Grab some balut, hop in a jeepney and pull out your barrel man, because Miss Philippines just won the 2018 Miss Universe pageant! Catriona Gray, 24, became the fourth Filipina woman to receive the prestigious crown, defeating Miss South Africa and Miss Venezuela in the final round. It's a huge victory for the poverty-stricken country, which often makes the news for its devastating war on drugs. (And not for its beautiful beaches, mountains and rice terraces.)

In the final round, Gray wore a glittering red dress inspired by the volcano near her home, and described her experience working with children in the slums of Manila. She admitted "the life there is very poor and very sad," but she learned how to look for a silver lining. Gray said if she should teach people to be more grateful,  "we could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster, and children would have a smile on their face."

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Some people criticize beauty pageants for objectifying women and reinforcing impossible beauty standards. However, the ceremonies can also have a positive impact, drawing attention to important issues. This year's trailblazing pageant made history by featuring the transgender candidate.

"I'm competing because it's what I've wanted to do since I was a little girl," Angela Ponce, aka Miss Spain, told Time ahead of the competition. "I'm showing that trans women can be whatever they want to be: a teacher, a mother, a doctor, a politician and even Miss Universe."

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Although Ponce was considered the surprise front-runner, she did not place within the top 20. However, Miss Universe honored the first-ever transgender contestant with an emotional tribute. During the live competition in Bangkok, Thailand, she appeared in a special segment that received massive applause from the audience.

My hope is for tomorrow to be able to live in a world of equality for everyone, simply for us all to understand that we are human and we must make all our lives easier together," stated Ponce. "If I can give that to the world, I don't need to win Miss Universe, I only need to be here." On social media, people praised Miss Universe for celebrating praising diversity, and bringing attention to LGBTQ issues.

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But not all the coverage was positive. Miss USA, Sarah Rose Summers, sparked an online backlash after appearing to mock non-English speaking contestants. In a live Instagram video, the 24-year-old said that Miss Vietnam, H'Hen Nie, is "So cute and she pretends to know so much English and then you ask her a question after having a whole conversation with her and she [nods and smiles]."

Later on in the clip, Summers expressed sympathy for Miss Cambodia, Rern Sinat. "[She doesn't speak any English and not a single other person speaks her language," asserted Summers "Can you imagine? Francesca [Miss Australia] said that would be so isolating and I said yes and just confusing all the time. Poor Cambodia."

After getting called out for sounding "xenophobic" and "condescending," the Nebraska beauty issued an apology: "In a moment where I intended to admire the courage of a few of my sisters, I said something that I now realize can be perceived as not respectful, and I apologize," said Summers.

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Hopefully Miss USA's faux pas will not overshadow Miss Spain's historic inclusion, or Miss Philippines' stunning victory. After the coronation, Gray told reporters, "When I was 13 years old, my mother told me, ‘I had a dream that you were in Miss Universe, and you won in a red dress.’" Sometimes dreams come true.

Miss Nigeria may not have won the Miss World 2019 competition, but certainly stole the show with her incredible reaction to missing out on the crown.

When the prestigious competition came down to the final three - Miss Nigeria (Nyekachi Douglas), Miss Jamaica (Toni-Ann Singh), and Miss Brazil (Elis Coelho) - nobody could have predicted what was about to unfold as the winner was announced.

Check out Miss Nigeria's amazing reaction below:

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As the three finalists embraced on stage and held each other for support, Miss Jamaica was named the winner of Miss World 2019. In a heartbeat, Douglas expressed her joy that her friend had won, and danced around the stage in pure ecstasy.

With an expression of happiness that would bring a smile to the most miserable of people, Douglas then twirled and shouted "Yeah, girl!" in Singh's face. The three women then embraced for one final time, before a stunned Singh came forward to accept her crown.

And after seeing Miss Nigeria's heartfelt reaction, Twitter exploded with compliments and praise for the pageant queen:

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Twitter user Andrien Gbinigie tweeted: "Miss Nigeria’s reaction to Miss Jamaica winning fills me with the same joy that a fresh plate of naija jollof delivers directly into my veins".

And @ChanLeoyChan typed: "This is why Nigeria will always be that Country we all need a friend like Miss Nigeria into our lives #MissWorld2019 Congrats Miss Jamaica".

And @thisissibi responded to the heartwarming reaction by saying: "May the new decade greet us with friends like Miss Nigeria".

With this result, black women now hold every major pageant crown in the world - with Miss America, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Miss Universe and now Miss World all being held by black women.

A model who was stripped of her title in the Miss World competition for being a mother is taking legal action against the organization for discrimination, the BBC reports.

Veronika Didusenko, 24, was crowned Miss Ukraine 2018 but was stripped of her title four days later when the organizers of the competition found out she had a child. The policy states that no one with children is able to take part in the Miss World competition.

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The young mom, who has a degree in mechanics and mathematics, says she was aware of the policy, having seen it on the application form, but was still encouraged to participate by organizers.

Check out this classic beauty pageant moment which saw Miss Philippines being forced to choose between beauty or brains:

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"I want to change them, challenge them. I want to make sure the rules of Miss World move with the times," Didusenko told the UK's Radio 1 Newsbeat. "I want to make them more fit for nowadays and reflect women's reality today - who can perfectly balance between their careers and their personal life."

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Left feeling "humiliated and insulted" by her disqualification, Didusenko has decided to take the Miss World franchise to court.

In a post to Instagram, the 24-year-old announced that she has since enlisted the help of Ravi Nai - the Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in 2018 - and Marie Demitriou QC in her pursuit of justice following the "discrimination" she faced.

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“We say that under the #EqualityAct 2010 the entry policy operated by #MissWorld is discriminatory on various grounds, namely marital status, and pregnancy and maternity,” Didusenko wrote in the caption.

"The Equality Act protects against discrimination based on certain characteristics, including marriage, maternity, and sex. The reason I was not allowed to compete in Miss World after winning the title #MissUkraine is because I had been married and have a child. Denying me the chance of competing on those bases breaches those protections against discrimination.”

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Didusenko also explains that she has no interest in having her Miss Ukraine title reinstated, rather, she wants to challenge entrenched sexism on a "large scale". "I don’t want the crown back. I want to get the rules changed for wider society," she wrote on Instagram. "These rules are a systemic, widespread and international policy that results in discrimination on large scale across many countries."

This year's 72nd Miss Universe competition was full of historic firsts.

And one woman to emerge from the competition with an overwhelming amount of support is 22-year-old Miss Nepal, Jane Dipika Garrett.

Garrett won the title of Miss Nepal earlier this year and represented the nation at the Miss Universe competition at the Gimnasio Nacional José Adolfo Pineda in San Salvador, El Salvador on November 18 - becoming the first-ever plus-sized contestant to ever take to the prestigious stage.

"As a curvy woman who doesn’t follow certain beauty standards, I’m here to represent all women," she said, per Indy100, proud to be an advocate of body positivity.

And the importance of Garrett's inclusion wasn't lost on those in attendance, as they erupted with cheers when the 22-year-old took to the stage in a stunning silver one-piece for the swimsuit competition.

Viewers at home couldn't help but voice their delight, with many taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to praise the beauty queen.

"OH WOW Nepal's Jane Dipika Garrett is SUCH A BEAUTY and defies stereotype in Miss Universe. I LOVE that the crowd is cheering for her. Finally a representation of plus size women in the Ms. U!!! GOO GOO JANE cheering for you," one person tweeted.

Another added: "Jane Dipika Garrett, you’ve broken barriers. Many women around the world see themselves in you. Congrats on Top 20, my sentimental fave."

And a third viewer tweeted: "Pleased to see Miss Nepal in the Miss Universe Competition which is dominated by slim ladies. It’s refreshing to see all body types there too. Women have all sorts of bodies and every kind of body is beautiful."

As well as being an advocate for body positivity, Garrett also uses her platform to champion hormonal health, PCOS, and mental health - after her own struggles with PCOS led to depression. She previously told Hola Magazine: "A few years ago, I was a very insecure person and had very low self-esteem. Now, I love myself, and that’s success to me."

Another groundbreaking first from the competition was that this year's Miss Universe featured the very first Miss Pakistan.

Representing the nation was Erica Robin - who also made a trailblazing statement during the swimsuit competition.

After hitting the stage, the San Salvador erupted with applause as Robin donned a stunning pastel pink burkini that covered much of her body - a stunning look when compared to the many daring swimsuits that had paraded the stage.

Sadly, per BBC News, Robin's inclusion in the completion was met with backlash, with some Pakistan politicians calling it "shameful" and even the Caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul-Haq Kakar even ordering an investigation.

Responding to the uproar, 24-year-old Robin said: "It feels great to represent Pakistan. But I don't understand where the backlash is coming from. I think it is this idea that I would be parading in a swimsuit in a room full of men."

Prior to the competition, Robin said she hoped to "change [the] mindset that Pakistan is a backward country".

The competition was eventually won by Miss Nicaragua, Sheynnis Palacios.

Featured image credit: Hector Vivas / Stringer / Getty

The world of pageantry is mourning the loss of former Miss Uruguay and Miss World contestant, Sherika de Armas, who passed away at the age of 26 after a two-year battle with uterine cancer.

Local media broke the tragic news on October 13, sending shockwaves throughout the entertainment community.

Sherika's family and close friends took to social media to share touching tributes. Among them, her brother Mayk De Armas posted a poignant video of Sherika gracefully skating, captioning it, "No more pain, bon voyage. I’ll love you forever."

The video serves as a testament to Sherika's radiant spirit and passion for life, even amid her health challenges.

Current Miss Uruguay, Carla Romero, took to Instagram to express her admiration for Sherika, stating, "Too evolved for this world. One of the most beautiful women I have ever met in my life.”

Sherika's journey battling uterine cancer over the past two years involved multiple treatments.

Lola de los Santos, the Miss Uruguay 2021 winner, recalled fond memories with Sherika, writing on social media, "I will always remember you, not only for all the support you gave me and for how much you wanted to see me grow, but for your love, your joy, the friends we shared and who remain with me today."

Fans, deeply affected by the news, also poured out their emotions on social media. A particularly heartfelt message from a fan read: "I'm devastated, I can't believe she is gone shey. QPD. I didn't know you but I followed you and you seemed to me an amazing simple mine. Very sincere, human, and you could see a lot of passion for what you did. You left us way too soon. The best for the family."

Another fan penned: "Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."

A third said: "So sad. I hate that C word. It took one of my sisters four years ago and I’m still grieving. My heart goes out to her family."

In 2015, Sherika was crowned Miss Uruguay and represented her country with pride at the Miss World pageant the same year. Although she didn't place in the top 30, her participation was notable as one of the few 18-year-olds in the competition.

Beyond the glitz and glamour, Sherika's heart shone brightly in her commitment to volunteer work. She actively supported organizations like the Pérez Scremini Foundation, which is dedicated to curing childhood cancer.

In addition to her modeling career, Sherika was an entrepreneur, having opened a beauty studio. With a keen sense of purpose, she leveraged her social media presence, building up a significant following.

Reflecting on her journey in the beauty industry, Sherika once revealed that it had been her lifelong dream to become a model.

Sherika's passing is a profound loss, but her legacy of resilience, beauty, and compassion will forever be remembered by all those whose lives she touched.

Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this difficult time.

Featured image credit: Darren Robb / Getty