'The Voice' Finale: Can the Show Produce the Next Kelly Clarkson?

Ahead of tonight's season-seven finale of The Voice, ET spoke to the coaches and finalists about the potential impact winning the show could have on a musical career. But, are the days of creating a Kelly Clarkson or Carrie Underwood gone for good?

NEWS: What The Voice's Rookie Coaches Learned this Season

Blake Shelton has coached three protgs to victory (Jermaine Paul, Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery), but none of the show's winners have been able to attain the success of early American Idol winners like Kelly or Carrie.

"Most record companies that sign artists for 20 years never get a Kelly Clarkson," Blake told ET. "Carrie Underwood -- same thing. [Successes like that] are one in a million -- not just for a reality show, but in the music industry."

Blake's archrival Adam Levine has coached two winners (Javier Colon and Tessanne Chin), and he told us that a win affords an artist with opportunities they might not get otherwise.

"It catapults you into an amazing place," Adam told ET. "I think you get to be on these carpets and talk to these people about your music and it transcends just being on The Voice."

The finalists -- the soulful Damien Lawson (Team Adam), alternative pop-rocker Matt McAndrew (Team Adam), pop heartthrob Chris Jamison (Team Adam) and country rocker Craig Wayne Boyd (Team Blake) -- had a transcendent moment last night when they debuted original songs and accompanying music videos. Matt's "Wasted Love" shot to No. 1 on the iTunes chart.

VIDEO: DWTS vs. The Voice

"[Winning] would seriously help a lot for me to live debt free and try to help my family more and that would be awesome," Matt said.

The winner of The Voice gets a recording contract with Universal Music Group and a check for $100,000.

Watch The Voice finale tonight at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Source: http://www.etonline.com/tv/155284_the_voice_finale_can_the_show_produce_the_next_kelly_clarkson/

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The Voice 2014 Season 7 - Craig Wayne Boyd Winner - Who Won The Voice ...

Tonight on NBC the Emmy award winning music competition The Voice continues with an all new Tuesday December 15, season 7 episode 26 finale recap called, Live Final Performances, and we have your weekly recap below. On tonights episode the final 4vocalists:Matt McAndrew,Chris Jamison,Craig Wayne Boyd includingwild-card,Damien artist perform in the final performances of the season. They will have to bring their all because one bad performance could be the of their dream. The top 4 performances determine who wins The Voice 2014 season 7 so make sure to check out all the video and vote in our poll below!

On the last episode, three artists advance to the finale. as a game twist a wild-card twist allowed an eliminated vocalist to return to the contest. Who do you think will be sent home tonight? Did you watch the last episode? If you missed it, we have a full and detailed recap right here for you.

On tonights episode as per the NBC synopsis, In the final phase of the competition, the remaining three artists and the Wildcard artist perform live in front of coaches Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams. One of the four artists will be a step closer to being named The Voice. Carson Daly (Today Show) hosts. Who are you rooting for? Who do you think will be crowned, The Voice.

Tonights season 7 episode 26 final 4 performance recap and review is going to be exciting. Well be blogging it right here for you. In the meantime hit up the comments section and tell us your thoughts on season 7 of The Voice and the two new judges, Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani. Check out our who wins The Voice season 7 finale poll right here.

Tonights episode of The Voice final 4 live performances recap begins now Refresh Page for Updates

Season seven finale starts now. Carson Daly welcomes us to the finals at Universal Studios Hollywood. Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams and Blake Shelton are there. The top 20 are also there in the audience cheering for the finalists. The four finalists will sing three songs a coach pick, a coach and singer duet and an original song.

First up is Damien Lawson, coached by Adam. Hes the wildcard pick and a former TSA agent. Damien says Adam is the best coach ever. Damien is singing A Song For You. Its just him and a piano and its beautiful. Originally written by Donny Hathaway back in the 70s, Michael Buble and Amy Winehouse have also covered this track. Damiens version is very soulful and the crowd loves it. All four judges are on their feet as he ends.

Blake tells Damien that he floats through a melody with power in every note. Pharrell says he lifted the entire room and everyones spirits. Gwen says its a pleasure watching him sing. His coach Adam says he made Damien sing so many songs he never heard of and says he wanted him to sing something no one was expecting. He says its one of his best. [VIDEO HERE]

Blake has asked Craig Wayne Boyd to sing My Babys Got a Smile on Her Face. He says its really freaking hard to sing but says he thinks Craig can shred it. Craig Wayne Boyd comes out to sing the original single. It sounds like an instant country classic. His voice is solid and he hits all the notes perfectly. He finishes and the crowd goes wild. All the judges are on their feet clapping. Pharrell tells him welcome to your future.

The song is available on iTunes tonight and Pharrell says everyone is going to buy it. Gwen says hes going to be on tour for a long time with music like that. His coach Blake says he hasnt been that nervous about a performance on the show ever. He says that song was meant for Craig and says he was carrying it for years and not knowing this was going to happen. [VIDEO HERE]

Adam says hes amazed by Chris progress and says hes the one to beat. He has chosen Lost Without You by Robin Thicke for their duet. Its Chris Jameson singing with Adam Levine. Chris has a great voice to duet with Adam since they both have lovely falsettos (much better than Robin Thicke, in fact). Chris delivers a really sexy performance that absolutely smolders. He and Adam together is almost too much for this girl to handle (whew). The crowd goes wild and the judges, are again, on their feet.

Matt McAndrewis up next with his original single called Wasted Love. Adam says this is a great hybrid number and is an amazing number for him. Matt is excited to not be doing another cover. Adam coaches him and then says he thinks he has a hit on his hand. Matt McAndrew sings for the finals crowd. Hes got a choir backing him which is really cool since its such a soulful song.

The crowd goes absolutely wild, the coaches are on their feet. Its incredible. Pharrell says he thinks all of Philadelphia and the kids Matt teaches are standing up for him now. Gwen says she got lost in the lyrics and she thanks him for inspiring her. Adam says theyve been working 24/7 on the song and says this is the first time that this has happened. He says Matt sang his own song and that it was amazing and one of the best hes heard in his life. Adam says he knows all the words already because hes a fan of the song and Matt. He says this kid is so special. He says hes so proud and on the verge of tears. [VIDEO HERE]

Carson tells us that Pharrell has six Grammy nominations and Pharrell says its great but you never get used to that kind of recognition. He says hes grateful. Season four winner Danielle Bradbury is there and she shows her new tattoo to Carson. She says her advice is to stay calm and have fun. She says its amazing and awesome and laughs when Carson asks if Blake was coherent. She says shes headed out on tour with Miranda Lambert soon.

Craig Wayne Boyd is back up again next with their duet. They are doing Boots On by Randy Hauser as their coach-finalist duet. Craig and Blake come out and turn up the heat with this powerful and rocking country number. The crowd goes absolutely wild after those two rocked the house like crazy.

Adam and Damion are singing one of Adams Elton John favorites Dont Let the Sun Go Down on Me. This is their finalist-coach number. OMG I love this song soooo much. From the first note, its absolutely gorgeous. WOW! They did not disappoint. They totally did Elton John proud. They sang their faces off. It was incredible.

Next up is Chris Jamison and Adam tells him he hears both Bruno Mars and Michael Jackson in the number hes doing. Chriss song is Velvet and its his original single. Its a funky number from the start and has a very sexy feel. You can definitely feel Adams influence on both the song, his vocals and performance style. Its like hes a Levine mini-me yet its fresh and very cool. You can definitely hear a little MJ and Bruno there too, but again, its totally original. Im digging this.

Its hard to hear the lyrics but once you listen closely, its clear this is a very hot song its all about how the woman feels like velvet on the inside and offers a good ride. Yep thats the Levine influence. This is not a PG rated song But still, its hot, hot, hot. Pharrell starts out and says he has a lot to say. He says to let him talk. He says a star is born with Chris.

He says theyve seen him do one thing then he sang the Marvin Gaye song and he had a metamorphosis. He says thats why they keep voting him through. Adam says Pharrell is right and says Chris, Andrew and Damion are all equally able to win this and says he wishes there could be three winners this year. [VIDEO HERE]

Carson has some of the top 20 there talking and they discuss that theyre excited to see Jessie J there tomorrow. Next up is Adam singing his duet with Matt. They are singing Lost Stars. Adam says this is special to him because it was part of a movie he was lucky enough to be in Begin Again. Matt and Adam come out and start their number with lovely falsettos. Its nice not as good IMHO as the Elton John duet he did with Damion, but hey, its still quite nice.

Blake and Craig talk to Carson next about the finals. Blake talks about Craigs power and pitch and how spot on he always is. Craig is taking on an Alabama cover In Pictures. He says this means a lot as a single dad whose had to travel a lot. This one is a total tear jerker. Its something to sing as a solo artist a song that was performed incredibly by an entire band, but Craig pulled it off. The crowd is cheering as he wraps up his emotional number and tells his son he loves him.

His son Jacques is there smiling. Gwen is all teary and says it was a great song for him to sing. She says she thinks back to when she pushed her button for him and says shes so happy for him. Blake says its tough for anyone with kids and Pharrell says they totally picked the right song. Blake agrees and says it was a perfect statement for where Craig is in his life and where hes going. [VIDEO HERE]

Damiens original single is up next Soldier. Adam says Max Martin is a great songwriter and a good choice for Damiens first original single. We see Adam coaching him on his performance during rehearsals. Its a great ballad and a good match for his voice. The crowd is swaying and really digging the song. The crowd goes absolutely wild as he finishes up.

The coaches are on their feet and the applause seems endless. Adam says he took his guidance but still stayed strong in who he is. Adam says hes the happiest coach win or lose and says he did a great job. [VIDEO HERE]

Carson chats with Chris and Adam and tells Chris hes been red hot. Carson mentions that in the blind auditions, all the coaches turned around for him and then he chose Adam. Carson says he then had some issues in the playoffs and Adam kept him safe. Chris says he was more shy but Adam brought it out of him. Adam got Justin Timberlake to clear Cry Me a River for Chris to sing and hes excited. He says Justin is an ideal artist for him.

Chris says its amazing to be mentored by Adam since hes an idol of his. Adam says Chris has one of the best falsettos hes ever heard and this JT song should show it off. Hes doing a great job and definitely gives Justin a run for his money with his falsetto. Hes smoking this cover. The crowd goes nuts there are girls screaming sooo loudly. The coaches are on their feet. Its awesome. Adam calls him his young Jedi and says welcome and congratulations. [VIDEO HERE]

Matt McAndrew will close out the performances tonight. He says Adam is the coach he wanted and he was so excited that he got him. We see Matts audition with that cool song from Twilight. Then him singing G*d Only Knows the Beach Boys number. Hes the only finalist that has cracked the iTunes top 10 three times. Adam has picked Somewhere Over the Rainbow for his final song. Adam says to keep it simple and let the song take center stage.

Matt comes out and starts a very traditional cover of the famous Wizard of Oz theme. The crowd goes wild from his first note. Its absolutely beautiful. His lower register is so fab. Its breathy but not weak. Very sexy like a whisper in your ear. Every note is absolutely flawless. This song is a standard on reality singing competitions so its nice to hear it done as a standard but yet so purely. Its low key and he doesnt go crazy with Star Search vocal gymnastics. He ends with a strong last note. Lovely. [VIDEO HERE]

Adam and the other coaches are on their feet. Matts mom is thrilled. Gwen says wow and that it was a perfect song. She calls him pure and original. She says he connects and has a gift. She says shes loved seeing him grow. Pharrell says its magical to see him continue to walk through walls and categories. He says hes just a great voice and the world cant get enough of artists like him and says hes rare. Adam says when he listened to him he felt like the whole universe paused to hear something pure and bittersweet and perfect. He says hes so happy he got to work with Matt and thanks him.

We will be updating the post here tonight as contestants are eliminated and the winner is chosen!

The winner of The Voice 2014 season 7 isCraig Wayne Boyd!

Carson reads the fourth place artist its Damien.Next is third place and its Chris Jamison.Craig Wayne Boydwins it!That puts Matt McAndrew in second.

Source: http://www.celebdirtylaundry.com/2014/the-voice-recap-121514-season-7-episode-26-live-final-performances-voicefinale/

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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from ...

Rollins stalled to start the match, consulting with Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury at ringside before returning to the squared circle.

The competitors traded offense early, with Ziggler nearly scoring the victory off a schoolboy rollup. Noble, however, capitalized on a referee whose back was turned and pulled Ziggler to the mat viciously.

Back from the break, Rollins had control of the match, Irish-whipping Ziggler back-first into the post, something that had to further affect the body of the IC champion. His ladder match with Luke Harper was nothing short of a war.

Ziggler fought back, targeting the taped ribs of Rollins but falling prey to a stiff clothesline.

Rollins attempted to dive at a prone Ziggler at ringside but found himself crashing ribs-first into the announcers' table.

The Showoff scored a number of near-falls, including one off a big DDT, but Rollins managed to power out as Noble and Mercury looked stressed from outside the squared circle.

A superkick attempt by Ziggler was caught and Rollins answered with a kick to the side of the head, nearly scoring a victory of his own.

Ziggler sent Rollins flying over the top rope and into Mercury and Noble, and a Fameasser followed for two as the crowd nearly came unglued.

Mercury distracted the official while Noble delivered a cheap shot to Ziggler. This led to Mike Chioda tossing the security and Ziggler delivering the Zig-Zag for the pinfall win.

The IC champion celebrated to close out the show as Rollins, Mercury and Noble watched angrily from inside the squared circle.

Result

Dolph Ziggler defeated Seth Rollins.

Highlights and Quotes

• "Jamie is great security. No one ever said he was smart. He's great security." - JBL
• "I never complained about anything." - JBL
• "What a week, as much as I can't stand to say it, for Dolph Ziggler." - JBL
• "And he gets to sit down with me tomorrow." - Michael Cole
• "Then it's just going to get worse." - JBL

Grade

A

Analysis

The main event of Tuesday's SmackDown was an outstanding way to close out a very fun two hours of television.

Ziggler and Rollins have such incredibly chemistry with each other, and it shows every time they share the ring. Tuesday was no different, even if they did not have nearly enough time to put together a match as fans would hope.

Both are bumping machines, regularly going out of their way to make their opponents look good. They did that in spades Tuesday, despite bumps and bruises from some intensely physical matches at Sunday's TLC pay-per-view.

The near-falls kept the fans on the edge of their seats while the fact that both men are in the midst of considerable pushes kept viewers guessing as to who would emerge victoriously.

Ziggler winning was a nice surprise, as is his entire reemergence as a prime-time player in WWE. He is one of the hardest and best workers in the industry and has endured a lot of political maneuvering and creative inconsistency to make it to where he is today.

For the sake of the Intercontinental Championship, wins over Rollins and other stars of that stature are key. Ziggler, a workhorse, is exactly the guy to reestablish the credibility of the title and the prestige that once followed it.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2302341-wwe-smackdown-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights-from-december-16

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HealthCare.gov: Surge expected on enrollment deadline

FILE - This Nov. 12, 2014 file photo shows the HealthCare.gov website, where people can buy health insurance, on a laptop screen, shown in Portland, Ore.(Photo: AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Cover Oregon is expecting a big uptick in health insurance enrollments at HealthCare.gov on Monday, the deadline to sign up for individual private insurance that would kick in Jan. 1.

While open enrollment will continue through Feb. 15, people might experience coverage gaps if they miss Monday's deadline.

In the first two weeks of open enrollment, just 7,185 people had signed up. One week later, that figure jumped to 26,933. Cover Oregon spokeswoman Amy Fauver said she expects an even bigger surge this week.

"Huge amounts of people come in at the last minute," Fauver said. "It's just human nature."

It's worth emphasizing that because Oregon switched from its own system, Cover Oregon, to HealthCare.gov, everyone who is currently enrolled under Cover Oregon will not have automatic renewals. They have to re-enroll from scratch at HealthCare.gov.

So far, the technology is working well, Fauver said, though people have reported long wait times at the federal call center. The website also has a waiting room function that can be deployed if it is hitting the maximum number of users it can support. So far, it hasn't been used yet, Fauver said.

Oregonians have until 11:59 p.m. local time to sign up.

Those who miss Monday's deadline can sign up by Jan. 15 for coverage starting Feb. 1, and the final deadline is Feb. 15, for coverage beginning in March. Those who don't act would have to wait until next fall's open enrollment period, unless they experience a qualifying life change that would allow them to enroll mid-year.

Cover Oregon's projections for 2015 enrollees are 76,000 to 114,000.

syoo@StatesmanJournal.com, (503) 399-6673 or follow at Twitter.com/syoo.

Read or Share this story: http://stjr.nl/1AA4JJd

Source: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/health/2014/12/15/healthcaregov-surge-expected-enrollment-deadline/20452175/

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US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on obesity, medical marijuana, vaccines ...

Vivek Murthy is the new Surgeon General of the United States, after a hard-won confirmation by the Senateyesterday. Murthy, whose position that guns are a health-care issue in the US earned him the ire of the countrys powerful gun lobby, will serve a four-year term as the nations top doctor and public health advocate. The position has lacked a permanent director sinceJuly 2013.

Murthyco-founded Doctors for America, a group of 16,000 physicians and medical students that sent a strongly-worded letter(pdf) last year to the Congress, urging politicians to take stricter measures to stop gun violence. Thatearned him the ire of the National Rifle Association, slowinghis confirmation, but may have also been one of the factors that ultimately helped him win the support of dozens of politicians, medical groups, and universities.

The letter proposed attempting to cut gun deaths in half by 2020, by banning assault weapons, tighteningsafety regulations, fundingresearch on gun violence, and repealing laws that ban physicians from discussing gun safety with patients. It said:

The circumstances and causes of gun-related injuries and death are diversemass shootings, suicides, individual disputes, robberies, and accidents. There is no single provision that will stop these tragedies from happening, so we must approach the issue from all available angles, just as we have successfully approached other threats to public health such as motor vehicle accident deaths and deaths from fire and drowning.

During his February 2014 opening remarks (pdf) in front of a Senate nominating committee, Murthy stressed the USs other health problems, saying if he was nominated he hoped to marshal partnerships across the country to address the epidemics of obesity and tobacco-related disease, to reduce the crippling stigma of mental illness, to roll back the resurgence of vaccine preventable disease and to address many other issues.

During that nearly two-hour hearing,senators questioned him about his track record on public-health management, what he thinks of medical marijuana (hes heard of anecdotal evidence but believes more information is needed to safely prescribe it), and, predictably, guns.

I do not intend to use the Surgeon Generals Office as a bully pulpit for gun control, Murthy said, in response to a question from a Republican senator:

My concerns with regards to issues like gun violence have to do with my experience as a physician, seeing patients in emergency rooms who have come in with acute injuries; but also seeing many patients over the years who are dealing with spinal cord injuries, post traumatic stress disorder, and other chronic complications from gun violence.

In his May 2014 address to graduates of Harvard Medical School, he first thanked the crowd for not opposing him as commencement speaker, saying that its nice to be out of the line of fire, for a change. He thendelivered a speech that stressed the courage necessary to be doctor when medicine is facing crises with costs, quality, and coverage, and critical public health challenges.

Murthy calledon the students to follow in his footsteps and become public-health advocates:

We can no longer remain within our exam rooms and ignore what happens in our communities. As physicians and dentists, we must have a presence in both places. Our sacred responsibility is both to help the patient in front of us and also to safeguard the health of the nation.

Source: http://qz.com/313164/us-surgeon-general-vivek-murthy-on-obesity-medical-marijuana-vaccines-and-yes-guns/

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WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Dec. 15

Seth Rollins nearly won this by escaping in the match's opening seconds. John Cena managed to pull him down, and the two foes proceeded to slug it out.

After some help from J&J Security, Rollins briefly took control.He powerbombed the No. 1 contender into the turnbuckle, but Cena came charging back.

Throwing all of his signature moves at Rollins, Cena looked like he had victory within reach. Jamie Noble, though, held the cage door closed to prevent Cena from escaping.

A diving knee from Rollins wasn't enough for the win. Neither was Rollins driving Cena's face into the cage nor Joey Mercury slamming the cage door in Cena's face.

Cena clamped on the STF, but Rollins pulled him to the ropes and choked him. Noble and Mercury tried to drag Rollins out but settled for arming Rollins with the Money in the Bank briefcase.

That weapon couldn't keep Cena down. The former world champ soon prevented Rollins from escaping, slamming him in the center of the ring.

Brock Lesnar soon entered, immediately hitting a series of German Suplexes on Cena.

It looked as if Lesnar would attack Rollins as well, but Paul Heyman simply shook his hand. A grinning Rollins nailed Cena with a Curb Stomp and easily made his way out of the cage.

Result

Rollins wins via escape.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Cena hits Rollins with a bulldog off the top rope.

Rollins kicks out of the Attitude Adjustment.

Cena hits a legdrop to the back of Rollins' head.

"This is what you asked for. This is what you wanted."Rollins to Cena.

Cena hits an Attitude Adjustment from the top rope.

"That is not a ghost; that is the top of the food chain."JBL on Lesnar.

Grade

A

Analysis

An outstanding match caps off a lackluster Raw.

Despite the win not being a clean one, Rollins benefits aplenty from this. Kicking out of the Attitude Adjustment is something only a small group of men has ever done. That alone boosts him.

It's the commentary team selling Rollins as amastermind that truly gives him momentum going forward. JBL and Company wondered if Rollins orchestrated this attack. Coming off as cunning adds to a persona that was mostly built on cowardice.

The mystery of Rollins' relationship with Heyman and Lesnar is enough to make fans want to watch next week, even if the rest of the show failed to deliver.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2300371-wwe-raw-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights-from-dec-15

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South African named Miss World 2014

MISS South Africa, 22-year-old Rolene Strauss, was crowned Miss World 2014 at the contest's glitzy final in London on Sunday, with an estimated billion viewers watching on television around the globe.

Miss Hungary, Edina Kulcsar, was judged the runner-up and Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, came third in the 64th annual competition, contested by women from 121 countries.

Medical student Strauss clasped her hands together in surprise and was crowned by the outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines, to huge cheers in the ExCeL exhibition centre.

"South Africa this is for you," Strauss said. "I think I will brace myself for what's about to happen. It's a huge responsibility."

She told AFP she wanted to help spread education in her homeland and thereby help other people realise their dreams.

"I am what I am today because of the opportunities I have received and I would love to give others the same opportunities; educating, the opportunity to be educated, to make healthy choices and also to live their dreams," Strauss said.

And she was already getting used to the glittering crown.

"I'll definitely keep it on as long as I can but my parents are staying around here so they'll be hugging me and I'm afraid that it might fall off," she said.

Passing on the crown ... Rolene with outgoing Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines

This year's event has been rocked by the murder of Miss Honduras, 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado, who was shot dead along with her sister last month.

Police in Honduras accuse her sister's boyfriend of shooting them after seeing his partner dancing with another man at a party.

Shimmering costumes

Strauss and other contestants will travel to the crime-plagued central American nation to build a school named in the sisters' honour.

"We hope that it will really start to impress on the people in Honduras that the violence, and hurting people like those two innocent women... maybe they can think again before they take a gun," Miss World chairwoman Julia Morley told AFP.

Sunday's show started with a spectacular choreographed dance routine, with all the beauty queens on stage in costumes inspired by their homelands -- including Miss Bolivia in a colourful feathered headdress.

While beauty remains central to the event, the women taking part are chiefly judged on their talents and involvement in good causes.

Miss Malaysia won the talent competition in a live sing-off with Miss Scotland.

In the Beauty with a Purpose section -- the heart of Miss World -- contestants present a charitable project they have been working on in their homeland.

In this section, the judges gave equal first place to Misses Brazil, Guyana, India, Indonesia and Kenya, unable to separate them.

In rounds held since the contestants arrived in London, Miss Finland topped the sporting competition; Miss United States was the multimedia winner; Miss Bosnia and Hercegovina won the top model round and Miss Sweden triumphed in beach fashion.

Bollywood star honoured

The event also featured a special 20-year award for 1994's Miss World, Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai.

The 41-year-old Indian actress appeared on stage with her film star husband Abhishek Bachchan, their daughter Aaradhya and her mother.

The prize was for the "Dhoom 2" star's charitable work with children with cleft palates since being made famous by Miss World.

"I stand here overwhelmed by this honour," she said.

The 10 contestants who topped the final scoreboard were, in descending order, from India, South Africa, England, Guyana, Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, United States, Mexico and Australia.

They were joined by Miss Thailand, who won the people's choice award, voted for by people around the world through a mobile phone app.

The judges chose Miss Hungary, Miss Australia, Miss South Africa, Miss United States and Miss England as their top five before picking their top three.

Miss World began in 1951, a year before its chief rival Miss Universe.

Strauss is the third South African Miss World, the country having held the title in 1958 and 1974.

Venezuela tops the all-time leader board with six titles, ahead of India and the United Kingdom on five titles each.

Source: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/showbiz-19465-South%2BAfrican%2Bnamed%2BMiss%2BWorld%2B2014/showbiz.aspx

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