The new Miss Lebanon looks just like her most famous predecessor: 1971's Miss Universe

The similarity between the two is drawing attention on social media, and building up hope that Miss Lebanon will win Miss Universe this year for only the second time ever

Maya Reaidy holds her crown after winning the Miss Lebanon 2018 competition at Forum de Beyrouth in Beirut, Lebanon September 30, 2018. Photo / Reuters

Maya Reaidy wore a gown by Nicolas Jebran. Photo / EPA

The Lebanese jeweler Dumit Zougheib , who made the crown of, places it on the head of the winner. Photo / EPA

Contestants pose in their Nicolas Jebran gowns.

Maya Reaidy (C) poses after winning the Miss Lebanon 2018 beauty pageant, next to Lebanese-American actress Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih (R) and Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (L) at forum De Beirut in Beirut, Lebanon, 30 September 2018. Photo / EPA

Maya Reaidy (C) reacts just after winning the Miss Lebanon 2018 beauty pageant. Photo / EPA

Maya Reaidy (R), surrounded by three runners-up. Photo / EPA

Maya Reaidy is a pharmaceutical student. Photo / EPA

The crowning moment. Photo / EPA

Ragheb Alameh performs during the pageant. Photo / EPA

Reaidy surrounded by runners up. Photo / EPA

Contestants in the middle of the show. Photo / EPA

A new Miss Lebanon has been crowned, with Lebanese American University Pharmacy student Maya Reaidy, 22, taking home the honours at a ceremony in Beirut last night.

She wore a beautiful feathered dress by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran - who dressed all of the contestants on the night, and was on the judging panel alongside Nancy Ajram and the current Miss Universe, Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters.

Maya Reaidy will now go on to compete in Miss Universe in December in Bangkok: the only time a Lebanese pageant queen has won Miss Universe was in 1971 with Georgina Rizk. Many people have taken to social media to share photos of Reaidy and Rizk in 1971 to point out how similar they look (and pointing out that they hope this is a sign that Lebanon will take home the universal crown again):

The fan favourite before the event was, if you go by social media, Mira Toufaily, a 26-year-old interior design student who was raised by SOS Children's Villages from when she was almost two until she was 14, after which she lived at Jeita Youth House. She came in second place.

American hip hop star French Montana, Lebanese pop singer and TV personality Maya Diab and Lebanese Canadian R&B/pop singer Massari performed their remake of Amr Diab's 1996 hit song Nour El Ein on the night too. Read more about that collaboration here. We didn't expect to see French Montana at MIss Lebanon. But when you consider that this year's competition was organised by Miss America 2010, Rima Fakih, who is married to Tony Sal, French Montana's manager, it makes more sense.

Watch all the different winners be crowned here:

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Read more: 

The beauty pageant where all the contestants miss Lebanon

Miss Lebanon Emigrant 2018 urges Lebanese diaspora to register as citizens

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