Catriona Gray will be backstage commentator for Miss Universe; Olivia Culpo back as host
Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Olivia Culpo, Catriona Gray, and Zuri Hall. Images from Miss Universe / Instagram
MANILA, Philippines — When the Miss Universe Organization’s (MUO) new owner, Thai media mogul Anne Jakrajutatip, said several weeks ago that a woman will host the global tilt’s 71st edition, the Filipino pageant circle and netizens speculated that it will be 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray.
That speculation turned out to be propitious as Filipino-Australian beauty queen has just been tapped anew to be the backstage commentator for the pageant. She will be joined by Emmy Award-winning host and “American Ninja Warrior” presenter Zuri Hall, who is also a correspondent for “Access Hollywood.”
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Last October, Gray, the last Miss Universe winner from the Philippines, attended the “One Universe” presentation in Bangkok, Thailand, held after the public announcement that Jakrajutatip acquired full ownership of MUO.
Reigning queen Harnaaz Sandhu and former titleholders Andrea Meza, Leila Lopes, and Nathalie Glebova also graced the event, along with 2018 Miss Universe Spain Angela Ponce, the first transgender woman to reach the international stage since the pageant opened its doors to transgender applicants in 2012.
Culpo, Jenkins to join Gray
Meanwhile, 2012 Miss Universe Olivia Culpo would return as main host of the show. Culpo first hosted in the 69th Miss Universe pageant in 2021 together with Mario Lopez, when Rabiya Mateo represented the Philippines.
Culpo, however, drew flak for her first Miss Universe hosting after pageant fans noted her unenthusiastic handling of the competition, which was then held in Hollywood, Florida, also in the United States.
When news of her return as the pageant’s host broke, Filipino celebrity and 2014 Miss Universe Top 10 finisher Mary Jean Lastimosa tweeted that the American model and host should make up for her lack of enthusiasm in 2021.
Mareng Olivia bumawi kaaaa
— MJ Lastimosa (@MJ_Lastimosa) January 5, 2023
For this year’s tilt, Culpo will be joined by a familiar face among pageant followers — Daytime Emmy winner Jeannie Mai-Jenkins.
Jenkins, host of “The Real” and “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,” has provided backstage commentary in previous editions of the Miss Universe pageant, and was also memorable for her “yellow is the color of joy” comment on 2013 Miss Universe third runner-up Ariella Arida from the Philippines during the evening gown competition.
Female power
The on-camera team of Culpo, Jenkins, Gray, and Hall will not be the only all-female group to grace the program.
Jakrajutatip revealed in an earlier interview with Thai media that the 71st Miss Universe pageant’s judging panel will again be composed entirely of women. The list of judges has not been revealed as of this writing, and whether the same set will comprise both the preliminary selection committee and the final contest board.
The 71st Miss Universe pageant, technically the tilt’s 2022 edition, will hold its coronation show at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States on Jan. 14 (Jan. 15 in Manila). There will be another Miss Universe pageant later this year.
Miss Universe Philippines Celeste Cortesi/MISS UNIVERSE PHILIPPINES PHOTO
Italian-Filipino model and realtor Celeste Cortesi is representing the Philippines in the 2022 Miss Universe pageant. The country currently has four Miss Universe titleholders — Gloria Diaz (1969), Margie Moran (1973), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), and Catriona Gray (2018).
The Philippines is also enjoying the longest-running active semifinal streak in the Miss Universe pageant, which was started by Venus Raj who finished fifth in 2010. Beatrice Luigi Gomez finished in the Top 5 in the 70th edition held in Israel in December 2021. EDV
