Bangkok: Australian-born model Catriona Gray of the Philippines has been named winner of the Miss Universe 2018 competition in Bangkok.

She bested contestants from 93 other countries to claim the prize.

The 24-year-old Gray wore a sparkling red dress she said is inspired by a volcano in the Philippines as she was handed the crown to the delight of a roaring crowd that generally favoured Southeast Asian contestants.

She said she wore red because "when I was 13 my mom said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress." She said her mom cried when they saw each other after she won the competition, the 67th Miss Universe pageant. </s> LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images(BANGKOK) — Miss Philippines, Catriona Gray, has been crowned the new Miss Universe. The 24-year-old Australia native beat out 93 contestants on Sunday night to take the title. She took the crown held by the outgoing Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters.

The event took place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand aired on Fox and was hosted once again by Steve Harvey and model Ashley Graham. It was the 67th time the pageant has been staged.

Catriona, who works as a teacher’s assistant and is an HIV/AIDS advocate at Love Yourself PH, according to her Miss Universe biography, studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and holds a masters certificate in music theory.

Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green came in second, while Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutiérrez placed third. </s> 24-year-old Catriona Gray is a model and television personality in her native Philippines.

The 24-year-old model, actress, TV host and seasoned beauty queen, who was born to an Australian father and a Filipina mother, took the top spot at the Miss Universe pageant held on Monday (Dec 17) in Bangkok.

Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was the first runner-up, while Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutierrez was the second runner-up.

Southeast Asian countries were also well-represented, with contestants from Indonesia and Thailand making it into the Top 20, while Miss Vietnam H'Hen Nie rounded out the Top 5.



Gray wore a sparkling red dress, and said, "When I was 13, my mum said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress." According to the Associated Press, she said her mom cried when they saw each other after she won the competition.

The office of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte congratulated the winner, saying in a statement: "Ms. Gray truly made the entire Philippines proud when she sashayed on the global stage and showcased the genuine qualities defining a Filipina beauty: confidence, grace, intelligence and strength in the face of tough challenges."

"In her success, Miss Philippines has shown to the world that women in our country have the ability to turn dreams into reality through passion, diligence, determination and hard work."

Gray is the fourth Filipina to be named Miss Universe.



The show was hosted once again by comedian Steve Harvey together with model Ashley Graham, and featured a performance by R&B artist Ne-Yo.

This year’s Miss Universe competition was the 67th annual event and represented 94 different countries and territories.

READ: 18 Miss Universe national costumes other than Singapore’s that deserve attention </s> Miss Philippines, Catriona Gray has been crowned the winner of Miss Universe for the year 2018.

Gray from Philippines won the title of Miss World by beating contestants from over 93 countries.

The 24-year-old Filipina-Australian became the fourth woman from her country to bring home the coveted title at the 67th annual Miss Universe pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 16.

Miss South Africa Demi, Leigh Nel-Peters and Miss Venezuela, Sthefany Gutiérrez rounded out the top three at the contest. </s> Congratulations are in order for the new Miss Universe, Miss Philippines Catriona Gray.

Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was the first runner-up and Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutiérrez was the second runner-up.

The 2018 Miss Universe pageant was held in Bangkok, Thailand where nearly a hundred women from around the world vied for the coveted crown. Steve Harvey returned as the host and Ashley Graham co-hosted alongside Carson Kressley and Lu Sierra.

The competition whittled down to the final 5 women, which included Gray, Miss Vietnam H'Hen Nie, Miss Canada Marta Magdalena Stepien, Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green and Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutiérrez.

In honor of Miss Philippines winning Miss Universe 2018, here are five things to know about Catriona Gray. </s> She bests 93 other ladies in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Catriona Gray from the Philippines was crowned Miss Universe 2018 on Monday, December 17 (Manila time), in Bangkok, Thailand.

Catriona has long been a crowd favorite, touted by both casual and long-time pageant followers as a shoo-in for the crown. She previously competed in Miss World 2016 but failed to clinch the crown – she settled for a Top 5 placement instead.

A familiar face in the Philippine modelling world, Catriona is also a martial artist, singer, and advocate.

She was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2018 during the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in March 2018. She was born in Cairns, Australia to a Scottish-born Australian father and Filipina mother.

Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa passed the title on to Catriona. South Africa's Tamaryn Green was first runner-up while Venezuela's Sthefany Gutiérrez was 2nd runner-up. – Rappler.com </s> FILIPINOS will get to watch the Miss World 2016 Pageant on GMA Network at 8 a.m. today via delayed telecast.

Representing the Philippines is Catriona Gray who is currently doing extremely well in the said competition.

She emerged in the Top 10 ranking for the talent competition and is also a strong contender for the Beauty with a Purpose prize.Moreover, she is favored to win the crown by many pageant sites around the world.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ first and only Miss World titleholder to date, Megan Lynne Young, will host the pageant in Washington DC, USA.

FILIPINOS will get to watch the Miss World 2016 Pageant on GMA Network at 8 a.m. today via delayed telecast.

Representing the Philippines is Catriona Gray who is currently doing extremely well in the said competition.

She emerged in the Top 10 ranking for the talent competition and is also a strong contender for the Beauty with a Purpose prize.Moreover, she is favored to win the crown by many pageant sites around the world.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ first and only Miss World titleholder to date, Megan Lynne Young, will host the pageant in Washington DC, USA. </s> The Philippines’ Catriona Gray has been named Miss Universe 2018 in Bangkok, beating contestants from 93 other countries and delighting her home nation.

Ms Gray wore a sparkling red dress she said was inspired by a volcano in the Philippines as she was handed the crown to the delight of a roaring crowd that generally favoured south-east Asian contestants.

The 24-year-old singer and model said she wore red because “when I was 13 my mom said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress”.

She said her mother cried when they saw each other after she won the competition, the 67th Miss Universe pageant.

Ms Gray edged out first runner-up Tamaryn Green of South Africa and third-placed Sthefany Gutierrez of Venezuela.

In the Philippines, pageants are a popular attraction, and Ms Gray’s victory sparked celebrations across the country.

Celebrations were especially buoyant in Oas town in the north-eastern province of Albay, from which Ms Gray’s Filipina mother hails.

According to Ms Gray, her gown’s design, with its lava colour and appearance, was influenced by Albay’s Mayon Volcano.

Ms Gray’s father is Australian, and she was born and grew up in Cairns, Australia. She studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the United States.

The office of Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was quick to congratulate Ms Gray, the fourth Filipina to be named Miss Universe.

He said: “Ms Gray truly made the entire Philippines proud when she sashayed on the global stage and showcased the genuine qualities defining a Filipina beauty: confidence, grace, intelligence and strength in the face of tough challenges.

“In her success, Miss Philippines has shown to the world that women in our country have the ability to turn dreams into reality through passion, diligence, determination and hard work.”

An early round of questioning touched on the issue of drugs, a controversial issue in the Philippines where Mr Duterte’s aggressive war on drugs has taken thousands of lives, many in what critics charge were extrajudicial executions.

Mr Duterte raised even more controversy when he recently joked that he smoked marijuana to deal with his busy schedule of meetings with other Asian leaders at a regional summit.

Asked what she thought about legalising marijuana, Ms Gray said: “I’m for it being used for medical use, but not so for recreational use. Because I think if people will argue, then what about alcohol and cigarettes? Everything is good but in moderation.”

This year’s Miss Universe competition included the first-ever transgender contestant, Angela Ponce of Spain. She said in a video presentation that it was not important for her to win but was more important for her “to be here”.

One of the few controversies of this year’s contest involved Miss United States, Sarah Rose Summers, seeming to mock contestants from Cambodia and Vietnam over their English language skills. Summers apologised.

The finale was again hosted by Steve Harvey, who infamously announced the wrong winner in the 2015 contest.

He joked briefly about the incident in exchanges with contestants and said: “You all can’t let that go”, and: “I’m still here.”

The theme of this year’s pageant was “Empowered Women” and was judged by seven women, including former pageant winners, businesswomen and a fashion designer. </s> There's a new Miss Universe in town!

Miss Philippines Catriona Gray was crowned the winner of the 2018 Miss Universe pageant, which was held Sunday in Bangkok, Thailand. Miss South Africa Tamaryn Green was the first runner-up and Miss Venezuela Sthefany Gutiérrez was the second runner-up.

Steve Harvey and Ashley Graham hosted the evening and were joined onstage by a special performance by Ne-Yo. Harvey returned as the emcee of the evening once again, despite his famous flub a few years ago after accidentally announcing the wrong winner at the 2015 Miss Universe pageant. Graham co-hosted the show last year as well.

The women from around the world vying for the coveted tiara participated in a number of events, including a swimsuit and evening gown presentation.
Filipina-Australian model Catriona Gray is crowned Miss Universe at the IMPACT Arena in Thailand.