Bahrain, Egypt, Great Britain bets undergo training in the Philippines for 73rd Miss Universe
Delegates from Bahrain, Egypt, and Great Britain flew to the Philippines to prepare for the 73rd Miss Universe competition in November.
Great Britain’s bet Christina Chalk, a Pinay-Scottish beauty queen, is learning how to master her pasarela with her coach, Zico Manzano.
“I think [being] half-Pinay, you have to go to the motherland,” Chalk said in an interview with entertainment reporter Dyan Castillejo, sharing that she also previously underwent training in the United Kingdom.
In a separate interview on TV Patrol, Chalk said that the Philippines is “one of the powerhouses” when it comes to pageantry.
“The Philippines is one of the powerhouses, and they really look at your body type, how you’re able to move, and your confidence levels and they're able to kind of analyze from A to Z of how you could progress,” Chalk told Castillejo.
Bahrain’s Shereen Ahmed, who is half-Filipina and half-Bahraini, as well as Egypt’s Logina Salah recently underwent a five-hour training here for their poses, Q&A, and pasarela, which Ahmed described as “pretty intense off the bat.”
Vying for the coveted crown, Ahmed said one of her inspirations is Pia Wurtzbach, who won the highly coveted Miss Universe title in 2015.
"I really relate as well to Pia Wurtzbach. She's a three-peat. She joined three times and I joined twice. I think in the moments where I would doubt myself, I would think, ‘Should I join again? Do I have what it takes? What can I use my voice for?’ I always watch Pia's interviews. Her humility just spoke to me in such a different way. Who doesn't love Pia Wurtzbach at the end of the day?" said Ahmed.
She expressed her hope to put the spotlight on more Bahraini women and debunk misconceptions about them being seen either as “terrorists” or “Princess Jasmine.”
Salah, a single mom to a 10-year-old and a vitiligo advocate, is aiming to spark inspiration, especially for those who also have rare skin conditions like hers. Vitiligo is a disease that leads to loss of skin color in patches, according to health information website Mayo Clinic.
The three candidates are all past the previous age limit of 28. They are among the 130 candidates competing for the crown at the 2024 edition of Miss Universe.
The candidates in this year’s competition are expected to arrive in Mexico on Oct. 29. They will showcase their best selves in the preliminary competition on Nov. 14, and on the final night on Nov. 17.
The 73rd edition will introduce a new pageant format. Of the 130 delegates, top 30 will be chosen, consisting of 25 delegates picked by judges, four "continental queens," and one fan vote. The top 5 candidates, meanwhile, will come from the top 12's evening gown competition.
Philippines' Chelsea Manalo is aiming to take home the fifth Miss U crown for the country after Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).
Manalo was crowned Miss Universe Philippines in May, making history as the first Filipina of African descent to win the title.
