Filipino Singer Wins Miss Universe 2018 Pageant

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An Australian-Filipino singer has won the Miss Universe 2018 pageant. 

This year’s contest took place in Bangkok and saw 24-year-old Catriona Magnayon Gray take the crown, representing the Philippines.

The model, who also works as a TV host, was born in Queensland to a Scottish-Australian father and Filipino mother.

Catriona was favourite to win the contest and blew the judges away with her final answer where she spoke about working in the slums of Tondo, Manila.

The 24-year-old explained how the unique experience had taught her to ‘look in the beauty of children’ and be grateful, reports the Daily Mail.

She continued by explaining how she would use the win to help others:

I will bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining and to assess where I could give something, where I could provide something as a spokesperson.

And this I think if I can teach people to be grateful, we can have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster and children will have smiles on their faces.

Tamaryn Green of South Africa came second in the contest, while Sthefany Gutierrez of Venezuela took third place.

2018’s pageant was the first Miss Universe to have a transgender contestant reach the final stage, after a 66-year long ban officially ended in 2012.

Transgender contestant Angela Ponce represented Spain, and although she didn’t win, Angela was more than happy to have simply taken part, reports the New York Post.

After she failed to make the top 20, she said:

I don’t need to win Miss Universe. I only need to be here.

Angela also spoke in a pre-recorded segment about her experience, saying:

I’m here to represent diversity of humans in the world. My hope is for tomorrow to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone, simply for us all to understand that we are human and that we must make all our lives easier together.

That reality for many people is going to change.

The pageant’s winner was no stranger to the catwalk; this weekend’s win saw her make history by being the first woman to be crowned both Miss Universe and Miss World, after she won Miss World Philippines in 2016.

Before she left for Bangkok the singer released a music video for a song, We’re In This Together, not to be confused with High School Musical’s We’re All In This Together. 

The song highlighted the issue of poverty stricken children in the slums of Manila and reached number one in the Philippines iTunes chart.

Take a look at the moment Catriona was announced the winner:

Congratulations!

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Emily Brown

Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.