Heena Sharma Blog

The Philippines' Catriona Gray was named Miss Universe 2018 at a gala ceremony in Bangkok, besting contestants from 93 other countries and delighting her home country. Gray is the fourth Filipina to be named Miss Universe. Celebrations were especially buoyant in Oas town in the northeastern province of Albay, from where Gray's Filipina mother hails. The office of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was quick to congratulate the winner. "when I was 13 my mom said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress." The 24-year-old Gray wore a sparkling red dress, which 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 Southeast Asian contestants. Read More Business Standard

India's Nehal Chudasama failed to make it to the Top 20 of the Miss Universe 2018 pageant, where Catriona Elisa Gray from Philippines pipped 93 contestants from around the world to emerge the winner -- as chosen by an all-women jury. India had pinned high hopes on Nehal, 22, to end a long drought for the country at the pageant as Lara Dutta had last brought back the crown in 2000. But South Africa's Tamaryn Green, a medical student, and Venezuela's Sthefany Guterrez, studying to be a lawyer, secured the first runner-up and second runner-up spots at the gala ceremony, where Spain's Angela Ponce made history as the first transgender woman to contend for the title of Miss Universe. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning Steve Harvey, the show here on Sunday saw Gray taking an ecstatic first walk as Miss Universe in a dazzling red gown with a thigh-high slit. She was crowned by Miss Universe 2017 Demi Leigh Nel-Peters, who comes from South Africa. Read More