Hanoi, (dpa) - Venezuela's Dayana Mendoza, 22, was crowned Miss Universe 2008 on Monday as the glamorous pageant was held for the first time in communist Vietnam.
The pageant hosted by the southern resort city of Nha Trang was staged at 8 am, in order to make the US prime time television slot.
Co-host and former Spice Girl Mel B. couldn't resist opening the ceremony with a boisterous, "Good morning, Vietnam!"
She and co-host Jerry Springer introduced the 80 contestants in a loosely defined national costume segment that featured Miss Dominican Republic in a red, white, and blue baseball uniform and Miss USA in a shiny red bikini.
The top 15 did include both mainstream choices of USA, Australia, and Russia alongside Kosovo, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. The audience got a thrill with Miss Vietnam made the cut, but she didn't get further than that.
The top 15 were cut down to 10 after the swimsuit competition, all under the supervision of an array of expertise. The panel of judges featured famed developer Donald Trump Jr, fashion designer Roberto Cavalli and Bollywood star Eesha Koppikhar.
Next on the venue came the evening gown parade. Springer introduced the competition saying it wasn't as easy as it looked, noting that some of Miss Universe's greatest blunders take place during this part of the show. He may have jinxed his representative, as Miss USA sent sequins flying as she tumbled on her entrance.
For those who didn't make the top choice, there are always the alternative prizes. El Salvador took the Miss Congeniality competition, while Thailand took the best national costume competition for a sequined Thai boxing outfit.
When it came to choosing the top five, the judges took a Latin liking, with Columbia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and Mexico, rounding off their choices with Russia.
To cut down from the top five, each girl was asked a question by a random judge. Mendoza must have made a great impression, with her response to hair stylist Louis Licari's question if men or women had it easier in life.
"Actually, God made us to share and to have differences," she answered. "Men think that the fastest way to a point is to go straight. Women know it's faster to follow and fix the curves."
As Miss Universe, Mendoza will now move to New York City, where she will replace last year's winner Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, as the official spokesperson for the HIV/Aids campaign.
Mendoza was crowned Miss Venezuela 2007 on September 13 last year. She has been modeling with Elite Model Management since 2001.
