Miss Universe 2018: Everything You Need to Know
By Natalie Zamora
Miss Universe 2018 is right around the corner, and if you're not exactly caught up on the exciting event or know who to root for, look no further.
The competition will be the 67th Miss Universe pageant, following last year's show which saw Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa taking home the crown. This year, Nel-Peters will give the award to her successor on Dec. 17 in Bangkok, Thailand.
This year's show will be hosted again by comedian Steve Harvey and model Ashley Graham, along with TV personality Carson Kressley and runway coach Lu Sierra providing commentary. Ne-Yo will be taking the stage as the show's musical guest.
Miss Universe 2018 will break 2017's record of most involved, as it will see 94 countries and territories participate, in comparison to last year's record of 92.
This year is also historic as it sees the first ever transgender Miss Universe contestant in Miss Spain Angela Ponce. The 27-year-old model is already a favorite to win!
"Trans women have been persecuted and erased for so long. If they give me the crown, it would show trans women are just as much women as cis women," Ponce told TIME on competing in the big show.
Besides Ponce, there are many other fan-favorites, most of whom have incredible followings on social media. For example, Miss Philippines Catriona Gray has a whopping 662,000 followers on Instagram.
Gray is a 24-year-old volunteer teacher's assistant at Young Focus.
Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutierrez has an impressive 459,000 followers.
At 19, Gutierrez is a student looking to become a lawyer.
Miss Colombia Valeria Morales has an exciting 278,000 followers.
Morales is a 20-year-old student enrolled in school in Florida.
Miss Greece Ioanna Bella has a nice 159,000 followers.
Bella, 22, works with a non-profit organization, with the goal to build a cancer hospital and a housing relief project in South India to help flood victims.
It's obvious the competition will be stiff this year, with so many gorgeous ladies in the running. To watch Miss Universe live, it will air on Dec. 16 at 7:00 p.m. EST on FOX.