Meet the New Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel from the USA!
The three-hourlong Miss Universe competition streamed live on Saturday, January 14, from New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, where more than 80 women from around the world competed for the coveted title of Miss Universe. And when the ballots were tabulated, the title of the 71st Miss Universe went to Miss USA R'bonney Gabriel.
After a competition, which featured categories such as interviews, evening gown, swimwear, and community impact, she was crowned by the 70th Miss Universe, Harnaaz Sandhu.
R'Bonney Gabriel
Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images
The winner of Miss Universe was 28-year-old Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel, a fashion designer from Houston, Texas, who drove four hours to the pageant from her home.
Gabriel, the first Filipino American to win the Miss USA title, is a fashion designer, model and sewing instructor. A graduate of the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design with a Minor in Fibers, she is the CEO of her own sustainable clothing line. Her platform is “for women and young girls to see themselves in her, and feel inspired to conquer their goals by owning who they are.”
When she made the Top 5, Gabriel was asked: "Miss Universe recently made an inclusive change allowing mothers and married women to compete in the next pageant. What's another change you'd like to see and why?"
The response that got her into the Top 3 was: "For me, I would like to see an age increase because I am 28 years old. And that is the oldest age to compete. I think it's a beautiful thing. My favorite quote is 'If not now, then when?' Because as a woman, I believe age does not define us. It's not tomorrow, it's not yesterday -- but it's now. The time is now.”
Then, when she made the Top 3, she was asked: "If you win Miss Universe, how will you work to demonstrate this is an empowering and progressive organization?”
Her winning response that helped her clinch the title was: " I would use it to be a transformational leader. As a very passionate designer, I’ve been sewing for 13 years, I use fashion as a force for good. In my industry, I'm cutting down on pollution through recycled materials when I make my clothing. I teach sewing classes to women that have survived from human trafficking and domestic violence. And I say that because it is so important to invest in others, invest in our community, and use your unique talent to make a difference. We all have something special, and when we plant those seeds in other people in our life, we transform them, and we use that as a vehicle for change."
Who was the runner-up to Miss Universe?The first runner-up was Amanda Dudamel, Miss Universe Venezuela 2022
The second runner-up was Andreina Martinez Founier, Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2022
The 71st Miss Universe competition took place on Saturday, January 14, 2023.
Who was the host of Miss Universe?Olivia Culpo and Jeannie Mai Jenkins will host the Miss Universe pageant live from New Orleans.
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Andreina Martinez Founier, Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2022
R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe USA 2022
Amanda Dudamel, Miss Universe Venezuela 2022
Gabriëla Dos Santos, Miss Universe Curacao 2022
Andreina Martinez Founier, Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2022
Ashley Cariño, Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022
R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe USA 2022
Amanda Dudamel, Miss Universe Venezuela 2022
Monique Riley, Miss Universe Australia 2022
Amelia Tu, Miss Universe Canada 2022
María Fernanda Aristizabal, Miss Universe Colombia 2022
Gabriëla Dos Santos, Miss Universe Curacao 2022
Andreina Martinez Founier, Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2022
Mideline Phelizor, Miss Universe Haiti 2022
Divita Rai, Miss Universe India 2022
Payengxa Lor, Miss Universe Laos 2022
Alessia Rovegno, Miss Universe Peru 2022
Telma Madeira, Miss Universe Portugal 2022
Ashley Cariño, Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022
Ndavi Nokeri, Miss Universe South Africa 2022
Alicia Faubel, Miss Universe Spain 2022
Tya Jané Ramey, Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago 2022
R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe USA 2022
Amanda Dudamel, Miss Universe Venezuela 2022
It was a tie: Sofía Depassier, Miss Universe Chile 2022
Maxine Formosa Gruppetta, Miss Universe Malta 2022
The judging panel is comprised of Ximena Navarrete, Big Freedia, Mara Martin, Wendy Fitzwilliam, Emily Austin, Olivia Quido, Myrka Dellanos, Sweta Patel, Kathleen Ventrella and Olivia Jordan.
Related: Photos: Meet the 2021 Miss Universe and Her Fellow Contestants
Who are the performers on Miss Universe?The performers include Big Freedia, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Amanda Shaw, Yolanda Adams and Tank and the Bangas.
Who won Miss Universe 2021?The reigning Miss Universe is Harnzaaz Sandhu from India.
Does the Miss Universe pageant have a swimsuit competition?Yes, it does. And our gallery of photos is from the initial swimsuit competition that took place on January 11.
Who are the candidates for Miss Universe?Deta Kokomani, Miss Universe Albania 2022
Swelia Da Silva Antonio, Miss Universe Angola 2022
Barbara Cabrera, Miss Universe Argentina 2022
Kristina Ayanian, Miss Universe Armenia 2022
Kiara Arends, Miss Universe Aruba 2022
Monique Riley, Miss Universe Australia 2022
Evlin Abdulla Khalifa, Miss Universe Bahrain 2022
Chayenne Van Aarle, Miss Universe Belgium 2022
Ashley Lightburn, Miss Universe Belize 2022
Tashi Choden, Miss Universe Bhutan 2022
Camila Sanabria, Miss Universe Bolivia 2022
Mia Mamede, Miss Universe Brazil 2022
Lia Claxton, Miss Universe British Virgin Islands 2022
Kristina Plamenova, Miss Universe Bulgaria 2022
Manita Hang, Miss Universe Cambodia 2022
Monalisa Mouketey, Miss Universe Cameroon 2022
Amelia Tu, Miss Universe Canada 2022
Chloe Powery-Doxey, Miss Universe Cayman Islands 2022
Sofía Depassier, Miss Universe Chile 2022
Sichen Jiang, Miss Universe China 2022
María Fernanda Aristizabal, Miss Universe Colombia 2022
Fernanda Rodríguez Ávila, Miss Universe Costa Rica 2022
Arijana Podgajski, Miss Universe Croatia 2022
Gabriëla Dos Santos, Miss Universe Curacao 2022
Sára Mikulenková, Miss Universe Czech Republic 2022
Andreina Martinez Founier, Miss Universe Dominican Republic 2022
Nayelhi González, Miss Universe Ecuador 2022
Alejandra Guajardo, Miss Universe El Salvador 2022
Alba Isabel Obama Moliko, Miss Universe Equatorial Guinea 2022
Petra Hämäläinen, Miss Universe Finland 2022
Floriane Bascou, Miss Universe France 2022
Soraya Kohlmann, Miss Universe Germany 2022
Engracia Mofuman, Miss Universe Ghana 2022
Noky Simbani, Miss Universe Great Britain 2022
Korina Emmanouilidou, Miss Universe Greece 2022
Ivana Batchelor, Miss Universe Guatemala 2022
Mideline Phelizor, Miss Universe Haiti 2022
Rebeca Rodriguez, Miss Universe Honduras 2022
Hrafnhildur Haraldsdóttir, Miss Universe Iceland 2022
Divita Rai, Miss Universe India 2022
Laksmi De Neefe Suardana, Miss Universe Indonesia 2022
Virginia Stablum, Miss Universe Italy 2022
Toshami Calvin, Miss Universe Jamaica 2022
Marybelen Sakamoto, Miss Universe Japan 2022
Hanna Kim, Miss Universe Korea 2022
Roksana Ibrahimi, Miss Universe Kosovo 2022
Altynai Botoyarova, Miss Universe Kyrgyzstan 2022
Payengxa Lor, Miss Universe Laos 2022
Yasmina Zaytoub, Miss Universe Lebanon 2022
Lesley Cheam, Miss Universe Malaysia 2022
Maxine Formosa Gruppetta, Miss Universe Malta 2022
Alexandrine Belle-Etoile, Miss Universe Mauritius 2022
Irma Miranda, Miss Universe Mexico 2022
Moe Zar Lu, Miss Universe Myanmar 2022
Cassia Sharpley, Miss Universe Namibia 2022
Sophiya Bhujel, Miss Universe Nepal 2022
Ona Moody, Miss Universe Netherlands 2022
Norma Huembes, Miss Universe Nicaragua 2022
Hannah Iribhogbe, Miss Universe Nigeria 2022
Ida Hauan, Miss Universe Norway 2022
Solaris Barba, Miss Universe Panama 2022
Lia Ashmore, Miss Universe Paraguay 2022
Alessia Rovegno, Miss Universe Peru 2022
Celeste Cortesi, Miss Universe Philippines 2022
Aleksandra Klepaczka, Miss Universe Poland 2022
Telma Madeira, Miss Universe Portugal 2022
Ashley Cariño, Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022
Anna Linnikova, Miss Universe Russia 2022
Sheris Paul, Miss Universe Saint Lucia 2022
Gabriella Gonthier, Miss Universe Seychelles 2022
Carissa Yap, Miss Universe Singapore 2022
Karolina Michalcikova, Miss Universe Slovak Republic 2022
Ndavi Nokeri, Miss Universe South Africa 2022
Alicia Faubel, Miss Universe Spain 2022
Alia Guindi, Miss Universe Switzerland 2022
Anna Sueangam-Iam, Miss Universe Thailand 2022
Angel Cartwright, Miss Universe The Bahamas 2022
Tya Jané Ramey, Miss Universe Trinidad and Tobago 2022
Aleyna Şirin, Miss Universe Turkiye 2022
Viktoriia Apanasenko, Miss Universe Ukraine 2022
Carla Romero, Miss Universe Uruguay 2022
R’Bonney Gabriel, Miss Universe USA 2022
Amanda Dudamel, Miss Universe Venezuela 2022
Chau Nguyen, Miss Universe Vietnam 2022
Miss India has won the Miss Universe crown three times. In 1994, Sushmita Sen was the first Indian to take title the title. Six years later, Lara Dutta was crowned Miss Universe in 2000. Harnaaz Sandhu, the 2021 winner, is the third Indian Miss Universe.
When was the last time Miss India won Miss Universe?Prior to 2021, Lara Dutta, the 2000 Miss Universe, was the last Miss India to win Miss Universe.
Which host accidentally announced the wrong Miss Universe winner in 2015?Miss Universe 2015 host Steve Harvey inadvertently named Miss Colombia the winner when she was the first runner-up. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, the contestant from the Philippines, had won.
How to watch Miss Universe?Miss Universe will stream exclusively on the Roku Channel at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. You can access the channel on Roku.com, Roku TVs, Roku Streaming Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, Amazon Fire TVs, or Samsung TVs.
“The Roku Channel is thrilled to host the 71st Miss Universe competition to celebrate the achievements of women across the globe and give a platform to their many passions and causes,” said Rob Holmes, Vice President, Programming, Roku. “As more and more marquee events move to streaming, we’re excited to bring these exclusive experiences for free to our audience.”
What channel is Miss Universe on?Miss Universe is not airing on a traditional broadcast channel. You can stream the pageant on the Roku Channel.
Where can I watch Miss Universe?You can watch the Roku channel on Roku.com, Roku TVs, with a Roku Streaming Stick, Fire TV Stick 4K, Amazon Fire TVs, or Samsung TVs.
Related: Beauty and Brains! Meet the New 2022 Miss USA and Her Court of 50
