Miss Universe 2018 and Binibining Pilipinas alum Catriona Gray‘s overall stage presence during her hosting of the Binibining Pilipinas 2023‘s grand coronation night last Sunday did not escape pageant fans’ notice.
The former beauty queen was among the hosts of the 59th edition of the longest-running national pageant that crowned its two new beauty queens at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on May 28.
Angelica Lopez of Palawan won as Bb. Pilipinas International 2023 while Anna Valencia Lakrini of Bataan won as Bb. Pilipinas Globe 2023.
Katrina Anne Johnson of Davao del Sur finished first runner-up, while Atasha Reign Parani of General Trias, Cavite finished second runner-up.
Catriona shared the stage with fellow Bb. Pilipinas alums — Miss Grand International 2016 first runner-up Nicole Cordoves and Miss Universe 2014 top 10 semifinalist MJ Lastimosa.
The 2018 Miss Universe titleholder was the one who introduced the evening gown portion of the competition on stage.
Videos of the moment went viral on Twitter as pageant fans noticed Catriona’s look and how she presented herself during the part.
The former beauty queen appeared on stage with a shoulderless corset top paired with a silky light purple full skirt which was styled with a girly ribbon at the back.
The moment can be seen starting at the 1:21:44-mark of the video on the Bb. Pilipinas’ YouTube channel.
A Twitter user shared a portion of this on the text-based social platform with the caption: “Kakaloka!!! Contestant ka, Catriona Gray???”
It was accompanied by a rolling-on-the-floor laughing emoji.
The video showed Catriona introducing the evening gown portion and then posing for the camera as she elegantly flaunted her attire.
Kakaloka!!! Contestant ka, Catriona Gray??? 🤣#BBPGrandCoronation2023 #BinibiningPilipinas #BbPilipinas2023 #IAmBinibini pic.twitter.com/GBfrUIp5F8
— Daniel B. Bautista (@bautistadanielb) May 28, 2023
The video has amassed 189,900 views, 3,982 likes, and over 430 retweets so far.
It has also earned several comments through the replies thread and the quote tweets, with some agreeing with the Twitter user’s opinion.
“Hahahahahaha umawra talaga xaaaa [siya],” another Twitter user commented.
“Maka-projek [project] si accla, kala mo contestant. Aagawan pa sila ng korona,” quipped a different user.
“Kween thingz ang biglang mag-project at umawra. Hahaha,” another Filipino commented.
A different Twitter user joked that Catriona “won” the evening gown competition with her look and how she projected herself.
“Ok, may nanalo na sa evening gown kineme, iba ka, Catriona,” the user quipped with a raised hands emoji.
Another Filipino jokingly shared a made-up dialogue where the Miss Universe 2018 titleholder introduced herself as a contestant in the beauty pageant.
“”Ladies and Gentlemen, let us begin the Evening Gown Competition— starting off with myself, Bb. Albay, Catriona Gray.’ Awraa ka [diyan], miiii,” the Twitter user wrote.
Catriona represented Albay — her mother’s province — in the Bb. Pilipinas 2018, where she won as Miss Universe Philippines 2018.
This was not the first time the former beauty queen earned online buzz for her hosting.
Catriona similarly stole the spotlight as a backstage host in Miss Universe 2022, where Filipina-American R’Bonney Gabriel won.
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Some Pinoys said they loved Catriona’s “energy,” commenting that it appeared she was still “competing” in the global beauty pageant with the way she looked and carried herself during her hosting stint.
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Catriona previously said that being a host in Miss Universe was an “achievement unlocked” for her since it has “always been a dream” for her to be on the hosting lineup of the prestigious beauty pageant.
