The final of Miss Universe Australia is under way with the official swimwear judging presented by Kooey, and the $6 betting favourite with online bookmaker tomwaterhouse.com is a Shakespeare-loving, sports-mad Sydney stunner.

According to tomwaterhouse.com, Melinda Kemp is the most likely of the 33 finalists to follow in the footsteps of, among others, Jesinta Campbell (2010), Rachael Finch (2009), Laura Dundovic (2008), Erin McNaught (2006) and Jennifer Hawkins (2004), the latter of whom became Miss Universe.

Kemp ($6) trades ahead of Western Australia’s Renae Ayris ($7), Queensland’s Madeline Taylor ($8), South Australia’s Amy Fromm ($10), Victoria’s Breanna Herbert ($13) and the rest of the field.

“Melinda turned heads at the NSW State Final early last month and she’s been the talk of pageant watchers ever since,” said Tom Waterhouse, Managing Director of tomwaterhouse.com.

Miss Universe Australia 2012 finalists:

$6 Melinda Kemp (New South Wales)
$7 Renae Ayris (Western Australia)
$8 Madeline Taylor (Queensland)
$10 Amy Fromm (South Australia)
$13 Breanna Herbert (Victoria)
$15 Leah Johnsen (Victoria)
$15 Susie Leigh (Queensland)
$17 Danielle Byrnes (Queensland)
$17 Mary Vitinavos (Victoria)
$21 Kristen Clemens (Western Australia)
$21 Cathy Cowdroy (New South Wales)
$26 Tracey-Lee Beswick (Victoria)
$26 Sophie Flynn (Western Australia)
$26 Julia Perrott-Clarke (Victoria)
$26 Chelsea Trotter (New South Wales)
$34 Kristina Adesuwa (New South Wales)
$34 Sarah Czarnuch (Victoria)
$34 Sunny Lungan (Western Australia)
$34 Casey Leigh Magatelli (Western Australia)
$34 Samantha Welsh (Tasmania)
$51 Ava Anderson (New South Wales)
$51 Cassie Antunovich (Western Australia)
$51 Jessica Friedman (Queensland)
$51 Cassie Hancock (Victoria)
$51 Emma Lane (Queensland)
$51 Brooke Nash (Queensland)
$67 Emily Eagle (Victoria)
$67 Natalie Jameson (New South Wales)
$67 Elecia Manolas (New South Wales)
$67 Nicole Rossetto (New South Wales)
$67 Jessica Tormey South Australia
$67 Lucy Tuttiet (Queensland)
$67 Kristylee Waine (New South Wales)