'Interest is there': Michelle Dee weighs return to pageantry via MGI All Stars

5 days ago 14

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MANILA, Philippines — Michelle Dee, Miss Universe Philippines 2023, said she is considering the possibility of representing the country again in the special Miss Grand International (MGI) All Stars pageant later this year.

The Thailand-based pageant has announced that the All Stars edition will be open to women and transwomen aged 20 to 40, regardless of marital status or whether they have previously competed in or won a pageant.

Originally scheduled to begin this month, the organizers said the competition has been postponed to a later date to allow more interested contestants to apply. MGI added that all delegates already announced will remain eligible and confirmed.

Among them are two Filipinas — Fuschia Anne Ravena and Alexia Núñez — as countries are allowed to send more than one delegate.

Other confirmed candidates include Singapore’s Qatrisha Zairyah, Malaysia’s Melisha Lin, Myanmar’s Thet San Andersen, India’s Sanjana Sekharmantri, Japan’s Yuka Oyama, and Thailand’s Tharina Botes.

MMD comeback? Dee addressed the possibility of joining MGI All Stars during an appearance on the "Almost Honest" podcast hosted by fellow beauty queen Kylie Verzosa.

Asked whether her pageant journey was over, Dee said applying for MGI All Stars “is definitely for consideration,” though she stopped short of confirming any decision.

"It's the first edition and I still have a lot of questions. But if the question is 'Do I want to join?,' 'Do I want to represent my country again?,' 'Do I feel like there's fight left in me?,' of course there is, which is why I never say I'm closing my doors on my pageant journey," she said, though reiterating her indefiniteness.

She said competing again would have implications for her schedule, contracts, and personal life, noting that pageantry goes beyond passion.

She did find MGI All Stars an exciting concept, having to compete with other past competitors, and reflected how her Miss Universe campaign ended differently from what many had expected.

She further cited the possibility of winning her family a third international crown. Dee’s mother, Melanie Marquez, won Miss International in 1979, while her cousin Winwyn Marquez won Reina Hispanoamericana in 2017.

"There are a lot of pluses, but it doesn't come without sacrifice and those sacrifices are also very expensive... [it] can affect a lot of things. So I don't have an answer for it yet, but the interest is there," Michelle ended.

Kylie Verzosa weighs in

Kylie echoed Michelle's interest and excitement about MGI All Stars, prompting Michelle to ask Kylie her own thoughts about the new competition.

The Miss International 2016 admitted to not being a huge fan of the pageant's owner Nawat Itsaragrisil but commended his ability to mount pageants really well and intriguing.

"I feel like I'm done with my pageant journey," Kylie smiled, to which Michelle quipped that it's because Kylie had won a crown.

Both queens agreed that pageantry is tiring, though Kylie pointed out Michelle would be an ideal representative for the Philippines, should she choose to compete.

"When you attack pageants the way I do and every aspect is an opportunity to showcase a certain part of yourself or your country, then it becomes really cerebral for me, else I wouldn't find it exciting," said Michelle.

Kylie closed that portion of the podcast noting they had many phases in life in which they could change. — Video from the Almost Honest podcast's YouTube channel

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