Miss France Iris Mittenaere has won the coveted Miss Universe 2016 title beating 86 other contestants at a glittering ceremony held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. She was handed her crown by the reigning Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.
The second and third runners-up are Miss Haiti Raquel Pelissier and Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar. The top six finalists at this year's Miss Universe beauty pageant included Miss Kenya Mary EstherWere, Miss Thailand Chalita Suansane and Miss Philippines Maxine Medina.
All the participants from around the world showed off their beauty, talent and intelligence during the contest. The contestants took part in three categories: swimsuit, evening gown and personality interview.
The judges for the Miss Universe pageant included Dayanara Torres, the former Miss Universe from Puerto Rico; Sushmita Sen, the first ever Miss Universe from India; Leila Lopes, the first Miss Universe from Angola; Mickey Boardman, the editorial director of PAPER magazine; Cynthia Bailey, the founder of The Bailey Agency School of Fashion; and Francine LeFrak, Tony award-winning producer, social entrepreneur and women's empowerment activist.
