DBAHO Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Apparently Miss Australia is the favorite; AUSTRALIA'S Erin McNaught holds the trump card heading into tomorrow's 2006 Miss Universe competition – Donald Trump. The Brisbane brunette is the favourite among most bookmakers around the world to snatch the coveted tiara, although she is just ahead of beauties from Colombia and Mexico. McNaught has also caught Trump's eye. In years past a nude photo scandal would torpedo a Miss Universe candidate, but the era of prim and proper pageants ended when the billionaire developer and self-described "admirer of beautiful women" bought the rights to the competition for a meagre $US10 million ($A13.35 million) nine years ago. McNaught, 24, nicknamed McNaughty after topless photos were published in men's magazine Zoo Weekly last month, appears to have benefited from the notoriety. When Trump appeared on US TV talkshow Late Show with David Letterman yesterday, of the 86 candidates McNaught was the only one he specifically spoke about. It was the topless shots that were on Trump's mind. "I think there was a little controversy in Australia," Trump told Letterman. "She was in some nude photos, as I understand it." Letterman was just as excited, reacting with a: "Whoooaaa!" The trip to the Letterman show confirmed McNaught's status among the top candidates. She was just one of four selected to fly from the Miss Universe base in Los Angeles to New York to appear on the talk show. McNaught, along with Miss Colombia, Miss Puerto Rico and Miss Finland, escorted Trump as he made his entrance on the Letterman stage. After a few seconds of smiles, posing and handshakes with an impressed Letterman, the four women walked off stage leaving Trump and Letterman to ponder their beauty. When Trump told the talk show host McNaught had been busted for nude photos, Trump asked Letterman: "Now you want to bring her back? Are you going to bring her back out?" Letterman did not call McNaught back, but he approved of her right to disrobe. "There's no controversy there as far as I'm concerned," Letterman surmised. McNaught has been taking the extra attention in her stride. "I don't think so," she said when asked if she thought the nude photo publicity would hurt her chances. Trump is a great ally to have on her side. He became close with Australia's 2004 Miss Universe winner, Jennifer Hawkins, during her year-long reign and Trump has plenty of power in deciding this year's winner. Trump will personally pick five of the 20 entrants who make it to tomorrow's finals and, with McNaught spending more time with Trump in New York at the Letterman show, it would be a surprise if she did not make the short-list. Australian betting agency Centrebet has McNaught the outright favourite. In the UK, bookmakers were favouring Miss Colombia, Valerie Dominguez, who is the cousin of singer Shakira. But, in the 24 hours punters backing McNaught saw UK betting agency Expekt.com install the Australian as the new favourite at 8/1, just ahead of 10/1 Miss Colombia and Miss Mexico at 11/1. Another betting agency, Pinnacle, does not rate McNaught as highly, keeping her third favourite with odds of 9.4/1. Miss Colombia is the favourite at 7.8/1 and Miss Mexico second at 8.9/1. Venezuela is always well represented at Miss Universe, although the bookies are not big fans, giving Jictzad Vina middle-of-the-pack odds of around 40/1. Miss Zambia, Miss Mauritius and Miss Turks and Caicos are rated as the least likely to win with odds of 320/1. The Miss Universe pageant will take place at LA's Shrine Auditorium tomorrow (1100 AEST). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasox24 Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Picture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted July 24, 2006 Share Posted July 24, 2006 QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Jul 23, 2006 -> 09:19 AM) Apparently Miss Australia is the favorite; Not so fast... QUOTE(dasox24 @ Jul 23, 2006 -> 03:48 PM) Picture? No joke. My safe search is off, way off, I think I even threw it in reverse, and still nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 Miss Puerto Rico wins, so in my best Colbert imitation... U - S - A !!! U - S - A !!! U - S - A !!! Congratulations for winning something meaningless. Btw, how in hell can Vida Guerra's cell phone pix get on the net, while Zoo Magazine's pix are nowhere to be found? A sad commentary on...my life...but also on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted July 25, 2006 Share Posted July 25, 2006 QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Jul 25, 2006 -> 12:21 PM) Btw, how in hell can Vida Guerra's cell phone pix get on the net, while Zoo Magazine's pix are nowhere to be found? A sad commentary on...my life...but also on... This is quite disappointing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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