host.

The three-hour event will broadcast live on Fox in the U.S. and also in 180 countries and territories across the globe. It will end with the current Miss Universe, Mexico’s Andrea Meza, crowning her successor.

Meza, a former software engineer, has advocated for women’s rights and is also encouraging people to get the vaccine from COVID-19. Soon after she was named Miss Universe, Meza invited the media to cover her first vaccination shot in New York.

In a statement released by the Miss Universe Organization, Meza said she hopes “as many people as possible” get vaccinated so they can participate in the 70th Miss Universe contest.

Meza has crowned Miss Universe in May, beating out Miss Brazil.

Previous winner Zozibini Tunzi fit the crown on Meza’s head and waited to make sure it would stay in place as Meza beamed and took her first walk to the front of the stage.

Tunzi, a public relations professional who became the first Black woman from South Africa to win the contest, had held the title since December 2019. Last year’s ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic.

The pageant was hosted by “Access Hollywood” host Mario Lopez and actor and model Olivia Culpo, the 2012 Miss Universe. It was broadcast live from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood in Hollywood, Florida.

Ahead of the pageant, Paula M. Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, stated that they had spent months planning a safe competition that followed similar guidelines as last November’s 2020 Miss USA competition held in Memphis.

Source: https://bit.ly/3kMPuxh