MANILA, Philippines — French model Iris Mittenaere was crowned Miss Universe 2016 on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
The 24-year-old model-turned-beauty queen is the second crowned Miss Universe of France after 64 years.
The top six contestants were asked individual questions to determine who would make it to the Final 3. The final three contestants were then asked a standard question to find out who will bring home the crown.
The top six contestants were Miss France Iris Mittenaere, Miss Kenya Mary Esther Were, Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar, Miss Philippines Maxine Medina, Miss Thailand Chalita Suansane and Miss Haiti Raquel Pelissier.
The candidates from France, Colombia and Thailand used interpreters during the question and answer portion. Miss Philippines had an interpreter but she used the English language in answering her question.
Colombia, France and Haiti made the cut for the final three.
Below is the full transcript of the Miss Universe 2016 Question and Answer portion.
Top six
Philippines
Question: What is the most significant change you've seen in the world in the last 10 years?
Answer: In the last 10 years of being here in the world, is that I saw all the people bringing in one event like this, the Miss Universe, and it's something big to us that we are one as one nation, we are all together. Thank you.
Kenya
Question: Arguably, no United States president has had a more active first 10 days in office. What are you most excited about and what most concerns you when it comes to the presidency of Donald Trump?
Answer: Politics...let me just start again. Donald Trump having been elected as president of the United States may not have been the choice of many people living in the United States because of the divided support system for the outgoing President Barack Obama who was supporting an upcoming woman president, who was supposed to a woman president, Hillary Clinton. So many people opposed his position but I feel that once he took up his position he was able to unify the entire nation. Thank you very much.
Thailand
Question: Name a current or past world leader whom you admire and why.
Answer: For me, that would be the King of Thailand. His Majesty has been working tirelessly on behalf of the Thai people ever since I was born. For all the Thai people, His Majesty has been like a father to us. Thank you very much.
France
Question: Given today's worldwide refugee crisis, do countries have an obligation to accept refugees or do they have the right to close their borders?
Answer: The countries should have the right to open or close their borders. Throughout the world, people can choose to have the borders open or closed. In Europe, we have open borders. In France we want to have the most globalization that we can, we want to have the biggest exchange of people that we can. Maybe someday that will change, but now we have open borders. Having open borders allows us to travel more through the world and to find out more about what's out there in the world. Thank you very much.
Haiti
Question: On January 21, an estimated 4.8 million people marched worldwide for human rights, women's rights and other issues. If you were able to participate, what would you have been marching for?
Answer: One of the women I admire in the world is Eleanor Roosevelt because she fought so much for human rights and I feel like that's what we need in the world. We are just one. A hundred thousand years ago, six species of human lived in the world. Now we are just one. And we all need each other, and we need to respect each other.
Colombia
Question: Why do we believe violence is so prevalent in today's society and what can we do about it?
Answer: I come from a country that does have violence and this is my reference point. And although there are presidents who don't get along with others, we work together to be able to unite. Campaigns, respect, and inclusivity to be able to have a social transformation that will educate our children.
Final three
Standard question: Name something over the course of your life that you've failed at and tell us what you've learned from that experience.
Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar
I think that many times one makes mistakes from many things. During moments when you may not accept someone due to difference, to not accept them due to sexual preferences, and to not be capable of accepting their error. I think any of those experience gives you the opportunity to have strength and value and principles.
Miss France Iris Mittenaere
I failed several times in my life. So I thought I failed the first time that I went on a casting because my name was not in the list. And the very next day I found I was in a new book. So I think when you fail, you have to be elevated and you have to try again and keep going. If tonight I'm not one of the winners, I will still have the great honor being one of the three finalists. So I think I have failed before but for me this a great first opportunity.
Miss Haiti Raquel Pelissier
About seven years ago I survived the earthquake. I feel I was failing myself because I was not living my dreams. I was living day by day in that earthquake, it was a bad event. But I chose to be a positive person and learn a great lesson from it. Because if I'm here today it's because I am living my dreams. Thank you.