HARNAAZ SANDHU

The Miss Universe Organization says New Orleans will be the site of its 71st contest, drawing nearly 90 women contestants from around the world in January.

The pageant was held in the middle of the night, wrapping up at 5 a.m. local time, 10 p.m. EST, to accommodate the primetime schedule in the U.S.

Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned the 70th Miss Universe, topping a field of some 80 contestants in a pageant that was touched by politics and the pandemic.

Many Miss Universe fans were left bewildered when Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu had to meow onstage in front of millions of viewers.

The women competing to be this year's Miss Universe call countries like Russia, the USA, and the Philippines home.