LAS VEGAS (AP) – Donald Trump’s pageant days are over after his controversial comments about immigrants created a backlash, but the Miss Universe show must go on.
The pageant that pits international beauties against one another returns to Las Vegas on Sunday to crown a winner on a new network, with a new Spanish-language broadcaster and a new pageant owner.
The women, between ages 19 and 27, represent 83 countries. For the first time, viewers at home will get to weigh in, with their votes being tallied in addition to four in-person celebrity judges.
NBCUniversal and Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization until earlier this year. The real-estate developer offended Hispanics in June when he made anti-immigrant remarks in announcing his Republican presidential run.
That led Spanish-language network Univision to pull out of the broadcast for what would have been the first of five years airing the pageants and NBC to cut business ties with Trump.