A dental student from Paris was crowned Miss Universe becoming the second Frenchwoman to win the title in the pageant's history and the first champion from Europe in more than a decade.



Decked out in a gold-sequined gown, 24-year-old dental surgery student Iris Mittenaere beat 12 other finalists to take the crown. As Miss Universe, she will be campaigning for dental and oral care around the world.



Haiti's Raquel Pelissier was the first runner-up, while Andrea Tovar of Colombia placed second runner-up.


"This sash is not only a sash," said Mittenaere, who is from Northern France, in a Miss Universe interview after the pageant. "This is something to help people, to understand people."


Iris Mittenaere beat 85 other hopefuls in the finale in the Philippines in the 65th edition of the three-hour show that focused on diversity and empowering women to overcome the struggles of life.


"I was very surprised I won, I feel blessed," said the dental student, whose competition profile had described her goal as advocating for dental and oral hygiene if she won.





Having clinched the crown, Mittenaere said she wanted to go beyond that and promote education for children and young women.


"Miss Universe was a dream, every girl wants to be Miss Universe ... the stage is amazing, everything is amazing," she said, beaming throughout her victory news conference.


The pageant changed its format this year; it had 12 instead of 13 finalists, and counted online votes from the Miss Universe app and Twitter.



This was the first time Sierra Leone entered the competition and was represented by Hawa Kamara, 2013 Miss West Africa. Miss Canada, Siera Bearchell, also made headlines for taking on trolls who body-shamed her for her size.



Host Steve Harvey joked on the show that he got the winner right this year, after last year's snafu of getting it wrong. Rapper Flo Rida and R&B group Boys II Men provided entertainment.



Agencies