Miss France Iris Mittenaere Brings Home 'Miss Universe' 2017 Title!

Miss France has been crowned the Miss Universe in the annual beauty pageant held in Manila, Philippines. The Parisian native plans on using her title to promote proper dental and oral hygiene.

The 23-year-old Iris Mittenaere, a dental student from a small town called Lille in northern France has won this year's Miss Universe crown Monday, January 30, according to Time. Miss France told pageant host Steve Harvey that she would be honored if she would make it into the top three finalists. But to her surprise, she was crowned the most beautiful among the 86 contestants from around the world.

Miss France was speechless as the outgoing Miss Universe from the Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, put the crown on her, as the crowd vented with loud cheers and applause inside the Mall of Asia Arena beside Manila Bay. Mittenaere said in her profile that she would become an advocate for dental and oral hygiene if given the crown.

The top three finalists were asked the final question: cite a failure they have experienced in their life and to explain what they have learned from the said experience.

With her translator, Miss France responded in French, saying "I've failed several times in my life," without explaining, but added "when you fail, you have to be elevated and you have to try again and keep going... I have failed before but for me this is the great first opportunity."

Miss Haiti, 25-year-old Raquel Pelissier, was the pageant's first runner-up, Variety reports. Pelissier gave a powerful answer when she was asked with the same question, stating how surviving the earthquake that devastated her hometown, Haiti, in 2010 that shocked the entire world made her a stronger person. The 23-year-old Miss Colombia, Andrea Tovar, was the pageant's second runner-up.

This year's Miss Universe pageant was a successful one compared to the last year's mishap, when Steve Harvey mistakenly named Miss Columbia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, as the Miss Universe 2016 when it was actually Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach who has actually won the crown.

Harvey ended this year's pageant saying "I'm Steve Harvey and I got it right!"