Leila Lopes from Angola wins Miss Universe crown

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In a live broadcast on NBC, Telemundo and other networks worldwide, Miss Angola, Leila Lopes was crowned Miss Universe 2011. The broadcast Monday (9/12) aired live from Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo, Brazil.


Andy Cohen, host of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens: Live,” and Natalie Morales, news anchor of NBC’s “Today” hosted the “2011 Miss Universe Pageant.” Style Network’s “How Do I Look” Jeannie Mai and Miss USA 2004 Shandi Finnessy provided skybox fashion commentary throughout the LIVE telecast. Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Bebel Gilberto, and Brazilian native pop singer Claudia Leitte performed.

The judges who sealed the fate of this year’s winner included: Helios Castroneves, Three-time Winner of the Indianapolis 500; Connie Chung, US Broadcast Legend; Isabeli Fontana, Brazilian Supermodel; Vivica Fox, Actress & Television Producer; Adrienne Maloof, from Bravo’s hit series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”; Lea Salonga, Tony Award Winner and Actress; Farouk Shami, Founder and Chairman of Farouk Systems; Amelia Vega, Miss Universe 2003; and Italo Zanzi, Deputy General Secretary of CONCACAF.

Throughout the two-hour event, contestants from nearly 90 countries and territories around the world competed in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and personality interview. Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete, crowned her successor at the conclusion of the two-hour primetime telecast. The Miss Universe Organization, jointly owned by Donald Trump and NBC Universal, claimed a worldwide TV audience of about one billion.

Leila Lopes, age 25, is the first Angolan to win the Miss Universe crown. First runner-up was Miss Ukraine, Olesia Stefanko, with Miss Brazil, Priscila Machado, finishing as second runner-up before her home country audience.