5 things about Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach aka Miss Universe 2015
It has certainly been a whirlwind day for Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach since she won her Miss Universe title on Monday morning (Dec 21, Singapore time).
The 26-year-old was crowned Miss Universes 2015 under controversial circumstances when host Steve Harvey mistakenly gave the title to Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, forcing an embarrassing u-turn.
The colossal error drove a wedge between the remaining contestants, with some going as far as snubbing Miss Wurtzbach when she tried to approach a sobbing Gutierrez.
While it seems as though that the discord hasn't affected her too much, the unusual nature of her victory has clearly left Miss Wurtzbach in disbelief and she looked surprised when she took to Instagram to celebrate her win.
Here are five things that you may not know about Miss Philippines.
1) SHE'S HALF-GERMAN
If you couldn't tell by her surname, Miss Wurtzbach comes from a mixed heritage. Born in Stuttgart to her late German father and Filipino mother, she is fluent in German, Tagalog and English.
2) SHE WORKS IN THE MEDIA INDUSTRY
A child star in the Philippines at the age of 11, Miss Wurtzbach is an actress who goes by her screen name of Pia Romero. Apart from that, she is also a stylist and a writer for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
3) SHE GREW UP IN A CITY FAMOUS FOR WHITEWATER RAFTING
Miss Wurtzbach grew up in Cagayan de Oro, which means River of Gold. The city in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao is known for attracting thrill seekers, especially whitewater rafting enthusiasts, thanks to the Cagayan River.
4) SHE'S A GEEK
Miss Wurtzbach is an "avid gamer" and a "nerd" who loves games like Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and Marvel vs Capcom on her PlayStation, according to an article written by her colleague from the Inquirer. He also mentioned that Miss Wurtzbach "wasn't ashamed to cry" when she entered a Disney theme park for the first time in her life.
5) THIRD TIME'S A CHARM
Miss Wurtzbach ascension to the Miss Universe crown came after she won the right to represent her home country on her third try. She finished second in the 2013 edition of the Binibining Pilipinas (Miss Philippines in Filipino) and failed to progress beyond the top 15 in 2014 before winning this year's pageant.
Sources: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Miss Universe, Instagram
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