Celeste Cortesi shares take on 'halfies' debate

Celeste Cortesi shared her take on the "halfies" debate.

On "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" on Wednesday, the beauty queen said that full-blooded Filipino men and women have also won pageant crowns.

"I don't think that necessarily just the halfies have that kind of advantage of winning the crown. I think, you know, they've proven also full-blood Filipinas that they brought a lot of pride to the country without being a half," Celeste said.

As a half-Italian and half-Filipino, Celeste said she takes pride in both cultures.

"I love my Italian heritage because that's my dad's side and I love exploring my Filipino heritage which is my mom's side. Also, my baby is somehow Filipino and halfie," Celeste said.

Celeste said she wanted to represent the Philippines in Miss Universe because the country "has always been in my heart."

She also said that growing up, she never felt like she belonged.

"Because when I was in Italy and living there, I was bullied because of my Asian side. And then, when I came here to the Philippines, I've always been told that I'm not Filipina enough to represent the country," she said.

The beauty queen said it took a lot for her to process and understand that. She also moved to the Philippines without knowing how to speak English or Tagalog, so she had to learn a lot.

"It was just really, really hard. And I had to really go through the process and maybe get hurt and get bashed, or like feel helpless or feel like I don't belong here," she said.

"But eventually, you really grow up. So I think I really grew from it and I really understood that I can belong anywhere, both Italy and the Philippines. And that's also what I want to teach my son, that he doesn't have to choose," Celeste added.

The "halfies" conversation gained traction after comments circulating online sparked discussions about whether the Philippines would remain competitive in international pageantry without candidates of mixed ancestry.

Celeste announced her pregnancy in April. Later that month, she announced that she will be having a baby boy she will name Sergio.

Celeste represented the Philippines at Miss Universe 2022, where she bowed out early from the competition.

In a 2023 episode of "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda," Celeste opened up about coping with the pain of her early exit from the Miss Universe pageant.

In 2024, she launched her beauty brand Asul. It offers several makeup products, including peptide lip balm, lip liners, and blush. It's available in select Beauty Bar stores.

Celeste's docuseries, "Celeste Unscripted," premiered on August 8. It airs every Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on GTV. —Nika Roque/MGP, GMA News