Miss Universe on Velvet

MANILA, Philippines - Velvet turns the spotlight on the most prestigious beauty pageant on TV, the 59th Miss Universe Beauty Pageant.

Straight from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, the two-hour Miss Universe 2010 will be aired on Velvet via an exclusive double primetime telecast on Aug. 24 at 6:30 and 10 p.m.

Home to the most beautiful night in the universe three years running, Velvet rolls out the red carpet for our very own Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Maria Venus Raj, who joins women around the globe to compete for the most coveted crown and title.

Apart from her highly-controversial dethronement and eventual reinstatement, Raj is faced with a bigger challenge of the country’s ending the 11-year drought in the Miss Universe competition. The last time a Filipino made it to the semi-finals was in 1999 when Miriam Quiambao became first runner-up.

This early, Raj is surprising the global community as she leads the on-line popularity polls on the official website of Miss Universe. Among the 83 Miss Universe candidates, she now has a rating of 3.58 followed by Miss Brazil Debora Lyra, 2.83; Miss Colombia Natalia Navarro, 2.77; Miss Venezuela Marelisa Gibson, 2.77 and Miss Mexico Jimena Navarrete with 2.76.

Witness how a Filipino shines amid the other equally beautiful and talented women representatives from over 80 countries.

At the conclusion of the event, Miss Universe 2009 Stefania Fernandez of Venezuela will crown her successor. Will it be a Filipina’s turn to reign this year?

The first cable encore telecast airs Aug. 27 at 9:30 p.m. Weekend primetime replays are on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 at 10 p.m. and 12 noon, respectively. The pageant will also be aired on ABS-CBN via satellite on Aug. 24 at 9:30 a.m. and on Studio 23.

For details, tune in to Velvet SkyCable Channel 53 and log on to http://www.velvetchannel.multiply.com. Velvet is available on SkyCable Platinum, SkyCable Gold, SkyCable Silver and other quality cable operators nationwide.