Miss Philippines Catriona Grey becomes Miss Universe 2018

The 24-year-old Filipina beauty bagged the Miss Universe 2018 crown this morning in Bangkok, Thailand, beating 93 other contestants from across the world, followed by South Africa and Venezuela, who secured the first runner-up and second runner-up position. Catriona was crowned by 2017 Miss Universe, Demi Leigh Nel-Peters, who belongs from South Africa.

Catriona was excited and ecstatic as she took her first walk as Miss Universe in a red gown. During the final question round, Catriona was asked to share the most important lesson she has learnt in her life and how she would apply the lesson in her time as Miss Universe.

She beautifully replied, “I work a lot in the slums of Manila and life there is very poor and sad. I have always taught myself to look for the beauty in it, to look for the beauty in the faces of the children and I would bring this aspect as a Miss Universe to see situations with a silver lining and to asses where I could give something and provide something. And if I could also teach people to be grateful, we could have an amazing world where negativity would not brew and foster and children would have a smile on their face”.

Catriona had to compete in almost every round along with tough competitors to win the Miss Universe title. This also marked the fourth time Philippines have won the Miss Universe crown.

As her interest goes, Catriona has a love for the arts and she holds Master Certificate in Music Theory. She is an adventure lover and is very passionate about her love for Filipino dishes, which includes adobo, balut and the sweetest mangoes in the world. As an philanthropist, she is an advocate for the cause of HIV/AIDS and associated with Love Yourself PH and she also volunteers as a Assistant Teacher to the students of Young Focus an NGO, according to the official Miss Universe website.

In this international contest South Africa’s Tamaryn Green, who was named the first runner-up is a medical student, her favourite quote is “Be the change you want to see in the world”, taken from Mahatma Gandhi. Whereas Venezuela’s Sthefany Guterrez is the second runner-up, she is studying law in her native country. With this victory, Catriona now joins the three other Miss Universe titleholders from Philippines namely Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran and Pia Wurtzbach.