Miss Universe announces fan vote ‘flash sale,’ new competition format

Michelle Dee in a Mark Bumgarner creation. Image from Instagram

Miss Universe fans now have more bang for the buck, but only for a brief period, as the pageant launched a “flash sale” for the fan voting through its official mobile app.

For a period of 48 hours, fans can get twice as many votes for their favored delegate on the Miss Universe mobile app. The lowest package worth P48 for three votes can now earn six votes for the delegate, while the most expensive one worth P9,700 can add 2,000 votes more for the candidate, twice as many as the 1,000 votes that comes with the package.

Five more pricing schemes are available for fans, also with double the number of votes within the flash sale period—30 votes for P240, 80 votes for P485, 170 votes for P970, 440 votes for P2,400, and 900 votes for P4,850.

Miss Universe fan voting flash sale packages/SCREENSHOT FROM MISS UNIVERSE APP

The Miss Universe Philippines organization is aggressively campaigning for Michelle Marquez Dee to earn the highest votes from the online fan poll after topping the voting for the “Voice for Change” yesterday. The fan vote winner is guaranteed a spot in the semifinals.

“Pilipinas, NOW is the time to vote for Miss Universe Philippines Michelle Marquez Dee on the Miss Universe App! Vote for the Philippines, and they will double your votes!” the national pageant organization appealed to fans in a social media post.

New format

The Miss Universe Organization, meanwhile, quelled the netizens’ speculations about the competition format this year and announced on social media the selection rounds for this year’s edition. “You asked, we answered [megaphone emoji],” it posted on social media.

The first cut will be from 85 to 20. The chosen ones will compete in the swimwear competition for their spot in Top 10, followed by the evening gown round that will determine the ladies who will advance to the Top 5. The five ladies will undergo an interview round to determine the final three delegates. A final question will get in between the last three candidates and the coveted crown.

Last year, only 16 ladies survived the first elimination, similar to the format used in the 2021 competition. Previous editions also had 20 semifinalists, with the exception of the 2020 edition with an additional delegate who won the fan vote.

The Miss Universe pageant also announced the members of the selection committee for this year’s competition, among them are Miss Universe winners Janelle “Penny” Commissiong whose crowning in 1977 made her the first black woman to win the title, and French model Iris Mittenaere who was crowned in Manila in the 2016 competition.

Also included in the committee are TV presenter and style expert Carson Kressley, American fashion model Halima Aden, Miss Congeniality in the 1994 Miss USA pageant Denise White, Puerto Rican actress and host Giselle Blondet, Mexican singer Mario Bautista, Roku VP for Marketing and Merchandising Sweta Patel, Shorty Award’s TikToker of the Year for 2019 Avani Gregg, and Philippine-born physician Connie Mariano who served as a White House doctor.

The 2023 Miss Universe pageant, the 72nd edition of the international competition, will hold its coronation show in the El Salvadoran capital of San Salvador on Nov. 18 (Nov. 19 in Manila). Eighty-five delegates are competing to succeed reigning queen R’Bonney Gabriel.