Victoria Kjaer Theilvig was crowned Miss Universe on Saturday, becoming the first-ever winner from Denmark in the competition’s history.
A dancer, entrepreneur, and animal rights advocate, Theilvig emerged victorious among over 120 contestants at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico City. She was followed by Chidimma Adetshina from Nigeria, a law student; Maria Fernanda Beltran from Mexico; Suchata Chuangsri from Thailand; and Ileana Marquez from Venezuela.
Marquez made history as the first mother to win Miss Venezuela after the pageant’s rule changes in 2023. The revised regulations now allow participation by married women, contestants over 28 years old, plus-size individuals, and transgender women. Beatrice Njoya from Malta became the oldest contestant in a Miss Universe grand finale at age 40 under these new rules.
Adetshina, initially a finalist in Miss South Africa, chose to represent Nigeria due to disputes over her citizenship status.
This marked the fifth time Mexico hosted the Miss Universe pageant. In previous years, the event faced criticism for promoting outdated standards of femininity and beauty. However, significant reforms began in 2022 after the pageant was acquired by JKN Global Group, led by Thai media mogul and transgender rights advocate Anne Jakapong Jakrajutatip.
