Jennifer Hawkins (born 22 December 1983) was the winner of the 2004 Miss Universe pageant in Quito, Ecuador on June 1. Born in Newcastle, Australia, she was a former cheerleader for the Newcastle Knights rugby league team, and the Hunter Pirates basketball teams, and then a sometime model. It was as a model that she was cast as Miss Australia for the Miss Universe competition.

 Miss Universe

During her reign, Hawkins traveled to The Bahamas, Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Singapore, Indonesia, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba, India, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, had multiple trips to Thailand, the host of Miss Universe 2005, and her home country of Australia. As part of her year-long reign as Miss Universe, she resided in New York City in a riverside apartment provided by the Miss Universe Organization. Also during her reign as Miss Universe, Hawkins stated that her wish was to continue modeling and become a television presenter. During a recent TV interview on NBN, she was quoted as saying, "I found my inspiration from my current, yet long time partner, Adrian Musico, who continually urged me on ... allowing me to believe in myself".

As Miss Universe, Hawkins represented the Miss Universe Organization. Her "sister" 2004 titleholders were Shelley Hennig (Miss Teen USA, of Louisiana) and Shandi Finnessey (Miss USA, of Missouri).

 Television

Hawkins' ambition to become a television presenter was helped along when she announced that she had signed a contract with the Seven Network at the 2004 Melbourne Cup Carnival. Her first appearances were as a guest presenter on the network's travel show, The Great Outdoors, where she took viewers on tours throughout the world. When she ended her reign as Miss Universe, she became a regular presenter on the show, which resulted in a 2006 Logie nomination for Most Popular New Female Talent.

She was one of the participants in the fourth season of Australia's Dancing with the Stars in 2006, until she failed to receive enough audience votes, and was subsequently eliminated during the April 4 episode coming sixth. Her shock elimination made headlines the next day and the media suggested that jealous women would refuse to vote for her because Hawkins was 'too beautiful'. On February 15, 2006 Hawkins competed in a celebrity version of Deal or No Deal called Dancing with the Deal which featured celebrities from Dancing with the Stars.

She has made cameo appearances in multiple episodes of The Apprentice with Donald Trump, who stated that Jennifer Hawkins "is the most beautiful Miss Universe" he had ever seen.

For a few years, she has been dating international model and former carpenter Jake Wall who was in Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice. The Seven Network requested that she not attend the show, as Seven fears Nine will capitalise on her presence, which may boost ratings for Nine.

 Commercial endorsements

• In May, 2005, she was signed by personal hygiene and skincare brand Lux as its face of Australia and New Zealand.
• As a fortunate result of unfortunate well-circulated media exposure (see Trivia below), Hawkins signed a 3 year deal with Lovable Australia lingerie as its Australian "face".

• In August 2006, she became ambassador for Grand Waterfront, a joint residential development between Henderson Land Development and its associate the Hong Kong & China Gas Company in Hong Kong. Full front page colour photographs of her have appeared as advertisements in several Chinese language newspapers; Minute-long glamourous advertisements for the development have been aired on primetime television in Hong Kong with Hawkins as the principal subject.
• In November 2006, Hawkins endorsed a range of Asus laptops in Sydney, Australia, at which the company donated the proceeds of an Ebay sale of a special edition pink S6 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

 Trivia

• Hawkins is a natural blonde, and became the first to win the Miss Universe title since Angela Visser of the Netherlands in 1989.

• As a born and bred Novocastrian, Hawkins' favourite night club is Fanny's, located in downtown Newcastle.

• Shortly after being crowned Miss Universe in 2004, Hawkins created news during a fashion show at Westfield Miranda, an Australian shopping center, when she tripped on the hem of her dress, which fell to the floor. Hawkins was left in her g-string in front of a surprised crowd. Hawkins later apologized, laughingly adding she "wished she wore better underwear". The incident received the dubious distinction of being named "The most embarrassing moment ever shown on Australian television" by Australia's Nine Network. The "Wardrobe malfunction" was widely circulated through news outlets as well as the blogosphere, and according to Google, caused a sharp increase in internet searches for "Jennifer Hawkins".

• In August 2006, Jennifer Hawkins initially accepted Bathurst school student Daniel Dibley's invitation to accompany him to his Year 12 graduation ball. She later declined because she did not wish to draw attention from the other couples. She did however agree to go with him on a private date.

• She is featured as the love interest of Australian artist, Guy Sebastian in the music video for the second single off his third album, "Elevator Love".