Demi-Leigh Tebow

Demi-Leigh Tebow
Nel-Peters in 2018
Born
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters

(1995-06-28) 28 June 1995 (age 29)
Sedgefield, South Africa
Alma materNorth-West University
Occupations
  • Model
  • beauty pageant titleholder
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7 in)
Spouse
​
(m. 2020)​
Beauty pageant titleholder
Title
Hair colourBrown
Eye colourBrown[1]
Major
competition(s)
Websitedemileigh.com

Demi-Leigh Tebow (/ˈdɛmɪ liː ˈtiːboʊ/ DE-mee-LEE TEE-boh; née Nel-Peters; born 28 June 1995) is a South African model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2017. She was crowned Miss South Africa 2017, and the second Miss Universe winner from South Africa, following Margaret Gardiner, who was crowned Miss Universe 1978.

Early life and education

Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters was born on 28 June 1995 in Sedgefield, Western Cape, to Bennie Peters and Anne-Marie Steenkamp.[2][3] She identified her half-sister, Franje, who was born with cerebellar agenesis, as the most significant motivator in her life. Franje died on 4 May 2019, aged 13.[4][5][6][7]

Nel-Peters graduated from North-West University in March 2017, a few days before winning the Miss South Africa 2017 competition.[8] She is fluent in both English and Afrikaans.[9][10]

Pageantry

Miss South Africa 2017

Nel-Peters represented Western Cape in the Miss South Africa 2017 competition on 26 March 2017, which she won.[11] As Miss South Africa, she had the right to represent South Africa in both Miss World 2017 and Miss Universe 2017, but since the dates of the two pageants coincided, she was sent only to Miss Universe, held in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Miss Universe 2017

In the final round Steve Harvey asked Nel-Peters, "What quality in yourself are you most proud of and how will you apply that quality to your time as Miss Universe?" She said:

As a Miss Universe, you have to be confident in who you are as an individual. And Miss Universe is a woman that has overcome many fears, and by that she is able to help other women to overcome their fears. She is a woman that nothing is ever too much to ask for and I think that is exactly who I am.[12]

When asked about what she thought was the most important issue regarding women in the workplace, she said:

In some places, women get paid 75% of what men earn for doing the same job, working the same hours — and I do not believe that this is right. I think we should have equal work for equal pay for women all over the world.[13]

She went on to win the competition and was crowned Miss Universe 2017 by outgoing titleholder Iris Mittenaere.[14][15][16] Nel-Peters is the second titleholder from South Africa; Margaret Gardiner won Miss Universe 1978.[17][18][19]

Nel-Peters said during a segment at Miss Universe that she wants to use her self-defence workshops to help as many women as she can.[7][20] This stems from an incident a month after she was crowned Miss South Africa, when she was carjacked at Hyde Park. She handed over her car keys but was forced into her car by the carjackers.[21][22] She punched one of them in the throat and managed to run away and get help.[21][23][24]

In her capacity as Miss Universe, Nel-Peters visited the Philippines (twice), Indonesia (twice), Thailand (twice), France, Mexico (twice), Ecuador, India, Lebanon, Egypt, Malaysia, various cities in the United States, and her home country, South Africa.

Nel-Peters ended her reign on 17 December 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand, the host nation of the 67th Miss Universe pageant. She eventually crowned Catriona Gray of the Philippines as her successor.

Personal life

During her reign as Miss Universe 2017, Nel-Peters began dating Tim Tebow, a former professional American football quarterback and former professional baseball outfielder for the New York Mets minor league affiliates. Nel-Peters and Tebow became engaged on 9 January 2019 at Tebow's family farm in Jacksonville, Florida.[25] They married on 20 January 2020 in Franschhoek, Western Cape, about an hour outside of Cape Town.[26] Like Tebow, she is a Christian.[27]

References

  1. ^ "Demi-Leigh Tebow". Boss.
  2. ^ Sarah Rose Summers [@sarahrosesummers] (28 June 2018). "Happy birthday to this genuine hearted roomie and sister of mine - and your Miss Universe!". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
  3. ^ JK, Morne (27 March 2017). "Who is Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters". Jacaranda FM.
  4. ^ Wilkinson, Amy (7 May 2019). "Tim Tebow's Fiancee's Sister Dies Suddenly At 13 From A Rare Condition". Women's Health. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  5. ^ Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters [@demitebow] (4 May 2019). "My little Princess, Angel on Earth, biggest joy and baby sister, Franje, passed away earlier today". Archived from the original on 26 December 2021 – via Instagram.
  6. ^ "15 Things You Should Know About Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters". SA People News. 27 March 2017.
  7. ^ a b Ghosh, Sutrishna (27 November 2017). "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters beats Colombia and Jamaica to win Miss Universe 2017". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  8. ^ "New Miss Universe Teaches Self-Defense After Getting Held at Gunpoint: 5 Things to Know". People.com. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  9. ^ "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wins Miss Universe". CBS News. 26 November 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  10. ^ Denninger, Lindsay (26 November 2017). "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Wins Miss Universe 2017". Bustle.
  11. ^ "Meet Demi-Leigh Tebow, the beauty queen wife of former NFL star Tim Tebow". South China Morning Post. 18 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters Crowned Miss Universe 2017". E! Online. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  13. ^ Moniuszko, Sara M. (26 November 2017). "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters is crowned Miss Universe 2017". USA Today. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  14. ^ "South Africa's Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wins Miss Universe 2017". ABS-CBN News. 26 November 2017.
  15. ^ Domirez, Darren (26 November 2017). "Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters wins first Miss Universe 2017 crown for Miss South Africa in 39 years". Inquisitr.
  16. ^ "Miss Universe 2017". Amar Ujala. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  17. ^ Feldman, Kate (26 November 2017). "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters named Miss Universe 2017". New York Daily News.
  18. ^ "Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters, Miss Universe 2017-2018 Winner: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. 26 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Miss Universe 2017: Crowning moments of Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters in PHOTOS". International Business Times. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  20. ^ Silva, Cristina (26 November 2017). "Who is Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters? South African woman is Miss Universe 2017 winner". Newsweek. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  21. ^ a b "Miss Universe 2017 Pageant: Who Won?". 26 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  22. ^ "Miss South Africa Wins Miss Universe 2017". 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  23. ^ "Miss SA Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters in hijacking drama - IOL News". Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  24. ^ "I punched one of my attackers in the throat, says Miss SA on hijacking ordeal". Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  25. ^ Steve Helling; Lindsay Kimble (10 January 2019). "Tim Tebow Is Engaged to Former Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters". People. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  26. ^ "5 Facts About Tim Tebow and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters' Wedding Venue". wedding-spot.com. Wedding Spot Blog. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  27. ^ "Everything to Know About Tim Tebow's Wife-To-Be Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters". People. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Demi-Leigh Tebow.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Miss Universe
2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Mpumalanga Ntandoyenkosi Kunene
 Miss South Africa
2017 		Succeeded by
Western Cape Adè van Heerden
Preceded by
Western Cape Ntandoyenkosi Kunene
 Miss Universe
South Africa
2017 		Succeeded by