Former Miss Kentucky Finishes In Top 10 Of Miss Universe Pageant
By Ginny Reese
December 13, 2021
Miss USA, who was formerly known as Miss Kentucky, made big strides in the Miss Universe pageant this past weekend. The contender, Elle Smith, was one of the top ten finalists in the 70th Miss Universe pageant, reported WLKY.
The pageant was held in Israel with traditional displays of national costumes, swimwear, and a series of interview questions. The top ten contenders, including Smith, showed off sparkling full-length gowns in either silver, gold, or bronze.
Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned as the 70th Miss Universe. She took the top spot out of 80 contestants from around the world. The reigning Miss Universe, Andrea Meza of Mexico, crowned Sandhu on Sunday.
Sandhu said that she felt, "overwhelmed because it's been 21 years since India got [the] Miss Universe crown and it's happening right now."
Congratulations Elle Smith! 🎉
— UK Alumni Association (@kentuckyalumni) December 13, 2021
Miss USA, @universityofky alumna Elle Smith, finished Top 10 in the Miss Universe pageant last night. #UKAlumni @MissUSA https://t.co/2DafCisV7X
The pageant was held in the middle of the night for United States resident, wrapping up sometime around 5 a.m. local time. The contest was hosted by U.S. TV personality Steve Harvey.
According to organizers, the pageant was expected to reach an estimated 600 million viewers on the FOX network in 172 countries.