84 contestants from 84 countries will vie for the crown to be hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world. She will replace last year’s winner, Dayana Mendoza from Venezuela.

The 58th Annual Miss Universe pageant will be hosted by Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush and former Miss Rhode Island USA and one of the Deal Or No Deal girl Claudia Jordan.

Flo Rida will perform his smash hits Right Round and Jump as the contestants strut on the stage on ntheir swimsuits during the telecast. David Guetta and Kelly Rowland will also be onstage to perform their hit When Love Takes Over. Other “notable” performer will be The Hills star Heidi Montag (of all people.) She will “sing” her single Turn Ya Head.

But it won’t be Miss Universe without its fair share of intrigues and controversies. Miss Russia 2009 Sophia Rudyeva is involved in a child porn scandal. The 18-year old beauty queen’s racy photos surfaced on the net. Apparently, the controversial pictures were taken for n international adult magazine. It was then revealed that she was only 15 years old at the time of the photo shoot.

Organizers questioned Miss Russia’s standing because she was deemed as a role model of young little girls around the world who look up to beauty queens. She then later released an open letter to apologize about what she has done, and what the people has felt over the said controversies. And, as always, she blamed the managers and the photographers who “tricked” her for doing such photos. Right. And then she added that if she wins the Miss Universe crown, she will help young girls and educate them about child pornography and tell them not repeat the mistakes that she has done.

And, I guess it worked. Her apology was accepted and she is getting ready for the pageant, and is now packing to leave for the Bahamas.

And then another Miss Universe will go topless, again. According to the New York Post, last year’s winner Miss Venezuela Dayana Mendoza will appear on the September issue of Maxim magazine. The issue will hit newsstands just as she hand over her crown to the next winner. It is said that Donald Trump, the pageant owner, has approved and gave her permission to do the Maxim photo shoot. She caused a minor uproar last year when naked photos of her surfaced on the internet. It was revealed that the nude photos were for a jewelry ad.  She wasn’t fired, obviously, because they said it was “artistic.”

Will it be another Latina who will take home the crown? And will she, this time keep her clothes on. Watch Miss Universe 2009 Online to find out.

Will Pamela bag this year’s crown and the Miss Photogenic award?

A photogenic subject (generally a person), is a subject that usually appears physically attractive or striking in photographs. Photogenic drawing, coined by William Fox Talbot, also describes the earliest method for recording camera images.

The state of being photogenic may or may not necessarily be related to one’s physical attractiveness in real life. Models are usually described as photogenic. The bone structure of their faces may represent something that is not generally pretty or may be even unattractive or frail looking, but when photographed, their features can turn into something that is physically attractive.In beauty contests, one of the categories of minor awards is called the Miss Photogenic. Simply this awards goes to the person who looks amazing in pictures. Voted by viewers and professional photographers alike. The miss photogenic awards in the Miss Universe beauty pageant was dominated by the Philippines. Clearly this is a show that the Philippines is really a land of beauties. Come this August 23^rd. our very own contestant Pamela Bianca Manalo will have a neck to neck competition with other contestants from different countries and territories so don’t you dare miss to Watch Miss Universe 2009. And much to the anticipation of many. She is expected to grace the Miss Photogenic award:

Well let’s take a look at Pam in profile:

Pamela Bianca is the sister of the Miss World 2002 finalist Katherine Ann Manalo who won through text voting. During the Bb. Pilipinas 2009 pageant she won awards including the Best in Swimsuit and some sponsors awards like Miss Natasha, Miss Philippine Airlines and Manila Bulletin Reader’s Choice Award. At the end of the night she was crowned the new Binibining Pilipinas 2009 – Universe and have the rights to represent the Philippines in the Miss Universe 2009. The other winners were Melody Gersbach and Marie-Ann Umali for Miss International 2009 and Miss World 2009 respectively.

Birth name: Pamela Bianca Ramos Manalo

Birthdate: August 30, 1986 (1986-08-30) (age 22)

Birth location: Manila,Philippines

Height: 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)

Title(s): Binibining Pilipinas – Universe 2009

The Philippines has won the Miss Photogenic award seven times

The following were the winners:

1971 Vida Valentina Fernandez Doria

1973 Maria Margarita “Margie” Roxas Moran MISS UNIVERSE 1973

1996 Aileen “Leng” Marfori Damiles

1997 Abbygale Williamson Arenas

2005 Gionna Jimenez Cabrera

2006 Lia Andrea Aquino Ramos

2007 Anna Theresa Luy Licaros