WE ARE now down to four months before the prestigious 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico, where candidates from different countries will compete for the most coveted Miss Universe crown.
Miss Universe is among the four major international pageants, alongside Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth.
The Miss Universe crown is currently worn by 24-year-old mental health advocate Sheynnis Palacios, who made history by becoming the first beauty queen from Nicaragua to win the pageant last year in El Salvador.
Philippine bet and autism awareness advocate Michelle Marquez Dee finished her Miss Universe journey in the Top 10, marking the country’s return to the semifinal round after it failed to advance to the Top 16 in 2022.
This year’s edition of the Miss Universe pageant will see not only one but three Filipina beauty queens who will try to succeed Palacios.
Chelsea Manalo
First on the list is Bulakenya beauty queen Chelsea Manalo, who will represent the Philippines in the 73rd Miss Universe pageant.
She made history as the first Black Filipina to win the Miss Universe Philippines title on May 22, succeeding Dee.
For many netizens, her victory was something they did not expect, with some calling her a “dark horse.” Pageant expert Norman Tinio agreed with them and said Manalo is a “silent killer.”
In a previous interview with RepublicAsia, Tinio said Manalo would still need “a lot of polishing” in preparation for the competition, but this would not be a concern since the Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) organization is good at training Filipina beauty queens for the pageant.
Tinio believes that Manalo will do a “good job” in representing the country in the 2024 Miss Universe pageant, noting that her being a “woman of color” could be her edge over other delegates.
Manalo will vie for the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe crown, following the footsteps of Catriona Gray who won the competition in 2018, Pia Wurtzbach in 2015, Margie Mora in 1973, and Gloria Diaz in 1969.
Christina Dela Cruz Chalk
A Filipina beauty queen will also represent Great Britain in the Miss Universe competition.
Filipina-British beauty queen Christina Dela Cruz Chalk, 31, earned her ticket to the prestigious beauty pageant when she clinched the Miss Universe Great Britain 2024 title at the coronation night on July 6. She bested 42 other candidates and succeeded Jessica Page.
In an Instagram post, Chalk said that winning the pageant was a “dream come true” for her, noting the number of her attempts to win the crown in the past years.
“Whilst I was proud to be 1st runner-up twice I was relieved when I aged out… with so many ups & downs I felt it was time to move on,” she said. “However, when Miss Universe lifted their age restrictions, I knew there was unfinished business. I’m glad I followed my heart.”
The Miss Universe Organization announced in 2023 the removal of age restrictions for the pageant, which will apply starting this year. In the previous editions, only women aged 18 to 28 were allowed to compete in the pageant.
Before joining the Miss Universe Great Britain 2024 competition, Chalk participated in the MUPH 2024 pageant, finishing in the Top 20.
Franki Russell
In March, former “Pinoy Big Brother” housemate Franki Russell achieved a milestone: winning the Miss Universe New Zealand 2024 pageant.
The Filipina-Kiwi beauty queen’s appointment was announced by Dubai-based magazine XPEDITION on Instagram, saying she “will carry the torch of New Zealand to represent her culture” in the beauty competition. XPEDITION is owned by Filipino entrepreneur Josh Yugen, who also serves as the national director of the Miss Universe New Zealand Organization.
“Recognized as a reality star and actress in the Philippines, the half-Kiwi, half-Filipina beauty is eager to leverage her new platform to address a prevalent concern among youth in New Zealand and worldwide – cyberbullying,” wrote the magazine.
On Instagram, Russell recalled her Miss Universe New Zealand journey, which began in 2014 when she applied for the pageant at the age of 19.
“Now that I am 29, ten years older and with far more life experience, I realized that life definitely works in mysterious ways,” said Russell, adding that she dedicated her win to her late father.
The actress-beauty queen joined the reality show “Pinoy Big Brother: Otso” in 2018 and appeared in several Filipino shows and films including “Ang Probinsyano” and “Laruan.”
