Annabelle McDonnell debunks dethronement rumors, joins Bb. Pilipinas fitness event

Reigning Binibining Pilipinas Globe Annabelle McDonnell has been missing activities of this year’s national pageant, including the screening of applicants, which brought many observers to assume that she had been stripped of her title.

But the British-Filipino event and radio host finally laid the rumor to rest when she joined the candidates for this year’s edition of the national pageant at an event that tested their physical limits.

McDonnell was at the Bb. Pilipinas “Wellness and Fitness Day” held at the Quantum Skyview of Gateway Mall 2 at the Araneta City in Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon, June 10.

There have been rumors circulating within the local pageant circles of an unnamed national titleholder who was supposedly “dethroned,” and many assumed it was her because of her absence in previous Bb. Pilipinas events.

The Bb. Pilipinas Charities Inc. had earlier posted birthday greetings for McDonnell on social media, which should have already dispelled the rumors about her supposed dethronement, but it still persisted nonetheless.

McDonnell gamely kicked off her stilettos and traded them with sneakers to take part in a test of strength and endurance through Hyrox routines, currently the fitness craze among many Filipinos.

She was joined by 2023 Bb. Pilipinas Globe Anna Lakrini and 2025 second runner-up Kathleen Enid Espinido at the event, where the 2026 candidates also showcased their physical prowess.

The 2026 Bb. Pilipinas Grand Coronation Night will be held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on July 18. McDonnell and Bb. Pilipinas International Katrina Anne Johnson will crown their successors at the end of the competition. /ra