
 
 Miss America chief executive Sam Haskell stands with Vanessa Williams on stage. (Ida Mae Astute/ABC) 
 
 Three decades after Vanessa Williams was forced to resign as Miss America when nude photos of her were published in a magazine without her consent, Vanessa Williams returned to the competition as a judge on Sunday night. But before she sat down to judge the pageant, she appeared on stage and received a very public, personal apology from the organization’s chief executive. 
 
 “I have been a close friend of this beautiful and talented lady for 32 years. You have lived your life in grace and dignity, and never was it more evident than during the events of 1984 when you resigned,” Sam Haskell said. “Though none of us currently in the organization were involved in, on behalf of today’s organization, I want to apologize to you and to your mother, Miss Helen Williams. I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less than the Miss America you are, and the Miss America you always will be.” 
 
 [Vanessa Williams is returning to the Miss America stage after more than 30 years] 
 
 The audience gave a standing ovation and screamed and cheered as the cameras focused on Williams’s mother, who appeared to be on the verge of tears. Williams’s return had been a big story all week, so it was no surprise when after the contestants were announced, she opened the show by performing her hit “Oh How the Years Go By.” As she sang, archival photos appeared on huge screens behind her — including, strangely, a 1984 Los Angeles Times headline about her giving up her crown, and a People magazine cover that quoted Williams as saying, “I’ve Hit Rock Bottom.” 
 
 After the scandal, Williams went on to become a successful singer and actress. She has starred in two shows on ABC (“Ugly Betty” and “Desperate Housewives”), which airs the pageant. As she stood with Haskell, tears in her eyes, Williams was gracious. 
 
 “Thank you so much, Sam, so unexpected but so beautiful. I did the best that I could as Miss America in 1983 to ’84,” she said. “On behalf of my family, my mother in particular; [publicist] Brian Edwards, who orchestrated this entire thing to bring me back; and your leadership, your integrity and you bringing this pageant back to what it ought to be. I love you. I love the girls. And I’m so honored to be back.” 
 
 Read more: 
 
 — Who will win Miss America? A gambler’s guide to the unstoppable pageant 
 
 — Miss America Nina Davuluri fights post-pageant racism with a beauty queen’s poise 
 
 — How did Miss New York and her plastic red cup win the Miss America crown? ||||| Watch Queue Queue 
 
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 Disconnect ||||| Chris Harrison begins hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Monday night, but on Sunday he was emceeing a smaller affair: Who Wants to Pay Off Their Student Loans. That’s right, Miss America was back to crown its 95th winner, and this time, they were feeling apologetic. 
 
 While your new Miss America 2016 will be memorable for her black tie crop top and moniker straight out of Mad Men, certainly the most interesting moment of the show (other than that jazzy “Clubbed to Death�? number, but we’ll get to that) came when Miss America CEO Sam Haskell took Vanessa Williams in his tender, scripted embrace and declared that just because some old Miss America fogies got mad at her in 1983 and strongly suggested that she resign after Penthouse published nude photos that had been shot the year before, doesn’t mean that she should have been made to feel “any less than the Miss America you are and the Miss America you always will be.�? Vanessa called his words “unexpected�? and “beautiful,�? but her eyes were saying, “You have 32 years to make up for, but this is a cute little start.�? 
 
 But hey, maybe you missed all of that because you were watching the Federer vs. Djokovic match, or you were scared that Miss America is the pageant that puts dollars directly into Donald Trump’s pockets (it’s not, but Miss Alabama will gladly let you know a few other ways you can stick it to him). 
 
 Over the course of the Swimsuit, Evening Gown, Talent, and Question portions, 52 contestants dwindled to a top 5: Miss Alabama, Miss Louisiana, Miss Colorado, Miss Mississippi, and Miss Georgia. And it was Miss Georgia who took home the crown — and hopefully some congratulatory basket full of muffins and sweat pants — following the operatic talent that surely won her crown, and the fumbled interview answer that nearly lost it. And though those may have been the real winning moments, there were a few other gems worth giving titles to… 
 
 Best State Intro Pun, Butt Category: Miss Wisconsin “Representing the Dairy State, come smell our dairy-air — I’m Miss Wisconsin.�? Welcome to Wisconsin, where we tell you to smell our butts in the name of a very loose pun! 
 
 Best State Intro Pun, Testicle Category: Miss Montana “Though Rocky Mountain Oysters are our delicacy, I’m here to grab the bull by the — horns.�? Unfortunately, horns didn’t get Miss Montana to Top 15… should have gone with the, uh, oysters. 
 
 Best American Broadcasting Network Cross-Pollination In addition to the (g)Hosts of ABC Past and Present, Chris Harrison and Brooke Burke Charvet, the judges included three past DWTS contestants — Amy Purdy, Danica McKellar, and Zendaya — and one Shark in the form of Kevin O’Leary. 
 
 Miss Kinda Over It: Vanessa Williams Of all the wonderful camera pans to Vanessa Williams looking both flawless and terribly bored, the best moment had to be when the camera lingered just long enough to flash Miss Alabama Meg McGuffin’s fun fact right over V-Williams’ solemn face: “Nickname is Egg McMuffin.�? 
 
 Miss Kinda Over It Teen: Zendaya Equally flawless, equally bored, slightly more spectacles. 
 
 Most Unexpected Murder Dance Miss America’s Talent portion is often full of young women singing songs only because they had to and the talent of “studying really hard and being really nice�? wasn’t popping as much during dress rehearsals as they thought it would. But not for Miss Alabama (that’s Miss Egg McMuffin for those of you playing along at home) — she likes to “do talents that are a little edgy,�? leading the ever edgy Chris Harrison to utter these words: “Performing a contemporary dance en pointe to ‘Clubbed to Death’ from The Matrix soundtrack, here is Egg McMuffin Meg McGuffin.�? 
 
 Phrase Most Likely to Get Brooke Burke Charvet Yelled at by 37 Rejected Miss America Contestants: “The rest of you, I am so sorry that you’re not going on to compete, but these girls will have the best seats in the house to cheer on your friends.�? Definitely! That’s why we took a year off of school and got a Costco membership in order to buy hemorrhoid cream in bulk for under-eye puffiness. 
 
 Phrase Most Likely to Get Brooke Burke Charvet Yelled at by 5 More Rejected Miss America Contestants: “Even though you’ve been eliminated from the competition, you get to sit here with Nick Jonas — I mean, not a bad consolation prize.�? I don’t know, Brooke… I was kind of hoping for that $50K! But he is cute. 
 
 Best Interview Question Hot Takes: Miss Tennessee on federal funding for Planned Parenthood — “Yes!�? — and Miss Alabama on Donald Trump — “No!�? (Not Miss Georgia on if Tom Brady cheated — “I think I’d need to feel the balls!�?) 
 
 And Most Miss America Name to Ever Miss America: Betty Cantrell. It just doesn’t get better than that. Congrats, Betty! Please sing “Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio�? forever. 
 
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 Keep up with all the latest from last night’s television by subscribing to our newsletter. Head here for more details. ||||| ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell is the new Miss America, but her crowning moment was nearly overshadowed by a three-decade old pageant scandal, and a still-raw debate over whether the NFL's reigning champions cheated on their way to a Super Bowl victory. 
 
 Newly crowned Miss America Betty Cantrell touches her crown at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Florida Mary Katherine Fechtel competes in the swimsuit competition during the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Oklahoma Georgia Frazier competes in the swimsuit competition during the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, left, reacts with Miss South Carolina Daja Dial, center, and Miss Oklahoma Georgia Frazier after being named Miss America 2016, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Betty Cantrell of Georgia reacts after being named Miss America 2016, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, left, reacts with Miss South Carolina Daja Dial, second from left, and Miss Oklahoma Georgia Frazier, second from right, after being named Miss America 2016, Sunday, Sept.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Newly crowned Miss America Betty Cantrell, left, stands with musician and actor Vanessa Williams at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Arkansas Loren Alyssa McDaniel competes in the swimsuit competition during the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (Associated Press) 
 
 Hosts Chris Harrison, center, and Brooke Burke-Charvet, left, join Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev during the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, left, reacts with Miss South Carolina Daja Dial, center, and Miss Oklahoma Georgia Frazier after being named Miss America 2016, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J.... (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell is crowned Miss America 2016 by Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell greets a fan after being crowned Miss America 2016 at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell, left, reacts after being named Miss America 2016 at the 2016 Miss America pageant, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015, in Atlantic City, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) (Associated Press) 
 
 Cantrell rode an opera performance of "Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio" from "Madame Butterfly" to the title in Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall on Sunday night, besting 51 other competitors in the nationally televised pageant. She won a preliminary competition earlier in the week, also with an opera performance. 
 
 "I'm still so overwhelmed, I don't know what to say other than thank you! " Cantrell told reporters moments after being crowned Miss America. 
 
 She won a $50,000 scholarship along with her title. 
 
 Cantrell is due to make the traditional pageant-winner's frolic in the Atlantic City surf on Monday morning. 
 
 The pageant also marked the return of Miss America 1984 Vanessa Williams, who was back for the first time after resigning the crown in 1984 following a nude photo scandal. Pageant executive chairman Sam Haskell apologized to Williams, who served as head judge, on behalf of the pageant. 
 
 "I want to apologize for anything that was said or done," Haskell told Williams as they stood on the stage and the audience bathed her in applause. "Vanessa: Welcome back!" 
 
 Cantrell was asked during the question and answer portion of the pageant whether New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady cheated en route to his team's run to a Super Bowl title last season by using footballs that were improperly deflated. A league-imposed four-game suspension of Brady was recently overturned by a federal judge. 
 
 During the pageant, Cantrell said, "I'm not sure" when asked if Brady cheated. "I'd have to see the ball and feel it" she said, before adding, "If there's any question, then yes, he cheated." 
 
 Asked by The Associated Press to clarify her remarks afterward, Cantrell said, "It was kind of a funky question to ask me if Tom Brady cheated. I'm not a football player and I really wasn't there to feel that ball. If there was any question as to whether or not he cheated and somebody else felt the ball and decided that it was deflated, then yes, I guess he did cheat." 
 
 The 1st runner-up was Miss Mississippi, Hannah Roberts, who earned a $25,000 scholarship. Her talent was classical violin. The 2nd runner up was Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson, who performed an original monologue and won a $20,000. Scholarship. 
 
 Miss Georgia's win ended New York's dominance at the Miss America pageant. Last year's Miss America, Kira Kazantsev, was the third consecutive Miss New York to win the title. 
 
 "I can't believe it's been a year since I was backstage getting ready to compete, just as the contestants are right now," Kazantsev said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon in Boardwalk Hall. " 
 
 Preliminary competition in talent, interviews, evening wear and swimsuit competition ran through Thursday. 
 
 On Saturday, the Miss America contestants hit the Atlantic City Boardwalk for the annual "Show Us Your Shoes" parade. 
 
 Most of the shoes had designs specific to the contestant's home states. New Jersey, for instance, had dice and Monopoly money on her shoes in a nod to the pageant's Atlantic City history. Miss Idaho had a potato. 
 
 Contestants from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were vying for the crown. The U.S. Virgin islands, which competed last year, could not field the required minimum number of entrants this year, pageant officials said. It is eligible for future competitions. 
 
 Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
– Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell grabbed the crown at last night's Miss America competition, but it was Vanessa Williams who stole most of the spotlight, reports the Washington Post. The singer and actress first rose to fame as the first African-American Miss America in 1983, but was forced out when Penthouse published nude photos of Williams without her consent. Last night, she made her return to the 2015 competition as a judge, and Miss America CEO Sam Haskell did his best to clear the air. "You have lived your life in grace and dignity, and never was it more evident than during the events of 1984 when you resigned," he said. "On behalf of today's organization ... I want to apologize for anything that was said or done that made you feel any less than the Miss America you are, and the Miss America you always will be." Williams, who sang her hit, "Oh How the Years Go By," said the apology was "unexpected" and "beautiful," but looked rather bored throughout the ceremony, reports Entertainment Weekly. At least Cantrell managed to impress the judges with her opera performance of "Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio" from Madame Butterfly, though she seemed to fumble when asked about whether Tom Brady really did deflate those balls. "I'd have to see the ball and feel it," she said, per the AP. "If there's any question, then yes, he cheated." Cantrell, who was eventually crowned while wearing a crop-top evening gown, said she was "overwhelmed. I don't know what to say other than thank you!" She earned a $50,000 scholarship, while runners-up Miss Mississippi Hannah Roberts and Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson took home $25,000 and $20,000, respectively.