Miss Universe Philippines says she could hear all top 5 contestants' answers, thought she or Cote d'Ivoire would win

Published on: Dec 23, 2025, 13:24:15 IST

By Krishna Pallavi Priya

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Ahtisa Manalo and Olivia Yace represented their countries, the Philippines and Côte d'Ivoire, respectively, during Miss Universe 2025.

In a recent interview, Miss Universe Philippines Ahtisa Manalo shared that the Miss Universe competition was between her and Miss Côte d'Ivoire Olivia Yace.

The 2025 edition of the Miss Universe pageant has been embroiled in back-to-back controversies, including fans accusing the Miss Universe Organisation of not selecting a well-deserving title winner and instead choosing Fatima Bosch , who was not a fan favourite.

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In an interview podcast with Filipino comedian and host Vice Ganda, Miss Universe Philippines Ahtisa Manalo was quoted as saying that she hoped to win and thought the competition was between her and Miss Universe Côte d’Ivoire, Olivia Yace, as she could hear the other contestants' answers.

What did Miss Universe Philippines say?

In a podcast shared on YouTube on December 21, Miss Universe Philippines confessed that during the pageant, which was hosted in Thailand, she felt that the Question and Answer round belonged to her and Côte d'Ivoire's Olivia Yace.

According to Philstar.com, a Filipino daily, Ahtisa told Vice Ganda, as translated into English, “Of course, I was hoping that I would win. I thought it was between me and Cote d'Ivoire during that night because I was able to hear everyone's answer…I didn't even watch them because when you're there, when you're competing, you focus on yourself, you don't focus on other people. But when it's Q&A, of course, you can't do anything, so you just listen. So I thought it was between me and Cote d'Ivoire.”

The Olivia Yace controversy

A few weeks after the Miss Universe 2025 finale, in an interview, MUO president Raul Rocha had allegedly implied that visa restrictions (needing visas for 175 countries) were a factor that hindered Miss Côte d'Ivoire (Olivia Yace) from winning the 2025 crown, a comment that caused significant social media backlash.

Raul said during the interview, as translated into English, as per a November 25 report by People, “She's going to be the Miss Universe who spent a whole year in an apartment because of the cost of the visa process with lawyers. Some of them require six months' notice. The year's already gone, right?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Krishna Pallavi Priya
Krishna Priya Pallavi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience, covering health, fashion, pop culture, travel, wellness, entertainment, festivals, mental health, art, decor, fitness, and sex and relationships. She is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, and holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. Her strong academic foundation informs her analytical and detail-oriented approach to storytelling, helping her uncover stories where none seem to exist. Before joining Hindustan Times, Pallavi worked with some of India’s leading media organisations. She spent close to three years at India Today, where she honed her newsroom skills and developed a sharp editorial sensibility. She also worked for over a year and a half at Vagabomb, ScoopWhoop’s feminist digital platform, where she explored stories through a gender-sensitive, socially aware lens. Pallavi has a deep interest in global fashion trends and international fashion seasons, and enjoys interviewing celebrities and tracking pop culture movements—interests that frequently translate into engaging, reader-friendly stories. Alongside lifestyle and entertainment, she has a keen eye for impactful health and wellness journalism, regularly interacting with doctors, designers, and digital content creators to bring nuance and credibility to her work. Born and raised in Haryana, Pallavi remains deeply connected to her ancestral roots in Odisha. Her ability to spot fresh angles brings curiosity and depth to stories she pursues. When not chasing deadlines, she enjoys spending time with her dog, planning her next vacation, reading, running new trails, and discovering new destinations.Read More

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