And the crown goes to Miss Philippines! The winner of Miss Universe 2018 is Catriona Gray of the Philippines.
Miss Philippines was crowned by reigning Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa.
Miss Universe 2018 is… PHILIPPINES! pic.twitter.com/r2BkN8JpXh
— Miss Universe (@MissUniverse) December 17, 2018
Runners up for the coveted title were Miss South Africa, Tamaryn Green, who placed second, and Miss Venezuela, Sthefany Gutierrez, who placed third.
The event aired live from IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in Bangkok on Sunday, December 16, and was hosted by Steve Harvey with commentary by Carson Kressley and runway coach Lu Sierra.
Supermodel Ashley Graham helped with the duties, as she conducted backstage interviews with the contestants while Ne-Yo performed at the event.
The pageant made headlines in the week leading up to the festivities when Miss USA, Sarah Rose Summers, came under fire for making comments about two non-English speaking contestants.
Summers was joined by Miss Australia, Francesca Hung, and Miss Colombia, Valeria Morales, in an Instagram video taken on the preliminary night of competition where she spoke openly about Miss Vietnam, H’Hen Nie, and Miss Cambodia, Rern Sinat, and their knowledge of English.
The 24-year-old Nebraska native later apologized for her words in a lengthy Instagram post.
“@MissUniverse is an opportunity for women from around the world to learn about each other’s cultures, life experiences, and views. We all come from different backgrounds and can grow alongside one another,” she wrote alongside a picture of herself hugging Nie. “In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize. My life, friendships, and career revolve around me being a compassionate and empathetic woman. I would never intend to hurt another. I am grateful for opportunities to speak with Nat, Miss Cambodia, and H’Hen, Miss Vietnam, directly about this experience. These are the moments that matter most to me.”
