A reunion of 2014 Miss U bets

It was MJ Lastimosa’s idea to gather her fellow candidates in the 2014 (63rd) edition of the Miss Universe pageant held in Miami, Florida, on Jan. 25, 2015. If you recall, a minor controversy erupted among Filipino beauty-pageant enthusiasts when MJ made it only to the Top 10 but not the Top 5, blaming the gown that she was made to wear.

…and then went ‘wacky’ for photographers.

The crown went to Miss Colombia Paulina Vega (the second winner from her country, after the late Luz Marina Zuluaga in 1958) who would relinquish her crown the following year in Las Vegas to Pia Wurtzbach (the third winner from the Philippines after Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Margie Moran in 1973).  

Toying with a replica of the Miss U crown: MJ (left) and Diana Harkusha of Ukraine (who finished second runner-up to 2014 Miss U Paulina Vega of Colombia)

“As promised,” reported Funfare’s “beauty expert” Felix Manuel (visiting from New York where he works as a nurse), “around 30 Miss U 2014 alumni came for the grand reunion held at the House Manila at Resorts World over the weekend. On Friday, the girls graced It’s Showtime.”

Diana (left) and MJ (right) at the reunion

“Host MJ said that they had promised to visit each other’s countries. The girls are scheduled to visit Dakak, Bohol and Cebu,” said Felix.

MJ (second from right) gives her Miss U friends a warm welcome

Incidentally, the 2018 Miss U pageant will be held in Thailand (for the third time). The Philippine bet is Catriona Gray who will be pitted against, among the expected 90-plus other contestants, transgender Miss Spain Angela Ponce.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)