TRANSCRIPT: Miss Universe 2024 Top 5 question and answer portion
Before the announcement of the winner, the top five finalists of the 73rd Miss Universe pageant faced the ultimate challenge: the question and answer portion.
During the Miss Universe coronation on Nov. 17 (PH Time) in Arena CDMX, Mexico, where Miss Denmark Victoria Kjaer Theilvig was crowned, each contestant was given 30 seconds to articulate their thoughts on the selection committee's questions and another identical question, "Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?"
As the spotlight shone on these five women, the audience watched with bated breath, eager to hear their responses.
Here's how they answered:
Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina
What is more important: being liked or being respected, and why?
I feel like it's being respected. We live in a society where we often don't feel respected because of who we are. And I feel like when you respect yourself, you respect others around you. And respect is really important.
Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?
As a woman who has faced adversity, I feel like I have a powerful story. I don't stand here as Chidimma Adetshina. I stand here as a symbol of hope, a beacon of faith. As someone who has persevered with grace, I believe I have fought for not only myself, but for Africa.
Miss Mexico Maria Fernanda Beltran
When something bad is happening in your life, what gives you power to keep going?
[Giving me power] to keep going in my life, is my mom through her fight of cancer. Right now I'm feeling very happy to be here, to represent her resilience, her perseverance, and her discipline about all these illnesses. I want to invite you to always build your dreams, and as a powerful woman say, Diana de Gales, I want to be the queen of the people's heart.
Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?
As my social project says, say no [to] cyberbullying and cyberharassment. Right now we are in a huge problem that is [caused by] social media, and the message that I want to give to the world is to fight, control and adapt to this new situation with the emotional intelligence that we need to have. We need to have this emotional intelligence so we can control that emotions and with that emotions [in check], we can give that message with no fears.
Miss Denmark Victoria Kjaer Theilvig
How would you live your life differently if you knew nobody would judge you?
I would never change how I live my life. We learn from our mistakes. We learn every day. We learn something new and we gotta take that [and] bring it to the future, and that's why I live each day by each day and I just gotta stay positive. So no, I will not change nothing.
Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?
My message to all the world that is watching out there is: no matter where you come from, no matter your past, You can always choose to turn it into your strengths It will never define who you are You just gotta keep fighting I stand here today because I wanna change I wanna make history And that's what I'm doing tonight So never give up Always believe in yourself and your dreams And that is exactly what you're going to do
Miss Thailand Opal Suchata Chuangsr
What qualities must someone have to be a truly successful leader?
A quality that a leader should have for me is empathy. Because no matter how good you are, no matter what kind of education you are, in the end, you need empathy to care about your people, to care about their well-being. And not only leaders, I believe that everyone in this world needs to have empathy among each other. That's how we can unite.
Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?
One message I would like to give them is to always believe and to always have hope. Working on my project Opal for Her, I work a lot with cancer patients and doctors. We all know that it is a hard thing to overcome this disease, but what I can feel is everyone has hope and everyone believes that tomorrow will be a better day. As long as you believe your power is infinite and as long as you have hope, your spirits and your power will shine.
Miss Venezuela Ileana Marquez Pedroza
Describe the ideal woman of today and what you have in common with her.
My ideal moment today has been sharing with these amazing 127 women from all across the world, leaving behind our differences and sending the world a message of respect, love and union because that's the way the world is built.
Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?
My message to that is addressed to the persons across the world not only to the women tonight but across the world. The crown tonight, does not only go to the representative of Miss Universe tonight, but the crown goes to every single woman that has earned their respect, love and visibilities for us to be here tonight.
While the Philippines' Chelsea Manalo, though making it to the Top 30, did not advance to the Top 12, the nation remains hopeful for its fifth Miss Universe crown. The country aims to follow in the footsteps of its titleholders: Catriona Gray (2018), Pia Wurtzbach (2015), Margie Moran (1973), and Gloria Diaz (1969).