Miss Universe 2010 Winner Announced Tonight

The Miss Universe 2010 winner will be announced tonight. No matter who the Miss Universe 2010 winner is, the show will have the usual spectacle. Bret Michaels is continuing his comeback by co-hosting the show, while Donald Trump is once again in the producer's chair. With Trump's fingerprints on the event, and with the Las Vegas setting, there is certain to be a lot of showmanship -- and not just from the contestants. But eventually, a Miss Universe 2010 winner will be crowned live before it's all over.

NBC has this year's show live from Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, starting at 9 p.m. est. Eighty-three nations will be represented by their most presentable young women in the 59th edition of the pageant. Although the competitors are from planet Earth, their power seems to dwarf the other planets in the universe as well.

The Miss Universe 2010 winner will be crowned by last year's victor, Venezuela's Stefania Fernandez. Marelisa Gibson is representing Venezuela this time around, trying to give the nation its third straight win in the competition. Meanwhile, the U.S. counters with Dearborn, Michigan's, Rima Fakih, the first American Muslim to wear the crown.

The USA's hopes of having the Miss Universe 2010 winner might be long, since America hasn't held this crown in over a decade. Venezuela is trying to become the first nation to three-peat, and to tie America's all-time record of seven wins.

According to the pageant's official website, the Miss Universe 2010 winner favorite is Venus Raj from the Philippines. She has an average rating of 3.55, while Bolivia's Claudia Arce Lemaitre is second with a 3.06. Gibson is placing in third with a 2.96.

Pageants have tended to be controversial for reasons other than who wins. However, that has mostly been limited to Miss USA, thanks to Donald Trump, Rosie O'Donnell, and Carrie Prejean. The usual controversies about racy photos, body image and the like are always attached to these events. However, no Prejean-like scandals have emerged as of yet, and Trump hasn't had to speak out on anything.

Although these events have been bigger and more publicized in years past, Trump and NBC will still try to get some buzz going. Michaels and Natalie Morales will open the ceremonies at 9 p.m., with performances from John Legend and The Roots, before the Miss Universe 2010 winner is finally declared.

Sources

Miss Universe- "Contestants" http://www.missuniverse.com/members/contestants/sortBy:rating

Detroit Free Press- "Rima Fakih wants Miss Universe title for USA" http://www.freep.com/article/20100823/NEWS05/8230323/1038/Ent03/Rima-Fakih-wants-Miss-Universe-title-for-USA

NBC Philadelphia- "Michaels, Morales to Host Miss Universe Pageant" http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/entertainment/celebrity/NATL-Michaels-Morales-to-Host-Miss-Universe-Pageant--99870379.html