Catriona Gray is speaking from the heart.
After finally watching a full replay of the Miss Universe 2025 pageant—right after landing from a flight—the Miss Universe 2018 queen took to her Instagram Broadcast Channel to share her honest thoughts. Her followers had been asking nonstop, and she felt it was time to give her “two cents.”
Catriona began by clarifying one thing: she has never served as a Miss Universe judge and has no insider access to the pageant’s scoring system.
“Assume ko lang—after Top 30, from zero na ang scores,” she said, making it clear she was only giving an educated guess.
Still, Catriona didn’t hesitate to praise this year’s standout queens. She admired the consistency of Thailand, Venezuela, and Colombia, and also highlighted the strong prelims and finals performance of the Philippines and Côte d’Ivoire—no surprise they both landed in the coveted Top 5.
When it came to the Q&A, she loved the initial questions but expected more from the final word segment.
“Sobrang basic ng tanong na yan for MU prep,” she said with a laugh. “If you don’t have a solid answer for that question… ewan ko na lang!”
She personally felt Côte d’Ivoire shined in the first Q&A round, while the Philippines delivered the strongest final word of the night.
But Catriona also opened up about her own judging experiences—both local and international. She admitted that sometimes the results can surprise even the judges on the panel.
“Sometimes, the ‘taste’ of judges is just different,” she explained. “Maybe they value a certain look, a type of walk, a vibe… we really don’t know.”
And that’s where her biggest hope for the organization comes in.
She wants transparency.
Real, honest, visible transparency.
“What I’d like to see is clear judging criteria, how scoring works, and an official tabulating firm,” she said. “My prayer has always been for a fair competition for the girls.”
Catriona’s message to Miss Universe was heartfelt:
Moving forward, the organization must rebuild trust—especially now, when fans are questioning the results following statements from former and would-be judges.
“The doubts of the fans are not unfounded,” she said. “It’s disheartening, considering the sacrifices, the dreams, the years of training these girls bring to the stage.”
She also addressed the negativity directed at newly crowned Miss Universe Fátima Bosch. Catriona said she admired the way Fátima stood up for herself earlier in the competition and hopes people give her a chance.
“I’ll be watching to see how she uses the platform to make a positive impact,” she added.
As her message came to a close, Catriona reminded fans of something important—something she says matters more than any crown.
“Let’s uplift our girls,” she said. “Tell them how they made us proud. Support them as they pursue their journeys.”
This year, the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo ended her Miss Universe run as the third runner-up, earning praise from Filipino pageant fans around the world.
The pageant also faced controversy after resigned Miss Universe judge Omar Harfouch accused organizers of rigging the results, even calling the new queen a “fake Miss Universe.” Celebrities, including Catriona, reacted strongly to the issue.
“But also… wala na bang bearing ang Q&A sa MU?” Catriona said, echoing the question fans themselves have been asking.
