I went behind the scenes at the 2022 Miss USA pageant. Here are 16 things you didn't see on TV.
- I went behind the scenes at the 2022 Miss USA pageant in Reno, Nevada, on Monday night.
- I saw that there's plenty you don't see on TV — like the very well-dressed audience.
I went behind the scenes at the 71st annual Miss USA pageant this week, and I learned there's a lot you don't see on TV.
I've been covering pageants for years, but have never attended Miss USA — until now.
Current Miss USA president Crystle Stewart gave me an exclusive peek behind the curtain to see how the pageant came to life, and I was sitting in the audience as Miss Texas R'Bonney Gabriel took the crown.
Here's everything you missed at the 2022 Miss USA pageant.
The judges all have lunch together before the show.
I sat down with this year's judging panel — fashion designer Aaron Potts, Tony Award-winning producer Ashlee Clark, Dogpound founder Kirk Meyers, fashion designer Nicole Williams-English, model and social-media influencer Olivia Ponton, and South Korean table tennis champion Soo Yeon Lee — a few hours before the show began at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada.
Along with some fun get-to-know-you chatter (like Ponton excitedly discovering that Williams-English used to be on the reality show "WAGS"), the judges chatted with me about what they were looking for in the next Miss USA winner.
"I'm rooting for a revolutionary," Potts told me. "What is the most modern, forward-thinking Miss USA but to say, 'I'm going to stand for truly helping people across the spectrum.' If she got up and said, 'Fight the power,' I would probably cheer."
"I think far too many people are standing on the sidelines trying to be politically correct," Clark added. "I think that's just absolutely damaging to our world. I think you have to be not afraid to insert yourself in conversations when you have a title like that. I want someone that is not going to stand on the sidelines, because we do have to fight for ourselves as women."
The pageant queens have special tricks that help them stand in those heels for hours on end.
I ran into a few Miss USA contestants while I was backstage before the show, and they were more than happy to spill their secrets for walking in high heels like a pro.
Numbing spray, wearing socks with heels during rehearsal, and using blow dryers to stretch the ankle straps are just some of the ways these pageant queens get ready for the stage.
The contestants also told me there's a lot of sharing behind the scenes.
"One girl forgot a cocktail dress so I gave her one of mine. One girl forgot a lipstick so they threw it down the hallway — it's very collaborative," Miss Arizona Isabel Ticlo told me.
There's a seamstress working behind the stage.
Help is on hand if there are any fashion emergencies during the show. I saw this Miss USA seamstress hard at work hours before the pageant began.
People in the audience are dressed up just as much as the contestants.
Miss USA is a glamorous affair both on and off the stage. I saw so many gorgeous sparkling gowns and major fashion moments while I was waiting for the pageant to start (and was very glad I opted to wear a full-length gown).
Family members bring signs to show their support for the contestants.
One of my favorite things about going behind the scenes at Miss USA was meeting so many proud family members. I chatted with multiple moms who had flown across the state to cheer on their daughter's best friend. And many people that I talked to had never even watched a pageant before.
"We're new to the game and I feel like I'm part of it already," the brother of Miss Hawaii Kiana Yamat told me. "All I'd seen was those TV shows like 'Toddlers and Tiaras' and 'Miss Congeniality.' But it's not a joke, it's very welcoming — it can be any type of woman competing in your own way and they're recognizing it in so many positive ways."
There was a massive line for the bar in front of the theater before the show.
Everyone was hoping to grab a cocktail before the pageant began.
People were also buying special Miss USA merchandise.
Sweatshirts, caps, pullovers, and tumblers were all on sale, with prices ranging from $40 to $75.
The first dance is pretaped.
Do you know that dance sequence that kicked off the show? That wasn't live! The girls were lining the stage in their gowns for the first elimination while the pretaped segment played on two big TV screens on either side of the stage.
The pretaped segments that featured Miss USA 2021 Elle Smith were also shown after commercial breaks to give the girls more time to get ready and back on the stage.
The contestants have to stand during many of the commercial breaks and hold their poses.
While some contestants would subtly chatter to each other during the breaks, most held their smiles or waved to family members.
And those stairs they had to walk on were not easy — even in flip-flops.
I got to walk on the Miss USA stage before the pageant began and those steps were deep. When I saw the towering stilettos that the contestants were wearing on Monday night, I was even more impressed by their poise as they walked up and down the stage stairs.
The top 16 are selected by a different group of judges.
The panel of judges you see on TV didn't have a hand in the first big cut of the night. That is actually done by a different group of judges who watch the preliminary rounds, including a private interview and Sunday's state costume contest.
The Miss Teen USA contestants were having a blast — especially when they saw Jason Derulo.
Some Miss Teen USA contestants were seated together during the show and they were the best cheering squad for winner Faron Medhi when she had her moment onstage during the Miss USA pageant.
During a commercial break, the Miss Teen USA contestants also joined forces to sing Jason Derulo's name when they spotted him in the audience on the other side of the theater (he stood up and gave them a wave).
The top five selected a random card with a question during the commercial break.
Before the final question round, a man came up to the stage with five cards and had each contestant select one from the pile.
There was an impromptu moment of silence during the tribute for former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst.
Kryst, who was crowned in Reno in 2019, died by suicide earlier this year. FYI correspondent Christian Murphy gave a speech about Kryst's impact on the pageant world during the show, saying she "embodied love and served others."
"If you're lucky in life, you get the chance to know someone who lights up a room, makes every moment seem better, and makes you feel important with a simple gesture or a word," he said. "That was Cheslie Kryst."
While the telecast cut to a commercial after Murphy's speech, the live audience was completely silent for two minutes. It was unplanned — no one told us to take a moment — but the theater was completely still. It was a stunning and sobering moment that brought me to tears.
After the TV cameras turned off, everyone who worked on Miss USA had a chance to take pictures on the stage.
From the judges to the volunteers, there's an organized schedule for photo opportunities after the show wraps. Time was given for the family members of the new Miss USA to take photos on the stage with her as well.
And yes, there's an official Miss USA after-party.
Right after the competition ended, those with after-party tickets went right next door to keep the celebrations going.
There was a DJ, two bars, and an atmosphere that felt straight out of a Vegas club. The contestants were having a blast as they danced together at the DJ booth, sang along to Beyoncé, and partied with their families after a long week of competing.
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