Olivia Culpo. Images: Instagram/@oliviaculpo, Tiktok/@oliviadangerculpo
Following the announcement of Olivia Culpo returning as a co-host of Miss Universe 2022, the beauty queen-model seemed to take things in stride and even poke fun at her energy level for the task.
The Miss Universe Organization, led by the Thailand-based JKN Global Group, has tapped Culpo to host the coronation night, alongside fashion stylist Jeannie Mai Jenkins, with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray and Emmy Award-winning host Zuri Hall as backstage commentators.
But while it was a happy occasion, some pageant fanatics and observers saw the humor in the situation, recalling Culpo’s supposed “lackluster” hosting of the pageant in 2021, together with Mario Lopez. In that year, Andrea Meza of Mexico was crowned as the winner.
Culpo, however, seemed to join in on the joke, who took to TikTok to clap back at her “bashers.”
In the TikTok video that she posted on Saturday, Jan. 7, the beauty queen hopped on the “My Heart Will Go On” trend, as she edited snippets of herself on a boat.
“On my way to get Red Bull before hosting Miss Universe because user26263747482 said I need more energy this year,” Culpo wrote on the video.
The beauty queen also joked about being on her way to the pageant in the caption of her post. “#MissUniverse, I’m on my way [electric plug emoji] [battery emoji] [sobbing emoji] [laughing emoji],” she said.
@oliviadangerculpo #MissUniverse, I’m on my way!!! 🔌 🔋 😭😂 @Miss Universe ♬ My Heart Will Go On (Titanic) – Maliheh Saeedi & Faraz Taali
Culpo’s video has garnered over 38,000 likes, 2,000 comments, and 900 shares on Tiktok, as of this writing.
Netizens hoped that the beauty queen would emerge as a better host in the upcoming pageant, as seen in the comments of her post.
“Kailangan talaga mare! Naalala mo ba yung nag host ka dati,” one netizen wrote. (You need [to improve], friend! Remember your hosting before?)
“[R]edemption era na tologooo!! keri mo yan miss maam,” another said. (It’s redemption time! You can do it, Miss Ma’am!)
Image: Screengrab from Tiktok/@oliviadangerculpo
The same video that she posted on Instagram also garnered over 69,000 reactions and almost 2,000 comments from followers.
“Been practicing screaming all week and not squinting when I read !!!!!! See you next week @missuniverse I can’t wait,” she said.
Celeste Cortesi will represent the Philippines at the 71st Miss Universe pageant in New Orleans, Louisiana in the U.S. on Jan. 14 (9 a.m. of Jan. 15, Philippine Standard Time). Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the event. EDV