Venus learned of the shocking news that the Fil-German beauty queen, together with two other companions, was killed in a car accident en route to Naga, Camarines Sur, during her rehearsal break at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino where she instantly burst into tears and felt very devastated.

“She is really the one who pushed me to join Bb. Pilipinas,” recounted Venus in an interview with Dyan Castillejo in Las Vegas and aired on “TV Patrol.”

Despite being down and distracted with the loss of Melody, whom she considers as one of her mentors, Venus is trying her best to remain in focus and got even more determined to win the crown.

“I’m sure Melody would’ve wanted me to continue the fight for the crown thus, I dedicate this Miss Universe to her,” she told Dyan.

Since Venus arrived in Las Vegas, Filipinos worldwide have been following her every move with reports filed by Dyan Castillejo in “TV Patrol,” “Bandila,” “Umagang Kay Ganda,” “The World Tonight,” “News Central” and even live updates via her Twitter account.

The most awaited coronation night, to be hosted by Bret Michaels and Natalie Morales, is set to happen tomorrow in Las Vegas and will be judged by Chazz Palminteri, Chynna Phillips, Criss Angel, Evan Lysacek, Jane Seymour, Niki Taylor, Sheila E, Tamron Hall, William Baldwin, Basim Shami, BJ Coleman, Carlos Bremer, Corinne Nicolas, Louis Burgdorf, Natalie Rotman, and Sadoux Kim.

Will Venus be triumphant and be chosen as the most beautiful woman in the universe?

Watch “Miss Universe 2010” airing via satellite on tomorrow (Tues), 9:30 AM on ABS-CBN with a primetime telecast the same day on Studio 23 at 9:30 PM and on Velvet (SkyCable ch 53) at 6:30 PM and 10:00 PM.

Image courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

Venus Raj Dedicates Miss Universe Tilt to Late Bb. Pilipinas Int’l Melody Gersbach originally appeared on Starmometer on August 23, 2010.

Melody Gersbach, together with her make-up artist Alden Orense, and driver were on their way to Naga City for the Miss Bicolandia beauty pageant when their Toyota Innova collided with a passenger bus at around 11:00 a.m. The three died on the spot.

The driver of the bus identified as Wilson Pontillas has surrendered to the police in nearby Pili town.

Gerbach represented our country in the 2009 Miss International pageant where she was among the 16 semi-finalists.

Bb. Pilipinas International 2009 Melody Gersbach Dies in CamSur Road Crash originally appeared on Starmometer on August 21, 2010.

The pageant was originally scheduled to be held at the The Venetian Macao in Macau on November 7, 2009, but the host committee backed out. Alejandra Andreu of Spain will crown her successor at the end of the event.

Here are the official contestants this year:

Argentina, Mercedes Viaña
Aruba, Christina Trejo
Australia, Kelly Louise Maguire
Bahamas, Aisha Delaney
Belarus, Yana Supranovich
Belgium, Cassandra D’Ermilio
Bolivia, Laura Olivera
Brazil, Rayanne Morais
Canada, Chanel Beckenlehner
China, Wang Qian
Chinese, Taipei Yi Chih Chen
Colombia, Lina Mosquera
Costa Rica, Jennifer Miranda
Cuba, Patricia Rosales
Czech Republic, Darja Jacukevičová
Dominican Republic, Victoria Fernández
Ecuador, Isabela Chiriboga
El Salvador, Vanessa Hueck
Ethiopia, Rahel Woldekirkos
Finland, Linda Wikstedt
France, Mathilde Muller
Gabon, Cynthia Mboumba
Georgia, Maria Sarchimelia
Germany, Valora Roucek
Greece, Diana Igropoulou
Guadeloupe, Joelle Clamy
Guam, Clarissa Damian
Guatemala, Angélica Guevara
Honduras, Kenia Andrade
Hong Kong, Germaine Li
India, Harshita Saxena
Indonesia, Ayu Diandra Sari
Japan, Yuka Nakayama
Kenya, Diana Nekoye
Korea, Seo Eun-mi
Kyrgyzstan, Altynai Ismankulova
Latvia, Anda Pudule
Lebanon, Sarah Mansour
Malaysia, Tay Tze Juan
Martinique, Nathaly Peters
Mexico, Anagabriela Espinoza
Moldova, Catalina Stascu
Mongolia, Badamgerel Khurelbaatar
Netherlands, Roline Hund
Nicaragua, Slilma Ulloa
Nigeria, Tyme Mba
Northern Marianas, Sorene Maratita
Norway, Beatrice M. Delås
Panama, Joyce Jacobi
Paraguay, Romina Bogado
Peru, Alejandra Pezet
Philippines, Melody Gersbach
Poland, Angelika Jakubowska
Puerto Rico, Mónica Pastrana
Romania, Iuliana Capsuc
Russia, Ksenia Hrabovskaya
Singapore, Annabelle Liang
Slovakia, Soňa Skoncová
South Africa, Bokang Montjane
Spain, Melanie Santiago
Sudan, Suna William
Tanzania, Hidaya Maheda
Thailand, Picha Nampradit
Turkey, Begüm Yılmaz
Uganda, Pierra Akwero
Ukraine, Dariya Ovcharova
United Kingdom, Chloe-Beth Morgan
USA, Aileen Yapp
Venezuela, Laksmi Rodríguez
Vietnam, Trần Thị Quỳnh

Countries/Territories who withdrew their candiates are Hawaii, Italy, Liberia, New Zealand, Republic of Congo, Serbia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Suriname and Zambia.

The Philippine delegate is 23-year-old Melody Gersbach, considered as one of the strong contenders this year:

49th Miss International – 2009 Contestants originally appeared on Starmometer on November 21, 2009.