1. She is half-Scottish, half-Filipino
Catriona’s father Ian Gray is Scottish while her mother Normita Magnayon is Filipino. The 24-year-old beauty was born in Cairns, Australia, and made the big move to Philippines after she turned 18.
2. This is not her first time on the world stage
Before she was Miss Universe Philippines, Catriona also reigned as Miss World Philippines back in 2016, and went on to make her country very proud with a top five finish in Miss World that year. Track even further back and you’ll find adorable pictures of little Catriona making her pageant debut at Little Miss Philippines 1999 in Sydney.
3. The new Miss Universe is incredibly (multi-)talented
Let’s see, on top of holding a Master’s Certificate in Music Theory from Berkley, she sings…
She got a black belt in Choi Kwang-Do when she was 12…
And she’s pretty artistic too.
4. She’s an activist
Besides being an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness at Love Yourself PH, Catriona also volunteers as a Teacher’s Assistant to the students of Young Focus, a non-profit organisation that helps underprivileged children and young people from Smokey Mountain, Manila by providing them with better access to education and care. She started the Paraiso Bright Beginnings Project with Young Focus in 2016, where she worked to fundraise for preschools in the area through multiple efforts such as benefit concerts, auctioning off original artworks and social media movements.
5. She is a CSI geek
In an interview with StarStyle, Catriona professed to be a huge fan of the forensics crime drama: “CSI is my all-time favourite show. I’ve been watching it literally since 8 years old. And even now, when I go back and watch, I still find the effects amazing. ‘Cos I love crime, mystery, and detective stuff. Definitely my favourite.”
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