Pia Wurtzbach
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Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach ( ; ; born September 24, 1989), formerly known professionally as Pia Romero, is a Filipino model, actress and beauty queen who is known for being crowned
Miss Universe 2015 Miss Universe 2015 was the 64th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 20, 2015. This was the first edition of the pageant to be held under the ownership of WME/IMG, which ...
. She joined
Binibining Pilipinas Binibining Pilipinas (abbreviated as Bb. Pilipinas; ) is a national beauty pageant in the Philippines that selects Filipina representatives to compete in one of the Big Four international beauty pageants: Miss International and selects two ot ...
pageant three times, and won in 2015 in her third attempt. She then represented Philippines at the
Miss Universe 2015 Miss Universe 2015 was the 64th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 20, 2015. This was the first edition of the pageant to be held under the ownership of WME/IMG, which ...
pageant, where she eventually won the title, becoming the first Filipina to win the pageant in four decades, and the first Filipina to win the pageant in the 21st century. She is the third
Filipina Filipinos ( tl, Mga Pilipino) are the people who are citizens of or native to the Philippines. The majority of Filipinos today come from various Austronesian ethnolinguistic groups, all typically speaking either Filipino, English and/or other ...
to win the title of
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...
, following
Gloria Diaz Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (; born 10 March 1951) is a Filipino actress of film and television, model and beauty queen who rose to fame after being crowned Miss Universe 1969, becoming the first Filipino to hold the Miss Universe title. Early ...
who won in 1969 and
Margie Moran Maria Margarita Roxas Moran-Floirendo (born 15 September 1953), professionally known as Margie Moran (), is a Filipino beauty queen, actress and peace advocate who was the president of Ballet Philippines and is the chairperson of the Cultura ...
who won in 1973, and was succeeded by
Catriona Gray Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray (; born 6 January 1994) is a Filipino-Australian model, singer, beauty queen, television personality, youth advocate and arts ambassador best known for having been crowned Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Fi ...
three years later, with Gray winning
Miss Universe 2018 Miss Universe 2018 was the 67th Miss Universe pageant, held at the IMPACT Arena, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand on December 17, 2018. At the end of the event, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa crowned Catriona Gray of ...
.


Early life and education

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was born in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
, Germany, to a German father and Filipino mother. She has a sister who is two years younger than she is. The family later moved to
Northern Mindanao Northern Mindanao ( tl, Hilagang Mindanao; ceb, Amihanang Mindanao; Maranao: ''Pangotaraan Mindanao'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region X. It comprises five provinces: Bukidnon, Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, ...
region in the Philippines, first in
Iligan Iligan, officially the City of Iligan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Iligan; fil, Lungsod ng Iligan; Maranao: ''Inged a Iligan''), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has ...
city, then settled at
Cagayan de Oro Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...
city, where she attended kindergarten at Kong Hua School and primary school at Corpus Christi School. Her parents separated when she was 11 years old, and she became the family's main breadwinner by modeling and acting. After being raised in the Philippines, she spent several years in England. She finished her secondary education at ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
,
Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...
, and studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in
San Juan, Metro Manila San Juan, officially the City of San Juan ( fil, Lungsod ng San Juan), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 126,347 people. It is geographica ...
. Wurtzbach speaks fluent Cebuano, English and Tagalog. She also speaks basic German, which she described as "enough to get myself a
bratwurst Bratwurst () is a type of German sausage made from pork or, less commonly, beef or veal. The name is derived from the Old High German ''Brätwurst'', from ''brät-'', finely chopped meat, and ''Wurst'', sausage, although in modern German it is o ...
".


Acting career

Wurtzbach is a professional model, actress, host and TV personality. She began acting at age four under the
stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Pia Romero. Managed by
ABS-CBN Corporation ABS-CBN Corporation is a Filipino media company based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is the largest entertainment and media conglomerate in the Philippines. It is a subsidiary of Lopez Holdings Corporation which is owned by t ...
's talent agency,
Star Magic ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., trade name, doing business as Star Magic (formerly known as ABS-CBN Talent Center), is the Talent agency, talent agency owned by ABS-CBN Corporation based in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines t ...
, she was included on the ''Star Circle Batch 11''. Among her TV credits are the teen-oriented series ''K2BU'', the concert variety program '' ASAP'', the romance anthology ''
Your Song "Your Song" is a song written by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, and performed by John. It was John's first international Top 10 chart single. "Your Song" was first released by American rock band Three Dog Night in M ...
'', the sitcom show '' Bora'', and the drama series ''
Sa Piling Mo ''Sa Piling Mo'' (International title: ''Here With Me'' / ) is a Philippine television series starring Judy Ann Santos and Piolo Pascual, which aired from February 27 to August 25, 2006, replacing ''Mga Anghel na Walang Langit''. Since April 16, ...
''. She appeared in films such as ''Kung Ako Na Lang Sana'' (2003), '' All My Life'' (2004), and '' All About Love'' (2006). She went on to become a stylist, makeup artist and beauty writer for ''
Philippine Daily Inquirer The ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' (''PDI''), or simply the ''Inquirer'', is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines. Founded in 1985, it is often regarded as the Philippines' newspaper of record. The newspaper is the most awarded bro ...
'''s ''2bU'' section. She then had to temporarily quit showbiz in order to focus on the
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...
pageant. After becoming
Miss Universe 2015 Miss Universe 2015 was the 64th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 20, 2015. This was the first edition of the pageant to be held under the ownership of WME/IMG, which ...
, she returned to
ABS-CBN ABS-CBN (an initialism of its two predecessors' names, Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle Broadcasting Network) is a Television in the Philippines, Philippine Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast broadcast network, network tha ...
after signing a two-year exclusive contract on October 9, 2017. She appeared as a guest host in '' ASAP'' and the co-host of ''
World of Dance Philippines ''World of Dance Philippines'' is a Philippine reality competition series based on the similarly named American reality competition. The series will feature dance performers, including solo acts and larger groups, representing any style of danc ...
'' with
Luis Manzano Luis Philippe Santos Manzano (; born April 21, 1981), also known by his nickname Lucky, is a Filipino-American TV host, actor, comedian, VJ, and model. He is the son of actors Edu Manzano and Vilma Santos. He is best known for his roles in t ...
.


Pageantry


Binibining Pilipinas 2013

Wurtzbach joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2013 pageant where she was named as the 1st Runner-Up alongside the ''Miss San Miguel Zero Fit and Sexy Body'' award.
Ariella Arida Ariella Hernandez Arida (; born November 20, 1988), also known as Ara Arida, is a Filipino actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2013. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 201 ...
won the said pageant.


Binibining Pilipinas 2014

She joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2014, but only placed in the top 15 alongside the ''Miss Philippine Airlines'' and ''She's So Jag'' awards. A controversy erupted when she failed to win any title following her question-and-answer portion. She was asked a question in Tagalog by a Filipino judge, Senator
Sonny Angara Sonny is a common nickname and occasional given name. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun", a nickname derived from the Italian name Salvatore (especially in N ...
, which she answered in Tagalog. Online commentators wondered if the question and answer in Tagalog cost her points from the international judges and, therefore, any title that year.
Mary Jean Lastimosa Mary Jean Ramirez Lastimosa (; born 23 November 1987), also known as MJ Lastimosa, is a Filipino model, host, actress, TV presenter and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2014. She represented the Philippines ...
won the said pageant.


Binibining Pilipinas 2015

On her third attempt for the title in 2015, she won the highest title, Miss Universe Philippines, alongside the ''Miss Cream Silk'' awards and went on to compete in the Miss Universe 2015 Pageant. During the question and answer portion of the pageant she was asked by then-
Camarines Sur Camarines Sur ( bcl, Habagatan na Camarines; tl, Timog Camarines), officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte an ...
Representative Representative may refer to: Politics * Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people * House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities * Legislator, som ...
Leni Robredo Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She was the wife of the late Jesse ...
: "Social media is now a very powerful tool on communication. Can you tell us your thoughts about internet censorship?" She answered:
On April 17, 2016, Wurtzbach crowned
Maxine Medina Maria Mika Maxine Perez Medina (; born May 10, 1990) is a Filipino designer, actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2016. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant and f ...
as her successor at the
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Binibining Pilipinas 2016 was the 53rd edition of Binibining Pilipinas. It took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on April 17, 2016. At the end of the event, Pia Wurtzbach crowned Maxine Medina as Mi ...
pageant held at the
Smart Araneta Coliseum The Araneta Coliseum, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Smart Araneta Coliseum, is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena that is part of the Araneta City in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines. Nicknamed as "the Big Do ...
in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
, Philippines.


Miss Universe 2015

Wurtzbach represented the Philippines in the 64th Miss Universe pageant held on December 20, 2015 in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, United States. At the national costume competition, Wurtzbach wore a white capiz terno with a matching fan and headpiece. The whole ensemble was designed by Filipino designer, Albert Andrada. At the preliminary competition, Wurtzbach wore a black and white two-piece bikini at the preliminary swimsuit competition and a red sleeveless crepe de chine gown by Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino at the preliminary evening gown competition. At the coronation night, Wurtzbach advanced to Top 15. She then wore a black and white two-piece bikini at the swimsuit competition that helped her advance to Top 10. She wore Albert Andrada's figure-hugging, strapless serpentina gown. It was inspired by the Philippines, the "Pearl of the Orient". She then advanced to Top 5. During the first question and answer round, Wurtzbach was asked by host Steve Harvey, "earlier this year, there was a controversy in the Philippines about the United States reopening a military base in your country. Do you think the United States should have a military presence in your country?" She answered:
In the final question and answer portion, the top three contestants were asked the same question by Harvey: "Why should you be the next Miss Universe?" and she replied:
Wurtzbach's answer references the pageant's motto "Confidently Beautiful". At the end of the show, host
Steve Harvey Broderick Stephen Harvey Sr. Also aired August 16, 2015. (born January 17, 1957) is an American television host, producer, actor, and comedian. He hosts ''The Steve Harvey Morning Show'', ''Family Feud'', '' Celebrity Family Feud,'' the Miss U ...
mistakenly announced Miss Colombia
Ariadna Gutiérrez Ariadna María Gutiérrez Arévalo (born 25 December 1993) is a Colombian model, actress, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Colombia 2014. She represented Colombia in the Miss Universe 2015 competition on December 20, 2015, an ...
as the winner. However, after Gutiérrez's crowning, Harvey returned to the stage and stated that he had misread the results and that Wurtzbach was really Miss Universe 2015.
Paulina Vega Paulina Vega Dieppa (; born 15 January 1993) is a Colombian television host, model and beauty queen crowned Miss Colombia 2013 and Miss Universe 2014. Vega is the second Miss Universe from Colombia. Early life Paulina Vega Dieppa was born in Ba ...
(
Miss Universe 2014 Miss Universe 2014 was the 63rd Miss Universe pageant, held at the FIU Arena in Florida, United States on January 25, 2015. This was the first time in the history of the competition that the pageant was not during the year the title was awarde ...
) then removed the crown from Gutiérrez's head and placed it on Wurtzbach's head. Wurtzbach is the third Miss Universe from the Philippines after
Gloria Diaz Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (; born 10 March 1951) is a Filipino actress of film and television, model and beauty queen who rose to fame after being crowned Miss Universe 1969, becoming the first Filipino to hold the Miss Universe title. Early ...
in 1969, and
Margie Moran Maria Margarita Roxas Moran-Floirendo (born 15 September 1953), professionally known as Margie Moran (), is a Filipino beauty queen, actress and peace advocate who was the president of Ballet Philippines and is the chairperson of the Cultura ...
in 1973. On January 21, 2016, she traveled to
Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
in Indonesia to shoot a commercial for ''C 1000'', a vitamin brand available in Indonesia. Two days later, on January 23, 2016, she arrived in the Philippines for a week-long homecoming celebration with visits to the cities of
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
,
Makati Makati ( ), officially the City of Makati ( fil, Lungsod ng Makati), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines; it has the highest concentration ...
,
Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay ( fil, Lungsod ng Pasay; ), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, i ...
and
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
. She also made courtesy calls to the
Congress of the Philippines The Congress of the Philippines ( fil, Kongreso ng Pilipinas, italic=unset) is the legislature of the national government of the Philippines. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House of R ...
,
Senate of the Philippines The Senate of the Philippines (Filipino: ''Senado ng Pilipinas'', also ''Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas'' or "upper chamber") is the upper house of Congress of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines with the House of Representatives as ...
and
Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...
. On February 1, 2016, she arrived in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
to fulfill her duties as ''
Inside Edition ''Inside Edition'' is an American news broadcasting newsmagazine program that is distributed in first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine program that is no ...
''s special correspondent for
Super Bowl 50 Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) cha ...
. While in San Francisco, she was also reunited with
Janine Tugonon Janine Mari Raymundo Tugonon (; born October 19, 1989) is a Filipino model, TV presenter, actress and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2012. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2012 pageant ...
,
Miss Universe 2012 Miss Universe 2012 was the 61st Miss Universe pageant, held at the PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on December 19, 2012. At the end of the event, Leila Lopes of Angola crowned Olivia Culpo of t ...
1st Runner-up from the Philippines. On February 28, 2016, she travelled to
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, Canada to deliver a speech against bullying at the Speakers Forum for the International Students of the Language Academy of Canada wherein she shared some of her childhood experiences as a victim of bullying. During her stay in Canada, she was reunited with Miss Universe Canada 2015, Paola Nunez Valdez. She also met and gave some advice to the contestants of
Miss Universe Canada The Miss Universe Canada or "The Beauties of Canada" is a national beauty pageant in Canada, which sends its winners to the Miss Universe pageant. The Beauties of Canada Organization gained the exclusive rights to send a Canadian representativ ...
2016. On March 25, 2016, Wurtzbach returned to the Philippines for an unannounced visit to take care of some personal things including renewing her Philippine passport, charity works and film a new commercial for
Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange, PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Cen ...
. She also met and gave advice to the candidates of
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Binibining Pilipinas 2016 was the 53rd edition of Binibining Pilipinas. It took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on April 17, 2016. At the end of the event, Pia Wurtzbach crowned Maxine Medina as Mi ...
during their press presentation. On April 12, 2016 she returned to the Philippines for the Binibining Pilipinas 2016 pageant and on April 17 crowned her successor
Maxine Medina Maria Mika Maxine Perez Medina (; born May 10, 1990) is a Filipino designer, actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2016. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant and f ...
as Miss Universe Philippines 2016 during the coronation night. During the pageant she was reunited with Miss Myanmar 2015, May Barani Thaw and Miss Malaysia 2015,
Vanessa Tevi Vanessa Tevi Kumares ( ta, வெனெசா தேவி குமரேஸ்; ; born 4 December 1991) is a Chindians, Malaysian Chindian model and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2015. She represented her c ...
while
Miss USA 2015 Miss USA 2015 was the 64th Miss USA pageant, held at the Raising Cane's River Center Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on July 12, 2015. All fifty states and the District of Columbia competed. Nia Sanchez of Nevada crowned her successor Olivia J ...
, who at
Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...
, placed 2nd runner-up,
Olivia Jordan Olivia Jordan Thomas (born September 28, 1988) is an American actress, model, television host, and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned Miss USA 2015. She represented the United States at Miss Universe 2015, where she placed as a second ...
served as a judge. Wurtzbach's farewell speech and walk at
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Binibining Pilipinas 2016 was the 53rd edition of Binibining Pilipinas. It took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on April 17, 2016. At the end of the event, Pia Wurtzbach crowned Maxine Medina as Mi ...
as Miss Universe Philippines 2015, trended at social media with enormous hits. On April 21, 2016, Wurtzbach arrived in Peru to attend
Miss Peru 2016 The Miss Peru 2016 pageant was held on the night of April 23rd, 2016. This national beauty contest inaugurated the brand new Ecological Center Studios of América Televisión, America Television in Pachacamac, Lima, Lima, Peru, after weeks of even ...
pageant where she served as a judge. She also had a press conference a day before the pageant and was greeted by the
Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...
City Mayor, Luis Castaneda and received an honor of being "The Distinguished Guest of Lima". Wurtzbach along with
Miss Peru 2015 The final of the Miss Perú 2015 pageant was held on the night June 2, 2015 at the Belmond Miraflores Park Hotel. It was the first year under the new Miss Peru Organization, marking the comeback of Jessica Newton as national director. The first cu ...
,
Laura Spoya Laura Vivian Spoya Solano (born July 25, 1991) is a Peruvian TV Host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won her home country's beauty national title of Miss Peru, Miss Peru 2015. She represented Peru at the Miss Universe 2015 pageant. Pe ...
crowned
Valeria Piazza Valeria Piazza Vásquez (born 8 December 1989) is a Peruvian social communicator, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Peru 2016 and represented Peru at the Miss Universe 2016 pageant where she was a semifinalist. Early life Piazza ...
,
Miss Peru 2016 The Miss Peru 2016 pageant was held on the night of April 23rd, 2016. This national beauty contest inaugurated the brand new Ecological Center Studios of América Televisión, America Television in Pachacamac, Lima, Lima, Peru, after weeks of even ...
. On April 27, 2016, Wurtzbach threw out the
ceremonial first pitch The ceremonial first pitch is a longstanding ritual of baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from their seat in the grandstand to ...
for the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. A month later on May 27, 2016, Wurtzbach travelled to
Machala Machala () is a city in south-west Ecuador. It is the capital of the El Oro Province, and is located near the Gulf of Guayaquil on fertile lowlands. Machala has a population of 241,606 (2010 census); it is the eighth-biggest city in the country, a ...
, Ecuador to help the victims of the recent earthquake that killed at least 600 people. She was welcomed by the mayor of Machala, Carlos Falquez Batallas to the city and was named as an honorary volunteer of the Guayas Red Cross wherein she was invited to participate in the global appeal of raise resources to build 6,000 homes for the earthquake victims. She was also given a chance to meet Connie Jiménez,
Miss Ecuador 2016 Miss Ecuador 2016, the 66th Miss Ecuador pageant, was held on March 12, 2016 in Machala, El Oro Province, El Oro. Francesca Cipriani, Miss Ecuador 2015 from Guayas Province, Guayas crowned her successor Connie Jiménez of Los Ríos Province, Los R ...
during her visit. In June 2016, Wurtzbach represented the Philippines and the Miss Universe Organization in a high-level meeting of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
that aimed at ending AIDS. In her capacity as Miss Universe, Wurtzbach visited
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...
,
Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
,
Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...
,
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
,
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, several cities across the United States and her native country, the Philippines. As a parting gift on her final official photoshoot, Wurtzbach was granted access to the elusive
Mikimoto Crown The Phoenix Mikimoto Crown, (Kanji: 御木本不死鳥王冠) also informally known as the Mikimoto Crown, was a pageant crown worn by Miss Universe titleholders. The crown was made by the Mikimoto Pearl company in Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan ...
. Wurtzbach relinquished her Miss Universe crown and passed it on to
Iris Mittenaere Iris Mittenaere (; born 25 January 1993) is a French model, television host, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe 2016. She is the second Miss Universe from France after Christiane Martel, who was elected Miss Universe 1 ...
of France at the
65th Miss Universe Miss Universe 2016 was the 65th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines on January 30, 2017. This is the second time in the history of the competition that the pageant skipped an entire year, ...
pageant, held on January 30, 2017 in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Philippines.


Post Miss Universe

On January 30, 2017, Wurtzbach stated that she has signed a contract with WME/IMG's IMG Universe division where she will continue to work with the Miss Universe Organization as an HIV/AIDS awareness advocate after her reign. ''
Asia's Next Top Model ''Asia's Next Top Model'' (abbreviated as ''AsNTM'') is a reality television show based on the American franchise ''America's Next Top Model'' in which a number of aspiring models compete for the title of ''Asia's Next Top Model'' and a chance ...
'' cast her as a guest judge on several episodes of the fifth cycle. She costarred with
Vice Ganda Jose Marie Borja Viceral (born March 31, 1976), popularly known as Vice Ganda (; ), is a Filipino comedian, talk show host, television presenter, actor, entrepreneur, and singer. He is a regular host on ABS-CBN's noontime variety show '' It' ...
and
Daniel Padilla Daniel John Elago Ford (born April 26, 1995), better known by his screen name Daniel Padilla (), is a Filipino actor and recording artist. Padilla made his television debut with a supporting role in the soap opera ''Gimik 2010'' (2010), befor ...
in a film under production of
Star Cinema ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. (doing business as Star Cinema or ABS-CBN Films) is a Philippines, Filipino film studio and film and television production company and film distributor headquartered in Quezon City. It is one of the major film ...
. The project served as her acting comeback after six years and her first film in more than a decade. The film entitled '' Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad'' served as one of the eight official film entries in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival. Wurtzbach served as a judge during the final coronation night of
Miss Universe 2017 Miss Universe 2017 was the 66th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on November 26, 2017. At the end of the event, Iris Mittenaere of France crowned Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Af ...
. She starred in another Star Cinema movie entitled ''
My Perfect You ''My Perfect You'' is a 2018 Philippine romantic comedy drama film directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, produced and distributed by Star Cinema. Starring Gerald Anderson and Pia Wurtzbach. This is Pia Wurtzbach's second film after '' Gandarrapiddo ...
'' alongside
Gerald Anderson Gerald Randolph Opsima Anderson Jr. (born March 7, 1989) is a Filipino-American actor. He is managed and under contract to Star Magic, ABS-CBN's home based talent agency. Recognized as the "Action-Drama Prince" of Philippine industry, He is on ...
. Wurtzbach co-hosted
Binibining Pilipinas 2018 Binibining Pilipinas 2018 was the 55th edition of Binibining Pilipinas. It took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on March 18, 2018. At the end of the event, Rachel Peters crowned Catriona Gray as Mi ...
with
Nicole Cordoves Nicole Ignacio Cordoves (; born April 15, 1992) is a Filipino model, host, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Grand International 2016. She represented the Philippines at the Miss Grand International 2016 page ...
and
Richard Gutierrez Richard Kristian Gutierrez (born January 21, 1984), known professionally as Richard Gutierrez, is a Filipino actor, environmentalist and model. He is one of the sons of actor Eddie Gutierrez. Early life Richard Gutierrez was born on January ...
. In 2019, Wurtzbach participated in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games opening ceremony. On January 6, 2020, Wurtzbach had her own trending OPM song named after her, sung by BLYMNDT ft. Angelo and BRYC, which was a month after
Catriona Gray Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray (; born 6 January 1994) is a Filipino-Australian model, singer, beauty queen, television personality, youth advocate and arts ambassador best known for having been crowned Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Fi ...
's own trending song was released. The latter's song was actually sung by Matthaios.


Personal life

Although a practicing
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
, Wurtzbach openly supports views contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly the distribution of birth control via full implementation of the Philippines' Reproductive Health Law and the recognition of
LGBT rights in the Philippines ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...
. On December 13, 2016, she received a personal
rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or b ...
from
Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
. Wurtzbach is an advocate for
gender equality Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
. On
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
she declared her support for the LGBT community in light of the
Orlando nightclub shooting On , 2016, Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old man, killed 49 people and wounded 53 more in a mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Orlando Police officers shot and killed him after a three-hour standoff. In a 9- ...
in 2016. In 2018, she called on the Philippine Senate to pass the
SOGIE Equality Bill The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE, ) Equality Bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill (ADB), are a series of House and Senate bills that were introduced in the 17th and 18th Congress of the Philippines which ai ...
. In 2017, Wurtzbach was named a
UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) (, ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an ...
Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific. Wurtzbach has
tweeted Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
that she intends to remain unmarried and
childfree Voluntary childlessness, also called being childfree, describes the voluntary choice to not have children. In most societies and for most of human history, choosing not to have children was both difficult and undesirable. The availability of rel ...
. In June 2020, she confirmed her relationship with Scottish entrepreneur Jeremy Jauncey. She dated Filipino-Swiss race-car driver
Marlon Stöckinger Marlon Alexander Stöckinger (born April 4, 1991) is a Filipino former racing driver, who raced for Status Grand Prix in the 2012 GP3 Series. He is the first Filipino to win a formula race in Europe. Stöckinger was the 2006 Asian Karting Cha ...
from 2017 to 2019. On May 6, 2022, she announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Jeremy Jauncey.


Filmography


Television


Film


Awards and nominations


See also

*
Gloria Diaz Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (; born 10 March 1951) is a Filipino actress of film and television, model and beauty queen who rose to fame after being crowned Miss Universe 1969, becoming the first Filipino to hold the Miss Universe title. Early ...
*
Margie Moran Maria Margarita Roxas Moran-Floirendo (born 15 September 1953), professionally known as Margie Moran (), is a Filipino beauty queen, actress and peace advocate who was the president of Ballet Philippines and is the chairperson of the Cultura ...
*
Catriona Gray Catriona Elisa Magnayon Gray (; born 6 January 1994) is a Filipino-Australian model, singer, beauty queen, television personality, youth advocate and arts ambassador best known for having been crowned Miss Universe 2018. She is the fourth Fi ...
*
Binibining Pilipinas Binibining Pilipinas (abbreviated as Bb. Pilipinas; ) is a national beauty pageant in the Philippines that selects Filipina representatives to compete in one of the Big Four international beauty pageants: Miss International and selects two ot ...
*
Philippines at Major Beauty Pageants This is a list of the Philippines' representatives and their placements at the Big Four international beauty pageants. The Philippines, was widely considered a beauty pageant powerhouse until 2022. It has won in all four pageants with a total of ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wurtzbach, Pia 1989 births Living people ABS-CBN personalities Actresses from Misamis Oriental Actresses from Stuttgart Binibining Pilipinas winners Filipino child actresses Filipino female models Filipino people of German descent Filipino Roman Catholics 21st-century Roman Catholics Filipino television actresses HIV/AIDS activists LGBT rights activists from the Philippines Miss Universe 2015 contestants Miss Universe winners People from Cagayan de Oro Visayan people