FOR a while, many Filipinos thought Miss Philippines Catriona Gray had it in the bag, but the judges chose Miss Puerto Rico Stephanie Del Valle as the new Miss World during a live telecast of the beauty pageant from Oxen Hill in Maryland in the United States on Monday morning.
Gray breezed into the Top 20 as the winner of the Multimedia event and was the last finalist announced into the Top 5, sending hundreds of Filipinos at the MGM National Harbor into a frenzy.
Gray, a 22-year-old, 5-foot-11 Fil-Scottish-Australian model and singer/composer, is widely seen as one of the best Miss World representatives the country has ever produced with her refreshing personality.
Gray first made a mark in the Miss Talent show when she sang her version of Moon River and Nikki Yanofsky’s I Believe, which made her win second place after Miss Mongolia Bayartsetseg Altangerel.
Gray, who was named after her grandmother’s Gaelic name Catherine and takes pride in her grandmother’s roots in Albay, also made the Top 5 of the Beauty with a Purpose event with her outreach education and school building advocacy for the poor children of Tondo. Miss Indonesia’s “Dreams Beyond the Dumpsite-Helping the scavengers of dumpsites” won the event.
Miss Indonesia Natasha Mannuela, who won the Beauty with a Purpose event, and Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Reyes, were named 3rd and 2nd placers, respectively. Miss Kenya Evelyn Njambi Thungu also reached the Top 5 finalists.
The others in the Top 10 were Miss Belgium Lenty Frans, Miss Brazil Beatrice Bessera de Fontoura, Miss China Jing Kong, winner of the Top Model event, Miss United States Audra Mari, a Fil-Am beauty, Miss Korea Hyun Wang and Miss Mongolia Bayartsetseg Altangerel, winner of the People’ Choice event.
Gray, who grew up in Cairns in Queensland, Australia, is proud of her Filipino heritage having a mother who hails from Oas, Albay. Staying in Manila, she never lived in Bicol but found out during her homecoming parade the beauty of the Albayanos who she said were generous and kind people.
“I am a very simple, normal girl. I love walking around without makeup and my hair done. I eat with my hands. I love singing and dancing,” Gray said.
Gray, who finished high school in Australia before moving to Manila in 2012 to start a modeling career, completed a Masters degree at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.