Miss Hong Kong 2020

[samuel]

The list of finalists to compete in the finals will be announced in less than an hour. There are unconfirmed reports that 12 ladies will compete during the finals (rather than the earlier announced 10 since 2 contestants from overseas just joined the ladies in HK after a 14 day quarantine).

And since the 2 overseas contestants’ photos are not on TVB’s Facebook for public voting, I believe they are guaranteed a spot in the finals. It’s just a matter of how many spots TVB will open up for finals - 10 or 12??

I am leaning towards 12 since 2 are from overseas and 10 will likely come from the local batch. The public was urged to vote for ten of their favorites contestants (out of 16, the overseas girls didn’t join them yet). Hope the overseas girls get their official portraits taken.

With that said, I thought hard and came up with the list of 12 finalists to compete in the finals. The finals will be held on August 30th, just 3 weeks from now!

[samuel]

The six local girls that I think will be eliminated are (based on photos and the interviews they had with the TVB artistes):

Roxanne Ho (has a great first impression of her at first but her official portrait did her no good. She reminds me of Jacqueline Wong and she is still widely hated in Hong Kong for the scandal she had with Andy Hui).

Maisie Kwong (I like her sister in 2016 but unfortunately she surprisingly did not make top 20 that year. Maisie seems a little reserved and not too fluent in Cantonese.)

Ivy Lai (heard that she has a lot of negative press. The conversation she had was interesting but she doesn’t sound like Miss Hong Kong).

Sonia Leung (decent interview but her face is a little wide).

Kelly Lin (seems really engaging with Hubert during the dinner but like Ivy lacks the elegance of Miss Hong Kong. For some reason, she receives a lot of negative comments/gossip on Instagram about her actions. I wonder if it’s true? Her hater opened a Instagram account and posts negative posts of her!)

Casa Yuen (seems reserved and shy).

It was truly hard to narrow down the list to 12 but I think overseas girls are guaranteed a spot in the finals and hence six from the local group will be eliminated. Now if local and overseas were to compete together for the slots, it would be unfair given the quarantine they had and the inability for viewers to vote for them (either one had their photos posted for voting). But, in the event that is the case, I think Miss Cheung from Los Angeles may be at risk since she is one of the most criticized contestants this year. Many find her to be not too facially strong. But, I think since TVB selected her from overseas and arranged her to come to HK (I would hope so), she is likely in.

[samuel]

And two bubbles that I think may also have the risk of not making the finals (if there is a top 10 rather than top 12 this year) would be:

Charmaine Fan (not standing out too much, a little bit demure but looks better on screen than in photos)

Uki Law (nice smile but doesn’t have the Miss HK feel.)

As of right now, my top favorite to win is Lisa Tse. She hails from England, UK. She is multiracial and has a beautiful face. She will likely win Miss Photogenic and make top 3 (hopefully win). Miss Hong Kong has not crowned a multiracial contestant since Sonija Kwok in 1999. And, she will likely do well at Miss Chinese International. It will depend on her final performance as facial beauty (while important) is not as prioritized in Miss Hong Kong as it used to be. Maybe because Miss Hong Kong no longer competes in the big three pageants? If only Miss Hong Kong competed in international pageants.....

We will wait and see who makes the final list of contestants!!

[samuel]

Another elimination is coming in a few hours! At 1:45 AM EST (1:45 PM Hong Kong time), the top 15 contestants will be further narrowed to a top 12!

Let’s recap from the elimination last time, Sonia Leung, Charmaine Fan, and Kelly Lin were eliminated last time.

If based on the past predictions, the next ladies that would be eliminated will be three of the following:
Maisie Kwong
Roxanne Ho
Ivy Lai
Casa Yuen
Uki Law

And that was based on the assumption that there will be no elimination after August 9th. Obviously the public is not aware of TVB’s arrangements until it is made public.
TVB finally made the announcement - an elimination will be announced on Monday, August 17th. Hope they can make such announcements earlier in the future as it allows extra time for fans/the public to vote for their favorites.

Now that all the fifteen contestants are listed on Big Big Fun app, that means all will be in the voting and overseas contestants will be counted too (unlike the first round).
If that’s the case, Joyce Cheung (who many criticize for her looks) may be at risk. I do hope if she makes finals, she can give her A game as she seems quite nervous and not as confident/comfortable in front of the camera. Competing in Miss HK is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Hope she (and all the ladies) do not get discouraged with what the press/critics say. Making it to top 15 is already remarkable and all should enjoy the pageant and be themselves!!

[samuel]

Now that I viewed more of the top 15 in photos and in the tv special - Dodo has a problem, I have more thoughts on who did well and who may he eliminated.

First, the favorites continue to shine and stay strong. Rosita Kwok did decent and Jessica Liu was quick and witty. They remain strong.
Another big favorite is Lisa Tse. Her facial beauty is strong enough to bring her into the finals. I hope she can be more outgoing though as she didn’t answer a question in the “Queen of Knowledge” round. Maybe because the questions were asked in Chinese? Anyhow, she should win Miss Photogenic hands down!
Another dark horse (don’t think the HK press labelled her as a favorite) is Celina Harto. She continues to shine with her height and figure. She also did quite well in the first two rounds - memory and knowledge. She is slowly acquiring favorite status.
I think those four are be shoo-ins for finals.

Other safe bets include Roxanne Ho and Amber Chan. Roxanne was on my elimination list earlier as she didn’t look as sharp as earlier before. And she resembles Jacqueline Wong. But, it seems like she is more on the safe side now. Amber Chan looks quite sweet and did excellent in the tv special!! Witty and articulate, I think she is safe. I was thinking her chin and height might hold her back before but she wowed next in the tv special.

Ivy Lai also continues to shine. I didn’t read (nor was it widely posted on the Baidu pageant forum) so I am not sure what she did in the public. It was negative press though.
Putting that aside, she did quite well in the tv special and stood out. If she gets cut, it will likely be the negative media gossip.
We will see if TVB keeps her or not.

Michelle Hau seemed to be a favorite in the early rounds and it’s reported that she has a voting committee behind her back! She will likely advance but dropped some spots on my list as her recent interviews didn’t impress me. She looks better when she smiles without showing her teeth. She resembles Veronica Shiu and Jennifer Shum!

As for the other unmentioned ladies, they did decent but didn’t really stood out to me. I can see the 3 eliminations come from them and maybe Ivy Lai.

With that said, my renewed list of 3 ladies that I think will be eliminated from the top 15 are:

Casa Yuen - she seems very demure and girl next door but doesn’t stand out as much as the other ladies.

Joyce Chong - Joyce hails from LA. As an American, I certainly support contestants from the US. I would like to see Joyce do well although many fans and critics are not impressed with Joyce’s beauty. Her confidence is not as high as the other ladies too, she must be pressured from the press and public! She must bring her A game and bring out her confidence if she makes the finals. I still feel TVB will not eliminate her that early but based on overall impression, Joyce unfortunately wasn’t the best. We will see.

Yancy Wong - I like her smile but she didn’t shine like many of the other ladies.

Other ladies that are on the bubble:

Ivy Lai - negative press
Maisie Kwong - not as talkative, maybe it’s her Chinese?
Uki Law - pretty face but not really making a lasting impression.

Eliminations are really cruel, TVB should consider having all the ladies perform in finals or finalizing the list of contestants after preliminary interviews!
They have done that in the past - 2005, 2018, 2009, etc.
Having three contestants eliminated on a recurring basis simply puts the contestants at nerves. It affects their performance and doesn’t really help with the final night ratings.
I think it’s better to finalize eliminations after preliminary interviews and focus on promoting the ladies in various tv programs to boost viewership.

Wish all the ladies the best! Making it to this stage of the competition is remarkable and all should be proud.

[samuel]

The Miss Hong Kong Pageant has another elimination round! Two more ladies will be eliminated after six girls have been eliminated in two separate rounds.
The three girls that left were Joyce Chong, Ivy Lai, and Michelle Hau. The latter’s early departure came to be quite a surprise for the contestants as well as the pageant fans. Although I found her to be more beautiful in the early rounds of competition, she has lots of fans and had lots of votes. I guess the gossip news about allegations of her fans undermining the integrity of the voting cost her the pageant. It was reported that her fans (or family/friends) paid voters red envelopes on Wechat if they voted for her.

Hopefully TVB considers to eliminate the ladies in one sitting next time. It’s nerve wracking to have the ladies face elimination week after week.. and two more will be eliminated just a week before the pageant. Next week is the finals (August 30th) and the contestants’ profiles aren’t out yet. They didn’t get assigned numbers yet!

[samuel]

But the pageant must continue and the ladies must be hoping that they made the top 10. With that said, I think the two ladies that will be eliminated from the top 12 tomorrow (August 24th) will be:

Yancy Wong: nice smile but gossip news surfaced last week that she dated a female before. She is also the niece of a HK politician with the surname - Ho. I don’t know if the voters will know about these news but she isn’t viewed highly by the Baidu pageant fans. We will see if she can make it.

Casa Yuen: Casa is highly criticized for her slow speech and delayed response. Many thought she would’ve been eliminated earlier but she has made it to top 12. I feel that TVB likes her demure personality. Maybe she will make it to finals? But performance wise, she will need to improve.

Other ladies at risk:

Ceci Mak: Ceci is criticized for her big face and body frame. She hasn’t stood out as much as I wanted her to but TVB may like her personality.

Maisie Kwong: her Chinese is not the best. Many also think her face is a little wide but TVB seems to like her. We will see.

Other thoughts:

Shoo-ins at this moment: Rosita Kwok (facial beauty) and Celina Chan (tallest girl and best body).

Remaining strong: Lisa Tse (strongest facial beauty), Jessica Liu (confident and articulate), and Amber Chan (witty and pretty)

I will post my final predictions and thoughts once the list of contestants gets trimmed to ten. Wishing all the ladies the best of luck!

[samuel]

The final elimination before the finals is set.

Two more delegates were eliminated before the finals. They include Uki Law and Casa Yuen.

I predicted Uki Law to be eliminated during the top 18 round but thought she gave a good performance as the competition progressed. She seems quite bubbly and resembles Erica Yuen (#8 at Miss HK 2016). Not shocked she got eliminated but I would’ve like to see her ventriloquism performance at Miss HK. Such a pity.
Some pageant fans on Baidu forum think she lost because of her political views (she supports the HK protesters). Nevertheless, she performed good. Maybe she lost out because she was too bubbly, she doesn’t quite have the elegance of Miss HK (based on her speaking tone).

Casa Yuen generated some controversy right before the elimination round as it was reported that she was sending implicit sex messages to another person. Not sure if that affected her chances but most of the pageant fans felt she was a little too shy and didn’t stand out as much as the other ladies. That probably cost her a spot in the finals. Nevertheless, she made it to top 12 and stayed much longer in the pageant than most thought she would.

More thoughts on the top 10 to come later. Stay tuned!!

[samuel]

The election of Miss Friendship will start on August 28th at 4 PM in Hong Kong.

I thought Uki Law was the likely contestant to win Miss Friendship based on her personality and overall impression. However, since she was eliminated this week, she won’t be in contention of the award as it seems like only the top 10 will vote for Miss Friendship.

Based on my overall impression of the contestants, I think Roxanne Ho will win Miss Friendship 2020. She is a nurse and gives off congenial vibes.

Other contestants who I think are likely to win Miss Friendship include Cici Mak, Rosanna Tse (youthful), and Amber Chan.

The competition is heating up, can’t wait for finals!

[samuel]

Maisie Kwong wins Miss Friendship!! Congratulations!

Sounds like I am “horse back cannon” but Maisie was my fifth choice to be Miss Friendship. I didn’t list her though as I already listed four ladies above. Miss Friendship is a hard prediction as only the ladies and the people around them know who is the friendliest. I only accurately predicted Miss Friendship once in Miss Hong Kong - that was in 2018.

I did better at predicting Miss Friendship at Miss Chinese International - 2014 and 2017. I believe I also called the 2016 winner.

Anyhow, this is certainly the most competitive batch of contestants at Miss Hong Kong since 2014! There is more than one favorite and many potential dark horses. The voting system will also create a lot of possibilities, hence I think the result will be a neck and neck.

Thoughts of each contestant and final predictions will be posted before Sunday’s finals. Keep up the nice work ladies!

[samuel]

In a little more than 12 hours is the Miss Hong Kong 2020 finals! The pageant went through a very turbulent start, after the covid pandemic spread throughout the world, TVB decided to postpone the pageant. Eventually, TVB decided to hold the pageant virtually but it is now a live pageant again! Miss Chinese International is not as fortunate as the pageant is postponed, with no set date, for the third time in the pageant’s history.

Back to Miss Hong Kong 2020 - this year is definitely one of the most competitive batch of ladies since 2014! There is a number of favorites that can be the winner unlike recent editions where there is only one or two clear favorites. The results will be tight and it will be down to their performance. The voting system is unclear though - the public can vote for their top 3 on TVB Fun app but how are those votes counted towards their final score is unknown. A panel of celebrity judges will vote for the winner (again...) and how do their votes count is unknown. Hopefully they will consider explaining the voting system in the future as the uncertainty tarnishes the pageant’s results and credibility. Long gone the days where a panel of judges (mostly five) from various professions judge the pageant. Credibility and transparency are important to the pageant’s reputation.

And, I find it really weird that the contestants do not pick their numbers. They did that last year even though it happened quite late in the pageant. This time - they were assigned numbers but based on the alphabetical order of their last names. I don’t like that idea as it’s unfair for particular ladies that always go first in the line up - Amber Chan for example. She went first throughout the pageant and she will continue to go first during the telecast. They have been doing that at Miss Chinese International since 2012 as well and that really authenticity/creativity.

[samuel]

Onto my thoughts of each contestant based on their impression from the beginning of the pageant till now:

1. Amber Chan
Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 10

Amber has a cute face and is quite witty. She answered many questions during the “Miss HK has problems” special and has good memory (most of the ladies did amazing). She is not as favored by the HK press and I think her short figure will pose as the biggest drawback from placing higher. She reportedly did not finish college hence that is also a drawback. I can see her in the top 3 with a stellar performance but I likely see her finishing tonight.

2. Celina Harto
Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 3

Celina was first noticed by the press for her resemblance of a Korean actor, Kim Woo Bin. That was seen more as criticism than praise. She also has some negative press about being spending time with wealthy men. She was initially not seen highly on the Baidu pageant forum too.
However, as the pageant progressed, she improved more and more. She did well on the pre-pageant lead-ins and has one of the beat figures this year. She also has the height and eloquence so she is one of the top 3 press favorites tonight. I think she has a great chance in winning the pageant. My only criticism would be her looks as some may find other contestants prettier.

3. Roxanne Ho
Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 10

Roxanne was initially a favorite but fell off many lists as more favorites emerged. She resembles Jacqueline Wong, Miss Hong Kong 2012 first runner up who is most remembered for having an affair with Andy Hui. She also looks like Jennifer Shun, Miss Hong Kong 2012.
She looks prettier than the formers mentioned and seems eloquent as well. She has dancing background and will likely do well in those segments.
She is a nurse and resigned to participate in the pageant. If she can tie in her previous experience as a nurse with covid/health, etc., I think she can gather a lot of votes. Covid is the predominant theme this year. Roxanne is a good contestant (a dark horse for me) and certainly can surprise us if she delivers a stellar performance. She likely would make top 3 in 2017/2019 but with an overwhelming amount of favorites already, I think Roxanne will need a stellar performance to get noticed. Being in between two of the big favorites doesn’t help as well. We will see.

4. Rosita Kwok
Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 3

Another strong contestant that has potential to make top 3. Rosita has been a favorite since the early preliminary rounds and has not lost favorite status. Her facial beauty is her biggest asset (although some feel she looks prettier with her mouth closed). She is also a master’s graduate and TVB sees education heavily. She has the aura of Miss Hong Kong and lots of support so anything short of top 5 is a shock. Her biggest drawback is her interview skills as some critics think she is outshined by a number of ladies. There are a lot of good talkers this year. We will see if she has enough support to become the 48th Miss Hong Kong.

5. Maisie Kwong
Potential: Top 5
Likely: Top 10

I’ll have to say, I was thrown off by a particular Baidu fan’s comments as she doesn’t like Maisie for some reason. Maybe because she outperformed her sister, Maggie in 2016? Maggie did not make the top 20 that year (it was competitive) and Maisie survived three rounds of formal elimination to make it to the top 10! She also won Miss Friendship so if public gatherings permit, we will at least see Maisie for a year (or television shows of some sort).
Her Cantonese is not very fluent and many are not impressed with her facial beauty. I think she is more of the girl next door contestants.
She has a sweet face and great smile.
Her overseas background is one of her biggest assets.
She doesn’t seem to standout as much as the other ladies though.
It will be an uphill battle for her but who knows, maybe TVB/ celebrity panel like her and will put her through?
Nevertheless, she is Miss Friendship and has an award on hand, congratulations!

6. Jessica Liu

Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 5

Jessica was a big favorite since the preliminary judging. She has a good body and a seductive aura that makes her one of the press favorites. However, it is also because of the aura that many pageant fans think she will fall just short of making top 3 (they think that aura doesn’t blend well with the MSHK brand). The negative press that she received is also not helping - she filmed videos of restaurants that are pro-democratic, her boyfriend arguing with users on social media, and she has a tattoo near her waist. I hope her political views don’t affect her chances as that’s a personal thing - she isn’t using MSHK as a platform to voice anything. But, the negative press and the emergence of other favorites later in the pageant - including overseas contestant Lisa Tse will likely make her path harder. We will see how she does.

7. Ceci Mak
Potential: Top 5
Likely: Top 10

Interestingly, Ceci is seen by some Baidu pageant fans to be the surprise of this year. Some expect her to make the top 3 this year! While I think anything can happen, I think it is highly unlikely that Ceci will break into the top 3. The competition is too competitive this year and Ceci is regarded as one of the more facially weak contestants this year. She has a great smile and one of the strongest talents in the batch - ballet dancing and hence we shall see if she can break the odds. The HK media has her and 10. Yancy Wong as the cool doors this year.

8. Lisa Tse

Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 3

Not many fans or organizers thought the overseas contestants can join this year’s pageant! Fortunately Lisa joined the pageant after a 14 day quarantine. Even though she was late into the game, she impressed the press and pageant fans with her incredible facial beauty. She is definitely the most beautiful contestant this year and one of the prettiest contestants to join the pageant since Grace Chan in 2013 (who went on to win that year). She is also the first multiracial contestant since Ms. Lee in 2012. Lisa should win Miss Photogenic easily!!
In a weaker year, she will win easily.
Unfortunately, as strong much facial beauty she has, she also has a number of drawbacks. Her Cantonese is definitely the weakest of the ten and interview will likely be an issue. Her height and figure is also not as stellar when compared to other ladies.
But, she is really popular among pageant fans and voters based on what I have been reading online. She can definitely make top 3 and I will not be surprised if she pulls it off. She is one of the top 3 press favorites to win this year, alongside Celina and Rosita.

9. Rosanna Tse

Potential: Top 3
Likely: Top 5

Rosanne is the youngest contestant this year - 18 and was not seen as a favorite initially. She remains a dark horse because of her age and education. However, she has one of the best transformations ever and has impressed me with her performance so far. She seems confident on stage and quite eloquent. She also has dancing experience. The fact that she made it past three rounds of elimination shows that she has potential. I can see her doing well and breaking in the top 5. But, it will depend on her performance. TVB has crowned non college graduates before but no winner since Mandy Cho in 2003. If she places, it will most likely be a runner up position like 19 year old Tiffany Lau in 2016.

10. Yancy Wong

Potential: Top 5
Likely: Top 10

Last but not least! Yancy has been on many elimination lists on the Baidu pageant forum but has survived three rounds of elimination.
She has a decent body and her masters education is a plus. But, she is often criticized for her facial beauty and age (she is 26 this year). She also has some negative press - it was rumored that she dated a female before. She is one of the media’s long shots this year.
She received attention for being the niece of a politician in HK - Mr. Ho. We will see if she can gather support from his base.
It will be an uphill battle for her but we will see if she can sneak into the top 3. Some Baidu pageant fans think she is on the secret shoo-in list.

[samuel]

It’s a very hard decision but I finally have my final predictions! Here they are:

MISS HONG KONG 2020: #2 Celina Harto
First runner up: #4 Rosita Kwok
Second runner up: #8 Lisa Tse
Top 5 finalists: #9 Rosanna Tse and #6 Jessica Liu
Top 10 rankings: #1 Amber Chan, #3 Roxanne Ho, #5 Maisie Kwong, #7 Ceci Mak, and #10 Yancy Wong

Special awards:
Miss Photogenic: #8 Lisa Tse
China Mobile 360 Degree Miss Eye Catching: #2 Celina Harto
Miss Friendship: #5 Maisie Kwong

Miss Photogenic will be chosen from a panel of judges including Lai Lok Yi, Eliza Sam, Pakho Chow, Nancy Wu, and Louisa Mak
Based on the official portraits, photos, and videos, Miss Photogenic should be #8 Lisa Tse. I would be surprised if she isn’t.

There is also a new award this year, called the “China Mobile 360 Degree Miss Eye Catching” award. Seems like the contestant with the most online votes on the website/mobile app on China Mobile Hong Kong and MyLink app will win this award. I think that Lisa Tse fits this category the most although I’m skeptical whether they will hand her this award if she wins Miss Photogenic. I think another girl will win this award if Lisa is Miss Photogenic. My guess is #2 Celina Harto. #4 Rosita Kwok is alternative.

Miss Friendship was announced earlier on August 28th. The most congenial contestant is #5 Maisie Kwong.

Good luck to all the contestants, may the best girl win!

[samuel]

My personal ranking:

WINNER: #8 Lisa Tse
First runner up: #4 Rosita Kwok
Second runner up: #2 Celina Harto
Top 5 Finalists: #1 Amber Chan and #5 Maisie Kwong
Top 10 ranking: #6 Jessica Liu, #9 Rosanna Tse, #3 Roxanne Ho, #7 Ceci Mak, and #10 Yancy Wong

Miss Photogenic: #8 Lisa Tse
China Mobile 360 Degree Miss Eye Catching: #8 Lisa Tse