Preliminaries for Miss Universe began Sunday, where the contestants model in their bikinis; and the interviews on Monday are three minutes long, with three judges.
This surprises me, because we interviewed the contestants in New Zealand over a minimum of 10 minutes with ?ve judges—and I dare say, though I never timed the sessions, that we might well have hit 15 minutes in some cases.
I do know that the meet-and-greet and interviews took us well into 11 p.m. this year and midnight last year.
It’s certainly harder for judges to know the candidates based on a cursory interview, but I imagine with a larger group of girls, time is more limited.
Samantha Powell, Miss New Zealand 2008, will have less time to wow the judges in a three-minute pitch, which in some respects goes against the more relaxed way New Zealanders, in general, conduct even business meetings. It’s not about the pitch, but getting to know someone.
Nevertheless, every contestant is on an equal footing.
What we tried to do was ?nd someone who could remain con?dent regardless of the situation, and I think Sam—who can think well on her feet—was the right choice.
Reading her email back home, details of which I won’t reveal for privacy, Sam isn’t fazed and she will do well for Aotearoa.
I’m sure readers in New Zealand join me in wishing her well as the competition kicks into high gear—with the major presentation show on Wednesday. Good luck, Sam!
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