Catriona Gray responds after being introduced as 'Australian who represented the Philippines'
Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray is setting the records straight: She is a Filipina.
The former titleholder shared a photo of herself with the word “Filipina” on her Instagram Story dated Tuesday, November 17, after she participated in judging the Miss Universe Colombia 2020 pageant.
Source: catriona_gray
The response came after the host described Catriona as “hailing from Australia but represented the Philippines” in the international stage of the Miss Universe pageant.
While Catriona's response was very subtle, a few pageant fans aired their dismay by the introduction.
This is not the first time Catriona addressed her heritage.
During the early part of her reign, her ethnicity being half-Australian has sparked discussion among pageant fans.
It can be recalled that Catriona has a Scottish-born Australian father named Ian Gray and was born in Queensland, Australia. She moved to the Philippines at the age of 18 to pursue a career in modeling.
Her mother, Normita Magnayon, is a Filipina who hails from Albay, Philippines.
When she was crowned, a Brisbane-based tabloid referred to the beauty queen as “our crowning glory” and crossed out the word “Philippines” and replaced it with “Queensland.”
In an interview with Build Series in 2019, Catriona said she never felt “weird” competing with Miss Australia for the Miss Universe pageant.
She said, “I really feel like I'm a Miss Philippines. I feel like a Filipina, a Filipino woman.
“It just so happened that when I was growing up, I was very much of an Australian.”
Catriona continued, “I think you can be both; I really did grow up with those two sides of the world.
“I am a Miss Philippines, but I can't blame them for being excited from really feeling the high spirits of the season too.”
During and after her reign, Catriona has promoted the Filipino culture, particularly the country's beautiful textile industry. She was even appointed as an ambassador for the National Commission for Culture and the Arts with Julie Anne San Jose and KZ Tandingan.