Pia Wurtzbach

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Alonzo and the surname or
paternal family name is Wurtzbach.

Pia Wurtzbach

Beauty pageant titleholder

Wurtzbach in July 2016

Born Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

24 September 1989 (age 27)

Stuttgart, Baden-Wrttemberg, West Germany

Other names
Pia Romero

Hometown Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental, Philippines

Occupation Beauty pageant titleholder

actress

model
 television presenter

Years active 2002present

Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1]

Measurements 34-23-35

Hair color Black

Eye color Brown

Title(s) Miss Universe Philippines 2015

Miss Universe 2015

Major Binibining Pilipinas 2013

competition(s) (1st Runner-up)

Binibining Pilipinas 2014

(Top 15)

Binibining Pilipinas 2015

(Winner- Miss Universe Philippines 2015)

Miss Universe 2015

(Winner)

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach[2] (born 24 September 1989[3]), formerly known in the Philippine entertainment
and modeling industry as Pia Romero and, later, Pia Wurtzbach,[4][5][6] is a GermanFilipino actress,
TV host, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2015 on 20 December 2015
after becoming Miss Universe Philippines 2015 at the Binibining Pilipinas 2015 pageant on 15 March
2015.
Wurtzbach is the third Filipina to win the title of Miss Universe, following Gloria Diaz who won
in 1969 and Margarita Moran who won in 1973.[7][8]

Contents
[hide]

1Early life and background

2Acting career

3Pageantry

o 3.1Binibining Pilipinas

o 3.2Miss Universe 2015

4Post Miss Universe

5Personal life
 6Filmography

o 6.1Television

o 6.2Film

7References

8External links

Early life and background[edit]

Wurtzbach was born in the German city of Stuttgart to a German father and Filipino mother. Her
middle name "Alonzo" is her mother's maiden name, as per the naming practice in the
Philippines and based upon Spanish naming customs. The family would settle, however, in Iligan
City in the Philippines and would later move to Cagayan de Oro City[9] in the country's Northern
Mindanao region where she attended kindergarten at Kong Hua School and primary school at
Corpus Christi.[10]
Her parents separated when she was 9 years old and she became the family's main breadwinner by
doing modeling and acting.[6] After being raised in the Philippines, she spent several years in
England.[11] She finished her secondary education at ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center in Quezon
City, Metro Manila and studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan,
Metro Manila.[12][13] Wurtzbach speaks fluent Cebuano, English and Tagalog.[14] She also speaks
basic German, which she described as "enough to get myself a bratwurst".[15]

Acting career[edit]
Wurtzbach is a professional model, actress, host and TV personality. She began acting at age four
under the stage name Pia Romero.[16] Managed by ABS-CBN Corporation's talent agency, Star
Magic, 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, the sitcom
show Bora, and the drama series Sa Piling Mo.[17][18][19] She appeared in films such as Kung Ako Na
Lang Sana (2003), All My Life (2004), and All About Love (2006).[17] She went on to become a stylist,
makeup artist and beauty writer for Philippine Daily Inquirer's 2bU section.[12][20]

Pageantry[edit]
Binibining Pilipinas[edit]
Pia Wurtzbach during Binibining Pilipinas 2015.

Wurtzbach joined the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant three times before winning the Binibining Pilipinas
Universe title. During Binibining Pilipinas 2013, she was named as the 1st Runner-up.[21] She joined
the Binibining Pilipinas 2014, but only placed in the top 15.[22] A controversy erupted when she failed
to win any title following her question-and-answer portion.[11] She was asked a question in Tagalog by
a Filipino judge, Senator Sonny Angara, which she answered in Tagalog.[11] Online commentators
wondered if the question and answer in Tagalog cost her points from the international judges and,
therefore, any title that year.[11] On her third attempt for the title in 2015, she won the highest title,
Miss Universe Philippines, and went on to compete in the Miss Universe 2015 Pageant. [23]
Miss Universe 2015[edit]
Further information: Miss Universe 2015
Wurtzbach represented the Philippines in the 2015 Miss Universe contest held on 20 December
2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 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?", Wurtzbach answered:[24]
I think that the United States and the Philippines have always had a good relationship with each
other. We were colonized by the Americans and we have their culture in our traditions even up to this
day and I think that we're very welcoming with the Americans and I don't see any problem with that
at all.

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: [24]
To be a Miss Universe is both an honor and responsibility. If I were to be Miss Universe, I will use my
voice to influence the youth, and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness that
is timely and relevant to my country which is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the universe
rather, that I am confidently beautiful with a heart. Thank you.
Wurtzbach before throwing out a first pitch for the New York Mets in April 2016

At the end of the show, host Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna
Gutirrez as the winner. However, after Gutirrez'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 (Miss Universe 2014) then removed the crown from Gutirrez's head and placed it on
Wurtzbach's head.[25]
Wurtzbach is the third Miss Universe from the Philippines after Gloria Diaz in 1969, and Margarita
Moran in 1973.[26][27][28]
On 21 January 2016, she traveled to Bali, Indonesia to shoot a commercial for C 1000, a vitamin
brand available in Indonesia.[29] Two days later, on 23 January 2016, she arrived in the Philippines for
a week-long homecoming celebration with visits to the cities of Manila, Makati, Pasay and Quezon
City. She also had courtesy calls to the Congress of the Philippines, Senate of the
Philippines and Malacaang Palace.[30][31]
On 1 February 2016, she arrived in San Francisco to fulfill her duties as Inside Edition's special
correspondent for Super Bowl 50.[32][33] While in San Francisco, she was also reunited with Janine
Tugonon, Miss Universe 2012 1st Runner-up from the Philippines.[34]
On 28 February 2016, she travelled to Toronto, 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 2016.[35][36][37][38]
On 25 March 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.[39][40][41] She also met and gave advice to the candidates
of Binibining Pilipinas 2016 during their press presentation.[42][43][44] On 12 April 2016 she came back to
the Philippines for the Binibining Pilipinas 2016 pageant [45] and on 17 April crowned her
successor Maxine Medina as Miss Universe Philippines 2016 during the coronation night.[46] During
the pageant she was reunited with Miss Myanmar 2015, May Barani Thaw and Miss Malaysia
2015, Vanessa Tevi while Miss USA 2015, who at Miss Universe, placed 2nd runner-up, Olivia
Jordan served as a judge.[47] Wurtzbach's farewell speech and walk at Binibining Pilipinas
2016 as Miss Universe Philippines 2015, trended at social media with enormous hits.[48]
On 21 April 2016, Wurtzbach arrived in Peru to attend Miss Peru 2016 pageant where she served as
a judge.[49][50] She also had a press conference a day before the pageant and was greeted by
the Lima City Mayor, Luis Castaneda and received an honor of being "The Distinguished Guest of
Lima".[51] Wurtzbach along with Miss Peru 2015, Laura Spoya crowned Valeria Piazza, Miss Peru
2016.[52]

Wurtzbach meets up with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in July 2016

On 27 April 2016, Wurtzbach threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the New York Mets.[53] A month
later on 27 May 2016, Wurtzbach travelled to Machala, Ecuador to help the victims of the recent
earthquake that killed the lives of at least 600 people.[54][55] 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.[56] She was also given a chance to meet Connie
Jimnez, Miss Ecuador 2016 during her visit.[57]
In June 2016, Wurtzbach represented the Philippines and the Miss Universe Organization in a high-
level meeting of the United Nations that aimed at ending AIDS.[58][59]
In her capacity as Miss Universe, Wurtzbach visited Indonesia,[60] Canada,[61] Peru,[62] Ecuador,
[63]
the Cayman Islands,[64]Thailand,[65] Panama,[66] the United Arab Emirates,[67] Singapore, several cities
across the United States and her native country, the Philippines.[68]
Wurtzbach relinquished her Miss Universe crown and passed it on to Iris Mittenaere of France at
the 65th Miss Universe pageant, held on 29 January 2017 in Manila, Philippines.[69]

Post Miss Universe[edit]

On January 29, 2017, Wurtzbach revealed 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.[70]
It was also revealed that she will appear on the fifth cycle of Asia's Next Top Model as a guest judge
on several episodes.[71]
On 5 May, she is reportedly set to costar with Vice Ganda and Daniel Padilla in a film under
production of Star Cinema. The project will serve as her acting comeback after six years and her first
film in more than a decade.[72]

Personal life[edit]
Though a practising Catholic[73] and Marian devotee,[74] Wurtzbach has openly supported views that
are at variance with Catholic Church teaching, particularly the distribution of birth control via full
implementation of the Philippines' Reproductive Health Law,[75][76] and recognition of LGBT rights in
the Philippines. Wurtzbach's advocacy for same-sex marriage became particularly visible in the
wake of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, releasing an Instagram post declaring her support for
the LGBT community.[77] On 13 December 2016, Wurtzbach met with Manila Archbishop Luis
Tagle for Caritas Internationalis at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros and received a
personal rosary from Pope Francis.[74]
Wurtzbach supports gender equality.[76] She stated on Twitter that she neither has plans to marry nor
to have children anytime soon after her reign.[78]
On 16 January 2017, Wurtzbach confirmed to have been in a relationship with Filipino-Swiss race
car driver Marlon Stckinger. The two had reportedly started dating by October 2016. [79]
On 3 May 2017, Wurtzbach was named a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific.