The most anticipated passing of the crown has finally concluded. The Miss Universe 2023 crowned Sheynnis Palacios, Miss Nicaragua, last November 19 in El Salvador, which marked the first for the country. Miss U fans do agree that it’s a historic event, however, after the top 5 announcements on live, the social media world started a ruckus. Miss Universe El Salvador uploaded an Instagram post, revealing the top five, but with the Philippines’ Michelle Dee rather than Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild. Was the PH candidate supposed to be in the top 5? Here’s what we got.
The Miss Universe El Salvador’s Intriguing Post That Went Viral
All was well during the Miss Universe 2023 until the top 10 was revealed. New and familiar countries were called to join the final ten lineup to showcase their evening gowns. Most candidates wore their nude or silver-colored gowns, but Miss Philippines’ Michelle Dee took everyone’s attention as she wore a black gown with intricate details — a nod to the oldest mambabatok, Apo Whang-Od.
- With Dee’s powerful walk, gown, and excellent MU journey, social media, especially Filipinos, were hopeful for a spot in the top 5. Miss Philippines also won Fan Votes, Spirit of the Carnival Award, and Voice for Change.
Unfortunately, with all these awards under her belt, Michelle Dee fell short of taking a spot for the final five. Australia, Colombia, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and Thailand proceeded to the next round, in the first Q&A portion.
- The host country, El Salvador, updated their Instagram with the top five. In the quickly-deleted post, Philippines’ Michelle Dee was on the list, while Miss Thailand was nowhere to be found.
This earned a lot of reactions from Miss Universe fans, specifically Filipinos rooting for their candidate. The updated upload with the final top five received a lot of backlash in the comments section. A lot said that they saw the original post, while others stated that Miss Philippines deserved the spot.
Cooking Show Accusation: What Could Be The Reason?
This Instagram post birthed another cooking show accusation, and some dug into the news about the Miss Universe management. On November 17, Paula Shugart, the long-time president of MU, announced that she would be stepping down from her position.
- Shugart cleared that this isn’t in line with the recent news, but instead, since months ago. “To be clear, this decision has been months in the making and not a response to recent events,” the former MU president said.
- Recently, the Thailand-based MU owner, the JKN Global Group, filed their bankruptcy in their country. The group clarified that it will rehabilitate its business. “JKN Global Group has announced a plan to refinance our debt and rehabilitate our business,” they said in a Facebook Story on November 10.
However, this boiled rumors that the reason behind Shugart’s departure was the recent Miss Universe 2023 ‘cooking show’ or manipulation. Unconfirmed news circulates that the former president has had enough of the manipulation of the results. Paula Shugart was also rumored to be wishing to include Miss Philippines’ Michelle Marquez Dee in the top 5 for her huge potential as a transformational leader.
At this point, these rumors should be taken as a grain of salt. None are confirmed, and regarding the Miss Universe El Salvador post, there were no statements offered after the ‘confusion’ between the two MU candidates.
Did Philippines’ Michelle Dee Earn A Spot In The Final Five Of Miss Universe 2023?
It was a tough choice on who would enter the top five in the Miss Universe 2023, but a lot knew how deserving Miss Philippines was. From the preliminary rounds, Michelle Marquez Dee had been turning heads with her beauty, elegance, advocacy, and brains. Come to the evening gown competition, she sure stood up among the rest with that stunning walk and a very beautiful black gown.
There was a feeling of certainty that the Miss Philippines candidate could take it to the next level — the first question and answer. As a Miss Universe enjoyer, I do agree that Miss Philippines’ Michelle Dee deserved a spot in the top five. She bagged special awards, which earned many eyebrow raises as she did not make it to the final five or three.
The Filipina candidate quickly shared comforting messages on her Instagram broadcast channel, right after falling short.
The results may not be favorable to all, but as one of Dee’s messages, “Everything happens for a reason.” Who knows? There’s always another year for all the Miss Universe hopefuls. We just hope that the accusations and rumors are false because none of the candidates deserve to experience any of these.
Nonetheless, we send our heartfelt regards to Miss Nicaragua for winning the Miss Universe 2023 crown!