Pia Wurtzbach revealed the Miss Universe Philippines 2024 candidate she would be supporting. And it's interesting because they once competed against each other!
She expressed her full support for Christi McGarry in her bout to become Miss Universe Philippines. Pia also talked about how their friendship blossomed from being pageant "rivals" to really good friends.
The Miss Universe 2015 titleholder took to Instagram her love and admiration for Christi whom she called a "well-rounded woman."
"@christi.mcgarry and I go waaay way back in 2015 when we competed together 9 years ago and despite being "competitors" during the pageant, we grew to be really good friends through the years," Pia began in her post.
She recalled how Christi had always been very supportive of Pia, regardless of the results of the pageant where they both joined. That was how Pia remembers Christi—proud, supportive, and dedicated to her friends.
Likewise, Pia believed in Christi as well. That's why when the age restrictions for the Miss Universe candidates, Pia knew that it was a chance for Christi. "Christi worked hard and had big dreams too. She knew one day her time would come. She wanted to be Miss Universe too," Pia wrote.
Pia furthered, "She’s built a career as a model, host, DJ, entrepreneur, environmental advocate…this girl isn’t afraid of the grind. I believe in her as much as she believed in me. [...] If Miss Universe were tomorrow, she’d be ready."
The coronation night for Miss Universe Philippines will be held on May 22, 2024 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Who is Pia Wurtzbach's friend and Miss Universe bet, Christi McGarry?
Hailing from the city of Taguig, Christi is joining the Miss Universe scene for the second time around. She competed against Pia in 2015. Afterward, she focused on becoming a model and a host. She's also a DJ and a fur mom!
This year, as she vies for the Miss Universe crown once again. She coined the terms #CrowningChristi and #CHRISTInadhana to manifest her much-awaited success in the pageant scene. More than her commitment to win, Christi is also an environmentalist. She has been a stern advocate of sustainable and eco-friendly living.
Miss Universe lifts its age restrictions
In September 2023, The Miss Universe Organization declared the removal of all age restrictions across all Miss Universe and associated pageants, effective immediately for the 2024 competitions worldwide.
"This change will apply to all 2024 pageants globally. Starting then, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe," the organization said on its Instagram account. This historic decision signaled a significant shift towards inclusivity and a celebration of beauty and grace in all its diverse forms.
Many beauty queens have proclaimed their support for such a move. Miss Universe 2018 titleholder, Catriona Gray, for one did not see anything wrong with lifting the age restriction on candidates.
According to Catriona, age has always been used against women—most especially in the context of beauty pageants. "As a woman, I feel like age is usually used to like, limit us and our potential," she shared.
She expounded, "There are terms always thrown at women, like, 'Oh, your biological clock is ticking' or 'Time is running out' or 'These are your prime years,' mga ganyan. [...] "It gives other women a platform to talk about what they want, to showcase something, to represent someone, a community, or something about themselves. And so I see pageantry as a lens of that—not just beautiful women who are fit, who are walking on stage."
