Miss Universe 2006

Miss Universe 2006
Date	July 23, 2006 (2006-07-23)
Presenters	Carlos Ponce, Nancy O'Dell
Entertainment	Chelo, Vittorio Grigolo
Venue	Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, USA
Broadcaster	NBC
Entrants	86
Placements	20
Debuts	Kazakhstan
Withdraws	Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Vietnam
Returns	Argentina, Cayman Islands, Estonia, Ghana, Iceland, New Zealand, Northern Marianas, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Sweden
Winner	Zuleyka Rivera
Represented	Puerto Rico
Congeniality	Angela Asare  Ghana
Best National Costume	Kurara Chibana  Japan
Photogenic	Lia Andrea Ramos  Philippines

Miss Universe 2006, the 55th Miss Universe pageant, took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, USA. Unlike past events, it was held on Sunday, July 23, 2006 (almost two months later than usual). A live international broadcast was made on NBC.

The 2006 pageant is the first time the United States has been a host since 1998, and the second time for Los Angeles, which last hosted the pageant in 1990. The Republic of Kazakhstan was represented for the first time, while the following countries returned after some years of absence: St. Lucia (1977), Iceland (1997), St. Martin (2000), Northern Marianas (2002), Argentina (2003), New Zealand (2003), Estonia (2004), Ghana (2004), St. Vincent & Grenadines (2004), and Sweden (2004). The 2006 pageant also featured the most delegates in its history, with 86 delegates arriving in Los Angeles.

Natalie Glebova of Canada crowned her successor, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico, at the conclusion of the two-hour show. Her reign was the longest ever in Miss Universe history: one year and two months, from the time she was crowned on May 31, 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Results

Placements

Countries and territories which sent delegates and results.

Special awards

Historical significance

• Countries that placed for the first time were: Ukraine, Hungary and Ethiopia.
• Countries that got called out to the semi-finals after a long period without placement were: Denmark (39 years), Argentina (27 years), Thailand (18 years), Bolivia (16 years) and Sweden (9 years).
• Lauriane Gilliéron, 2nd runner-up became Switzerland's highest placement in Miss Universe, surpassing their 1983 record of 3rd runner-up.
• Venezuela did not place for only the second time in the past 24 years.
• Puerto Rico, with their fifth win, became the second most successful territory/state to compete at Miss Universe, after the USA at that time.
• Philippines won the Miss Photogenic award for the second consecutive year (and its sixth).
• Japan won the Best National Costume award for the first time.

Judges

The following celebrities judged the final competition.

• Amelia Vega - Miss Universe 2003
• Marc Cherry
• Claudia Jordan - Miss Rhode Island USA 1997
• Tom Green
• Emmitt Smith
• James Lesure
• María Celeste Arrarás
• Patrick McMullan
• Santino Rice
• Bridgette Wilson-Sampras - Miss Teen USA 1990
• Sean Yazbeck

Contestants

National competitions

Debut

• Kazakhstan attended the Miss Universe pageant for the first time.

Withdraws

• Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Italy, Netherlands and Vietnam competed in 2005 but not at Miss Universe 2006.

Returns

• St. Lucia which last competed in 1977.
• Iceland which last competed in 1997.
• St. Martin which last competed in 2000.
• Northern Marianas which last competed in 2002.
• Argentina and New Zealand which last competed in 2003.
• Cayman Islands, Estonia, Ghana, St. Vincent & Grenadines and Sweden which last competed in 2004.

Contestant notes

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (July 2008)

Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006

Kurara Chibana, Miss Universe Japan 2006 and first runner-up

Thuli Sithole, Miss South Africa 2005

• The two tallest delegates were both from West Africa: Miss Ghana, Angela Asare (6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)), and Miss Nigeria, Tienepre Oki (6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)).
• Five delegates had previously competed in the Miss World pageant. Trinidad and Tobago's Kenisha Thom represented her nation at Miss World 2004, and placed in the Top 15. St. Lucia's Sascha Andrew-Rose also represented her nation at Miss World 2004, but failed to place. Lauriane Gilliéron of Switzerland and Tatiana Silva of Belgium both competed at Miss World 2005 but failed to place as well.
• Miss Indonesia, Nadine Chandrawinata, is half German.
• Anna Nashandi of Namibia represented her nation at Miss World 2006, and placed in the Top 17.
• The final competition evening gown for Miss USA Tara Conner was designed during a competition held on the reality television show Project Runway.
• Miss Colombia's cousin was Miss Colombia 2005 (who failed to make the cut at Miss Universe 2005). Another cousin of hers is pop singer Shakira.
• Miss Mauritius, Isabelle Antoo, is the sister of Miss Mauritius 2004, Magalie Antoo, who participated in the Miss Universe 2005 pageant in Thailand.
• Miss Mexico, Priscila Perales went on to compete in the Miss International 2007 pageant and won the title. She is the first Mexican to win the title.
• Miss Peru, Fiorella Viñas went on to compete in the Miss Caribbean Hibicous pageant and she placed in second place.
• This year features the most delegates in the history of the pageant - 86.
• Countries that sent delegates the previous year, but failed to send a delegate to this year's competition include: Barbados, Belize, Curaçao, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, and Vietnam.
• Although selecting delegates, the British Virgin Islands and Portugal ultimately did not end up participating. The British Virgin Islands selected Deria Joseph, while Portugal was slated to be represented by Marina Rodrigues.
• This is the first time that Russia made the semifinals after the dethroning of Oxana Fedorova in 2002.
• Nada Milinić was the last contestant to represent Serbia & Montenegro at Miss Universe. In 2007, Serbia and Montenegro would send separate contestants because of the countries' division.
• Zuleyka Rivera, the winner of Miss Universe 2006, had one of the shortest reigns of all, just about 10 months, since Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova from Canada, won in May 2005.
• The Puerto Rican representative had been the 2nd Runner-up in Miss Universe 2004, 1st Runner-up in Miss Universe 2005, and won in Miss Universe 2006.
• Fabriella Quesada, Miss Costa Rica, would go on and win Miss Reina Internacional del Cafe 2007. She was also the winner of Miss Teen International 2002.
• Mía Taveras, Miss Dominican Republic, would go on and win Miss Continente Americano 2006.
• Cristiana Frixione, Miss Nicaragua, would go on and win World Miss University 2006 in South Korea.
• Dina Nuraliyeva (Kazakhstan)competed in Miss World 2009 where she placed in the final Top 16.

Event notes

• Los Angeles hosted the pageant for the second time, having previously hosted in 1990. It is the first time the pageant has been held in the United States since 1998 (when the pageant was held in Hawaii).
• The judges at the 2006 competition included: Amelia Vega (Miss Universe 2003); Claudia Jordan (Miss USA finalist, currently a model for Deal or no Deal); ex-Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith; actor James Lesure (from NBC's "Las Vegas"); Maria Celeste Arraras (host of Telemundo's Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste); fashion photographer Patrick McMullan; Project Runway's Santino Rice; the winner of season 5 of The Apprentice, Sean Yazbeck; actress and Miss Teen USA 1990 Bridgette Wilson-Sampras; actor and comedian Tom Green; and writer Marc Cherry. Actress Bo Derek was scheduled to be a judge but was later replaced.
• This year, a top 20 was selected, rather than the usual top 15.

International broadcasting

Like host country-based NBC and Telemundo, same networks broadcasted live the Miss Universe 2006 pageant in their respective countries:

•  Argentina: TNT Latin America
•  Brazil: Rede Bandeirantes and TNT
•  Chile: TNT
•  Colombia: Caracol and TNT
•  Dominican Republic: TNT
•  France: TF1 and Paris Première
•  Mexico: Televisa and TNT
•  Panama: Telemetro and TNT
•  Peru: ATV
•  Philippines: RPN-9
•  Puerto Rico: Telemundo
•  Thailand: Channel 7
•  Venezuela: Venevisión and TNT

References

External links

• Official site of Miss Universe Organization