Miss Universe 101: Contestants Told to Put on Panties, Show Hosts Ponder Final Question Matters

In anticipation for NBC’s upcoming broadcast of Miss Universe, we were kindly invited into the world of tiaras, flippers - partial dentures, often used by wee pageant girls still mingling with the tooth fairy – and final answer meltdowns.

Thanks to former Miss USA, Shandi Finnessey, and co-host Andy Cohen, we got the lowdown on what will really matter to judges when 89 contestants compete in Sao Paulo for “most beautiful woman in the world” bragging rights on Monday Sept. 12, starting at 9 pm ET.

Answering questions during a recent press call, Andy pleasantly explained the importance of the final question in determining Miss Universe.

Oh, Andy.  You may know explosive housewives, but you know nothing about pageantry.

Shandi immediately disagreed, and if anyone should know a thing about placing at Miss Universe, it just might be Shandi, who finished 1st runner-up in 2004.  That's known as "second place" in the real world, but in pageantry that's what the first loser is called.

According to Shandi, the final question is only important if a judge is torn between two beauties, but after interviewing them, watching them strut in swimsuit, and parade in gown, any judge who doesn't have a favorite by the time the final question is answered might as well have been asleep on the beach at Copacabana.

Both Andy and Shandi love the shocking and controversial questions which have sealed the fate of a few infamous competitors.  "Opposite marriage" anyone?

For now, this year's "scandal" involves the lack of panties on the bodacious Latina bottom of Miss Colombia, so be sure to check her out.  As the NZ Herald reports, the judges actually had to ask her to put her underwear on, while Miss Australia had similar issues below the equator.

Scherri-Lee Biggs, 21, was told her bikini bottoms would need to be larger to ensure everything was held in place. What’s more, Biggs was told her evening gown was “offensively ‘see-through’.”

Most experts (a.k.a., crazed pageant fanatics) doubt the controversy will hold the beauty back, and give China, USA and Australia the best odds to win the Diamond Nexus Synthetic Ruby crown.