Miss Universe 2024: Chidimma Adetshina is first runner-up

While Nigeria has yet to win the coveted crown, Ms Adetshina’s Miss Universe feat is reminiscent of Agbani Darego's historic Miss World win in 2001.

Nigeria’s beauty queen, Chidimma Adetshina, has emerged the first runner-up at the keenly contested Miss Universe 2024 pageant.

Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark was crowned Miss Universe, making history as the first Dane to win.

Miss Thelvig, a 21-year-old entrepreneur, beat 126 other contestants and now takes over from her predecessor, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua.

The ceremony was held at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Sunday morning. Participants came from over 126 countries, making this year’s event the most competitive in its history.

The pageant began with 30 contestants shortlisted from Thursday’s preliminaries. It featured a striking national costume contest. Semi-finalists competed in swimwear, narrowing the field to 12 for the evening gown round.

Mexico’s María Fernanda Beltrán secured the second runner-up position, followed by Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand and Ileana Márquez of Venezuela, who made the Top 5.

The competition also highlighted the Top 12 contestants who were from Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Russia.

Also, the Top 30 included representatives from Aruba, Cambodia, China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, France, India, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Serbia, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

These rankings were determined through jury selection and global audience votes.

Highlights

The grand finale, hosted by Mario Lopez and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, featured performances by Robin Thicke. The final five contestants fielded questions on various topics, including leadership and resilience. During the Q&A round, Ms Adetshina was quizzed by Judge Michael Cinco and asked what she chose between respect and popularity.

The 23-year-old law student stated, “I feel like being respected. We live in a society where we often don’t feel respected because of who we are, and I feel that when we respect ourselves, we automatically respect people around us. Respect is important.”

Denmark’s queen, Ms Theilvig, was also asked, “Miss Universe has inspired generations of women; what’s your one message to women out there watching you?”

The aspiring lawyer said, “My message to all is that no matter where you come from or your past, you can always choose to turn it into your strength. It would never define who you are; you have to keep fighting. I stand here today, and I want to make history.”

In an Instagram post, the Miss Universe organisers shared the final moments, writing, “The final two! Nigeria and Denmark, two incredible women, one unforgettable moment.”

Historical year

The 2024 edition unveiled the “Lumière de l’Infini” crown, adorned with diamonds and 23 golden South Sea pearls.

While Nigeria has yet to win the coveted crown, Ms Adetshina’s Miss Universe feat is reminiscent of Agbani Darego’s historic Miss World win in 2001.

Ms Adetshina’s first runner-up finish at Miss Universe 2024 now marks Nigeria’s closest achievement yet, solidifying its status as a strong contender in global pageantry.

The Nigerian beauty queen was ranked in the top three in pre-arrival polls for Miss Universe 2024.

Although Nigeria has not won the award, other African countries have achieved historic wins at Miss Universe, like Zozibini Tunzi (2019), Demi-Leigh Tebow (2017, South Africa), Leila Lopes (2011, Angola), and Mpule Kwelagobe (1999, Botswana). Globally, The United States leads Miss Universe with nine wins, while Venezuela follows with seven victories.

The 2024 contest also marked several firsts. For the first time in its 72-year history, Miss Universe allowed women over 28 to compete, with Malta’s Beatrice Njoya becoming the first finalist in her 40s. This change and the lifting of bans on married or pregnant women reflect the pageant’s efforts to modernise amid growing calls for inclusivity.

Until her withdrawal, South Africa’s Mia Le Roux, 28, was her country’s first deaf beauty queen. The debut of countries like Eritrea, Guinea, Iran, and Somalia added fresh perspectives to the pageant.

Recognitions

At the Miss Universe build-up contest, special awards were given after the preliminary event to recognise contestants and national directors. Jenelle Thongs from Trinidad and Tobago won Miss Congeniality for her friendly personality, while Stephanie Cam from Honduras received the Best Skin Award. Emilia Dides from Chile was honoured with the People’s Choice Award for receiving the most public support.

The competition also recognised outstanding national directors and pageant organisations. Dennis Dávila of Miss Universe Canada won the Best National Director award, Nguyễn Thị Hương Ly of Miss Universe Vietnam earned the Best National Pageant award, and Jonas Gaffud of Miss Universe Philippines received the Best National Host Tour Country award.

Yizette Cifredo of Miss Universe Puerto Rico was honoured with the Beyond the Crown Award for her positive influence on the competition. The “Voice for Change” competition also highlighted contestants’ advocacies, with Juliana Barrientos from Bolivia, Davin Prasath from Cambodia, and Ana Gabriela Villanueva from Guatemala winning gold and seven others receiving silver awards.

Adetshina’s hard-fought success

Ms Adetshina’s journey was marred by controversies in the build-up to this year’s final after questions about her nationality sparked a wave of backlash and xenophobic hostility in South Africa. Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother – now naturalised South African – Ms Adetshina grew up in Cape Town and is currently a 300-level law student.

Initially, she entered Miss South Africa 2024 but withdrew after an investigation into her mother’s South African citizenship raised concerns about potential fraud and identity theft. Following this, Ms Adetshina accepted Nigeria’s pageant invite and was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 in August.

Despite the scrutiny, she garnered public support, with Nigeria’s approval. After the ongoing investigation, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs revoked her South African identity papers in October. However, the Nigerian beauty queen is now a global title holder.