Miss Cosmo New Zealand Franki Russell and Paula Shugart. Image: Facebook/Miss Cosmo
New international beauty contest Miss Cosmo delivered a one-two blow this week with updates released just a day apart from each other, news that elicited excitement among avid pageant fans, particularly Filipinos. Ex-Miss Universe Organization (MUO) President Paula Shugart is now part of the jury panel, while “Pinoy Big Brother” alumna Franki Russell is now in the roster of delegates.
“Miss Cosmo 2024 is excited to announce [Shugart] as the first official judge for this year’s competition. [Shugart] is renowned for her significant contributions to the beauty pageant industry and television production. She served as the President of [MUO], where she played a pivotal role in shaping global pageants community,” the Vietnam-based pageant posted on social media on Thursday, Aug. 29.
“We are also thrilled to welcome [Shugart] back to Vietnam. Her positive relationship with our country and her previous experiences here have left a lasting impression. We look forward to her return and the valuable insights she will bring to this year’s event,” the Miss Cosmo pageant continued.
And on Friday evening, Aug. 30, the international pageant posted an image of Russell bearing her new national pageant title and with New Zealand’s flag in the background. “Congratulations to Miss Cosmo New Zealand 2024 [crown emoji] Franki Russell,” the caption read.
“[Russell] is a professional film and television actress who has starred in several movies and TV series in Asia and the Philippines. She is a brand ambassador, social media influencer, model, and [anti-]cyberbullying advocate. Last May, she walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious film industry event in the world,” the Miss Cosmo pageant said.
She was supposed to represent New Zealand at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant in Mexico in November, but her participation in the global tilt abruptly ended even before the competition started. Yugen Group, the country’s official licensee, canceled its franchise “[as] a result of our team’s non-compliance with a specific order from [MUO].”
The group did not disclose MUO’s order that it failed to comply with, but Russell surmised it was because of her daring scenes in several movie projects. Before venturing into film, she first gained prominence as one of the housemates of “Pinoy Big Brother Otso,” the reality TV show’s eighth season.
The Filipino-Kiwi actress and model will be joined by The Miss Philippines-Cosmo Ma. Ahtisa Manalo, second runner-up at the 2024 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, at the inaugural edition of the global competition in Vietnam.
Manalo, who finished second at the 2018 Miss International pageant in Japan, is currently enjoying the lead in her group for the online poll for “Cosmo Social Ambassador,” whose winner will earn a guaranteed spot in the Top 21. The top vote-getters from each group will advance to the final stage of voting.
For details on how to vote, visit the Miss Cosmo social media pages. The poll winner will be known on the final competition show. The 2024 Miss Cosmo coronation night will be held in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on Oct. 5.