Miss Universe 2021 Pageant Will Be Broadcast Live from Eilat … at 2 am Local Time
The 80 women competing in Miss Universe 2021 are going to face their most difficult pageant challenge yet when the 70th edition of the competition is broadcast live around the world from the southern Israeli city of Eilat. That’s because it is scheduled to start at 2 am on Monday, with the announcement of the 15 semifinalists chosen by the selection committee and one semifinalist from online fan voting. The preliminary rounds of the competition were held on Friday. Bahrain will send its first contestant ever to the pageant, and Morocco will compete in the pageant for the first time since 1978; both countries normalized relations with pageant host country Israel last year as part of the Abraham Accords. The United Arab Emirates, which also signed the Abraham Accords, had been set to send a contestant, but ultimately had to withdraw due to the coronavirus crisis and because it was unable to hold its national pageant in time. Though relations between Turkey and Israel are at a historic low point, Miss Turkey also will participate in the competition. Malaysia and Indonesia, countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Israel, are not participating in the competition, despite sending contestants in previous years. Emmy-award-winning actor and stand-up comedian Steve Harvey is hosting the competition for the sixth time and will be joined by his daughter, model and Instagram influencer Lori Harvey, who is a member of the jury.
