Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, made history on November 16, not only for winning the title of Miss Universe, but also for being the first Danish contestant to ever take the crown. The ceremony took place in Mexico City and was broadcast exclusively in Spanish on Telemundo throughout the United States, as well as on Telemundo International and USA Network simultaneously on their cable channels throughout Latin America. As you can imagine, many watched as Miss Universe 2023 Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua placed the crown on Miss Universe 2024.
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I was not one of the people who tuned in live to watch. Why? Well, in all honesty, I am not the biggest fan of beauty pageants. I could go on and on about why they make me feel uncomfortable, but let’s just say that they aren’t my jam, jelly, or roll. So, imagine my surprise when I was offered the opportunity to interview the newly crowned Miss Universe. I thought about saying no and letting someone who is a fan of beauty pageants interview her, but then I realized that I could use it as an opportunity to be open-minded and learn from Miss Universe herself why she thinks that in this day and age beauty pageants are relevant.
Don’t worry, I asked other more lighthearted questions as well. Check out what she had to say about pageantry, Mexico, tacos, and more.
Congratulations on being crowned the first Miss Universe from Denmark! I’m sure that Denmark is very proud of you. Why are you proud of being from Denmark?
“I am really, really proud of bringing Denmark to the top of beauty pageantry, because I come from a small community and to now showcase my community and my country. How big of an impact pageantry has on the world is just really, really emotional. And I’m very, very proud to bringing Denmark on the beauty pageant map.”
Since you’re speaking about how big of an impact pageantry has on the world—this is a competition that’s been going on since 1952. Why do you think that it is still relevant in today’s day and age and what kind of an impact does it make?
“I believe it’s really, really important because we are empowering women. We are showcasing [to] the world that women are way, way more than just a beautiful face. We have so many qualities and values to bring to the table. And I feel like just being able to be together with 130 different women this year and learning their background stories and their culture, just showcases that this is why we’re [still] doing pageantry.”
Sidenote: The first Miss Universe pageant had everything to do with selling bathing suits.
Miss Universe was created because the winner of the 1951 Miss America pageant, Yolande Betbeze Fox, refused to pose in swimsuits designed by one of the sponsors of the competition, Catalina Swimwear. Pacific Knitting Mills, owners of Catalina Swimwear, cut ties with Miss America and created Miss Universe as a way to sell swimsuits
Since then, Miss Universe has evolved to be about “offering all women worldwide the best of female empowerment through the participation in pageantry, both as the world’s biggest stage and life changing platform.”
One of the missions of the Miss Universe pageant is to promote equality. As an ambassador of Danish culture, could you share some of the ways that Denmark promotes gender equity?
“In Denmark, we really, really care about diversity and embracing each other’s differences. We are [a] very, very open-minded community and we’re really embracing gender equality. And we have a really good rate. In Denmark, we don’t have difference between if you’re a man or a woman. We have equal rights.”
Fact check: Although Denmark is at the forefront of gender equality, there is still work to be done.
Danish men still earn 12.7% more than women. The country’s government acknowledges that “Denmark cannot tick every box yet. When the World Economic Forum published its Gender Gap Report in 2021, Denmark took 23th place, which was an improvement from the 32thplace the year before.”
The competition this year was in Mexico. Is this your first time visiting?
“I actually went to Mexico like a month before the competition, but only for one and a half day. But I got to see Mexico and I got to experience the culture a little bit on that one and a half day. But now I have been [in] Mexico for almost a whole month. So, I definitely got to see the Mexican culture, the warm people, the amazing food culture, everything. And I love it.”
Have you tried any food while in Mexico that is new to you that you really loved?
“I have. Of course, we have tacos in Denmark, but I have never tasted such good tacos as [the ones] I tried in Mexico. And with the guacamole there, that was amazing. Like the avocados in Mexico are so fresh. We have nothing like that in Denmark.”
The crowning moment!
Do you remember what Miss Universe 2023, Sheynnis Palacios, said to you as she placed the crown on your head?
“I was in shock. Like, actually, I don’t remember. She was just really, really sweet and being like, ‘You are the new Miss Universe, have a great reign.’ But everything went on so fast and I was in total shock. I was in another dimension in my head, I think.”
Your knees kind of buckled.
“I was fully dying inside because this is what I have been working [for] so hard. And this is what I have been dreaming about since I was a little girl. So that moment was just so surreal to me.”
You’ve said that you started watching pageants when you were 5. What attracted you to pageantry?
“When I was 5 years old, I didn’t really know about the different aspects of beauty pageants. The thing that attracted me when I was a little girl was maybe more of the gowns and the way you can express yourself and stuff like that.”
“But as I got older, I got to know the real deal about pageants [is] empowering women and doing a change in life. And that really inspired me to join. So as soon as I was the legal age of doing pageants, I did it.”
On overcoming abuse.
I’m grateful that you have spoken about the abuse you endured as a child as I think that helps destigmatize it. How were you able to change that pain into strength?
“Because my background story will always be a part of who I am and how I grew up. I think it’s very important to look at it in a positive way. We’ve got to use it as fuel to do better and achieve better in life.”
I enjoyed my conversation with Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig. Did it change the way I feel about beauty pageants in general? No. However, because of this experience, I was able to learn a bit more about Denmark than I would otherwise know, which speaks to how a pageant contestant can act as a cultural ambassador.
I also now have a better understanding for how pageants can be life-changing for the winners by provide them with a platform they can use to advocate for causes they care about. Victoria is an animal rights and a mental health advocate. I wish her a wonderful reign as Miss Universe 2024.
