The Q&A portion is the pivotal part of the Miss Universe and what everyone looks forward to. It’s the contestants’ most dreaded segment because it will either make them or break them.
Some make us cringe, laugh, and cry. No matter how they make you feel, Q&A answers are the most important deciding factor not just for judges but for everyone else watching the pageant. But we’ve rounded up the most sophisticated and memorable answers in Miss Universe history.
Q: What is the essence of being a woman?
This is probably the most memorable answer in Miss Universe Q&A portion history ever. It has been quoted many times because it was just that powerful. This poignant and sophisticated answer won Sushmita Sen the Miss Universe title and crown. No surprises there.
Q: Do you think speaking English should be pre-requisite? Why or why not?
Coming from a country who has a knack of making fun of Pinoys who speak broken English, Janine Tugonon made a very commendable answer. Speaking English is not the end-all be-all—to be able to speak more than one lingo is impressive but it certainly doesn’t measure your worth as a person.
Q: What is something that you have done, that you will never do again?
We love the fact that Olivia Culpo’s greatest regret is fighting with her family members. Like Filipinos, she knows the value and importance of family—that no matter what kind of mistakes you make in life, family will always be there.
Q: “What do you think men can learn from women?”
Where is the lie? Though not directly answering the question, she stated facts. No male species is unhappy watching the contestants walk on the Miss Universe stage. There may be naysayers saying that the pageant is nothing more than a vapid beauty contest but they’ll watch it anyway.
Q: “Why should you be the next Miss Universe?”
This winning answer got Pia Wurtzbach the 2015 title, despite the announcement blunder. Her answer became so iconic that everyone recited her “confidently beautiful with a heart” bit over and over again and spawned memes, funny social media posts, and jokes.
Q: “If there were no rules in your life, for one day, and you could be outrageous, what would you do?”
We included this answer because honestly, same. Relatable, straight to the point, short and sweet—everything a Miss Universe answer should be.
