Entertainment

India’s Harnaaz Sandhu Crowned Miss Universe 2021

Published

4 years ago

December 13, 2021

Eric

Agency Report

Harnaaz Sandhu of India was crowned Miss Universe 2021 on Sunday, marking the end of a controversial pageant hosted this year in southern Israel.

In a speech on stage during the pageant, Sandhu urged young people to “know that you are unique and that’s what makes you beautiful, stop comparing yourself to others. I believed in myself, and that’s why I’m standing here today,” she added, to loud applause from the audience.

The pageant was held in the resort city of Eilat, with 80 women from around the world competing for the crown. Sunday night was the last day of the competition, with eliminations narrowing down the number of finalists until the last two remained, CNN reports.

Nadia Ferreira of Paraguay and Lalela Mswane of South Africa were the first and second runners-up, respectively.

The competition was hosted by comedian Steve Harvey, who at one point in the night asked Sandhu, “I hear you do some pretty good animal impersonations, let’s hear your best one.”

Harvey was later criticized online for singling her out with what many have suggested was an inappropriate question.

“Oh my god, Steve, I was not expecting to do this on the world stage. I have to do this, I have no other option. Brace yourselves, everyone,” she said looking surprised, before demonstrating a few meows.

At a later Q&A session, when Sandhu had reached the top 5, she took the opportunity to spread a message on climate change. “This is the time to take action and talk less. Prevent and protect is better than repent and repair,” she said.

After her win was announced, she celebrated with other contestants on stage, shouting to a camera, “Chak de Phatte India,” a Punjabi exclamation similar in meaning to “Let’s do this, India!”

This year’s competition marks the second Covid-era Miss Universe pageant. Israel’s borders were set to open to vaccinated tourists ahead of the main event this year, which would have allowed thousands of fans to attend.

But with the emergence of the new Omicron variant, the Israeli government shut its borders to foreigners two weeks before the competition, throwing travel plans and preparations into chaos.

One contestant, Miss France, tested positive for the virus upon landing in Israel and had to quarantine — getting out just in time for the preliminary competition on Friday.

The pageant was also wrapped in another layer of political controversy, with some critics and countries calling for boycotts as with previous international events hosted in Israel.

The South African government withdrew its support and called on Mswane to drop out, citing Israeli treatment of Palestinians, calling it “apartheid,” a charge Israel has vehemently denied. But Mswane with the backing of the Miss South Africa organization chose to travel to Israel and compete.

Other figures, including Miss Israel, Noa Cochva, responded with a common refrain heard from pageant organizers and contestants: Miss Universe should not be about politics.

Israel was one of the first countries to begin vaccinating its population and had reached a high vaccination rate by May this year, when the country was approached about hosting the December competition, according to a spokesperson from Israel’s Ministry of Tourism.

Entertainment

Actor Lalude Laments Unpaid N1.5m Promised Him by MC Oluomo to Campaign for Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu

Published

1 week ago

June 30, 2025

Eric

Nollywood actor, Fatai Adekunle Adetayo, popularly known as Lalude, has accused the president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), MC Oluomo, of failing to fulfil financial promises made to celebrities who campaigned for President Bola Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the 2023 general elections.

Speaking during a recent episode of the Beyond the Fame podcast, Lalude expressed deep disappointment over what he described as abandonment, revealing that he and other entertainers were promised N1.5 million each by MC Oluomo but never received a dime.

Lalude, known for his iconic ‘babalawo’ roles in Yoruba movies, said he and other actors, including comedian Ganiu ‘Alapini’ Nofiu, were lodged and made to campaign for weeks without proper compensation.

According to him, they initially received N10,000 daily for feeding, but even that was stopped abruptly.

“We were camped for seven weeks. We trekked long distances every day while MC Oluomo followed us in his car. In the end, we were abandoned,” he lamented.

He claimed that both he and Alapini were promised N1.5 million each, a promise that was never fulfilled.

‘We finished the work and no dime was given to us. Is it good? It was MC who called us.

“MC promised me and Alapini. He asked us to demand for whatever we wanted. We did but we got nothing up till date.

“He took us to where we lodged to campaign for the president. He promised to give us N1.5 million each.

“Whoever is behind these misdeeds will not prosper. I know they will still come to us by 2027 and we are waiting for them?” He added bitterly.

This comes just days after veteran Nollywood actor Ganiu Nafiu, popularly known as Alapini, and actress Bukky Adekogbe Raji, also known as Aminatu Papapa, expressed deep regret for supporting President Tinubu during the 2023 presidential campaign.

Entertainment

Film Producer, Kayode Peters is Dead

Published

2 weeks ago

June 28, 2025

Eric

Popular Nigerian film and stage producer, Kayode Peters, has passed away in Canada.

“Yes, he is,” Yaw told Peoples Gazette when asked if Mr Peters had died. “I am still trying to speak with his brother but he is not picking.”

Circumstances surrounding the producer’s death remain unclear as of the time of this report.

Mr Peters was known for his work on several stage plays and sitcoms, including Extended Family, and he was behind the hit comedy sitcom Flatmates in the early 2000s. He was also regarded as a significant contributor to Nigeria’s contemporary theatre and television space.

Entertainment

Anna Wintour Steps Down As Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, 37 Years After

Published

2 weeks ago

June 28, 2025

Eric

Anna Wintour has stepped down as the editor-in-chief of Vogue after an impressive 37-year tenure.

According to recent reports, Condé Nast, the publisher of Vogue, has initiated the search for her successor.

This significant development marks a new era in the fashion industry, given Wintour’s unparalleled influence in shaping Vogue’s editorial direction and cementing its position as a global fashion authority.

As Wintour’s legacy continues to inspire future generations of fashion enthusiasts and industry professionals, her departure raises questions about Vogue’s future direction and the potential shifts in editorial focus.

However, the circumstances surrounding her departure remain undisclosed.