Pia Wurtzbach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pia Wurtzbach
Wurtzbach in 2019
Born	Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (1989-09-24) September 24, 1989 (age 35) Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Education	Center for Asian Culinary Studies (Culinary arts)
Occupation	Actress model television presenter
Years active	2001–present
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Title	Miss Universe Philippines 2015 Miss Universe 2015
Spouse(s)	Jeremy Jauncey ​ (m. 2023)​
Beauty pageant titleholder
Major competition(s)	Binibining Pilipinas 2013 (1st Runner-Up) Binibining Pilipinas 2014 (Top 15) Binibining Pilipinas 2015 (Winner – Miss Universe Philippines 2015) Miss Universe 2015 (Winner)

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach-Jauncey (born September 24, 1989) is a famous Filipino model, actress, and TV host. She is best known for winning the Miss Universe 2015 title. Before becoming Miss Universe, she was known professionally as Pia Romero.

Pia won the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 2015. This was her third time joining the competition. After that, she represented the Philippines and won Miss Universe 2015. She was the first Filipina to win this title in 42 years!

Early Life and School

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was born in Stuttgart, Germany. Her father was German, and her mother was Filipino. She has a younger sister. Her family later moved to the Northern Mindanao region in the Philippines. They lived first in Iligan city, then settled in Cagayan de Oro city. There, Pia went to Kong Hua School for kindergarten and Corpus Christi School for primary school.

When Pia was 11, her parents separated. She started modeling and acting to help her family. She finished high school at the ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila. She also studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan, Metro Manila. Pia speaks Cebuano, English, and Tagalog very well. She also knows some basic German.

Acting and TV Career

Pia Wurtzbach is a professional model, actress, and TV host. She started acting when she was just four years old. Back then, she used the stage name Pia Romero. She was part of ABS-CBN's talent agency, Star Magic.

Pia appeared in many TV shows. These include K2BU, ASAP, Your Song, Bora, and Sa Piling Mo. She also acted in movies like Kung Ako Na Lang Sana (2003), All My Life (2004), and All About Love (2006). Later, she worked as a stylist, makeup artist, and beauty writer for a newspaper.

Beauty Pageants

First Tries at Binibining Pilipinas

Pia Wurtzbach won the Miss Universe Philippines title on her third try. She first joined the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 2013. In that competition, she was the first runner-up.

She tried again in 2014 and made it to the Top 15. Many people thought her answer during the question and answer part affected her score. She won the Miss Philippine Airlines and She's So Jag awards that year.

Winning Binibining Pilipinas 2015

Pia Wurtzbach during Binibining Pilipinas 2015

In 2015, on her third attempt, Pia finally won the top title: Miss Universe Philippines. She also won the Miss Cream Silk award. This win meant she would go on to compete in the Miss Universe 2015 Pageant.

On April 17, 2016, Pia crowned Maxine Medina as her successor at the Binibining Pilipinas 2016 pageant. This event took place at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines.

Miss Universe 2015

Pia Wurtzbach represented the Philippines at the 64th Miss Universe pageant. It was held on December 20, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

For the national costume competition, Pia wore a beautiful white capiz terno. This traditional Filipino dress was designed by Albert Andrada.

During the preliminary competition, Pia wore a black and white bikini. For the evening gown part, she wore a red gown designed by Oliver Tolentino.

At the final coronation night, Pia made it into the Top 15. She then wore a black and white bikini again in the swimsuit competition, which helped her advance to the Top 10. For the evening gown, she wore a stunning, fitted gown by Albert Andrada. This gown was inspired by the Philippines, known as the "Pearl of the Orient." She then moved on to the Top 5.

A special stamp from the Philippine Post Office honoring Pia Wurtzbach.

At the end of the show, the host, Steve Harvey, made a mistake. He first announced Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, as the winner. But after she was crowned, Steve Harvey came back to say he had misread the results. He then announced that Pia Wurtzbach was the real Miss Universe 2015! Paulina Vega (Miss Universe 2014) then took the crown from Miss Colombia and placed it on Pia's head.

Pia Wurtzbach is the third Miss Universe from the Philippines. The previous winners were Gloria Diaz in 1969 and Margie Moran in 1973.

After winning, Pia traveled to many places. She went to Bali, Indonesia, to film a commercial. She also had a week-long homecoming celebration in the Philippines. She visited cities like Manila, Makati, Pasay, and Quezon City. She also met with important government officials.

Pia also went to San Francisco to work as a special correspondent for Inside Edition for Super Bowl 50. She later traveled to Toronto, Canada, to give a speech against bullying. She shared her own experiences of being bullied as a child.

Pia Wurtzbach at the Malacañang Palace in July 2016.

Pia returned to the Philippines for a short visit to renew her passport and do charity work. She also filmed a new commercial for Philippine Airlines. She met and gave advice to the contestants of Binibining Pilipinas 2016. On April 17, she crowned her successor, Maxine Medina, as Miss Universe Philippines 2016.

Pia also visited Peru to be a judge at the Miss Peru 2016 pageant. The mayor of Lima even honored her as "The Distinguished Guest of Lima." She also threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the New York Mets baseball team.

In May 2016, Pia went to Machala, Ecuador, to help victims of a recent earthquake. She was welcomed by the mayor and became an honorary volunteer for the Red Cross.

In June 2016, Pia represented the Philippines and the Miss Universe Organization at a meeting of the United Nations. This meeting focused on ending AIDS.

Pia Wurtzbach was a guest judge at the Puteri Indonesia 2020 contest in March 2020.

As Miss Universe, Pia visited many countries. These included Indonesia, Canada, Peru, Ecuador, Cayman Islands, Thailand, Panama, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and several cities in the United States.

Pia passed on her Miss Universe crown to Iris Mittenaere of France at the 65th Miss Universe pageant. This event was held on January 30, 2017, in Manila, Philippines.

After Miss Universe

Pia Wurtzbach in 2016.

Pia Wurtzbach with other Arts Ambassadors in 2019.

After her reign, Pia Wurtzbach continued to work with the Miss Universe Organization. She became an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness.

She was also a guest judge on some episodes of Asia's Next Top Model fifth cycle.

Pia returned to acting in movies. She starred with Vice Ganda and Daniel Padilla in the film Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad. This movie was part of the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Pia also served as a judge at the final night of Miss Universe 2017. She starred in another movie called My Perfect You with Gerald Anderson.

Pia co-hosted the Binibining Pilipinas 2018 pageant. She was also featured as the 2019 calendar girl for the liquor brand Ginebra.

In 2019, Pia participated in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games opening ceremony. In 2020, a song named after her, called "Pia Wurtzbach," was released by BLYMNDT.

In April 2024, Pia received the Global Fashion Influencer of the Year award at the EMIGALA Fashion & Beauty Awards in Dubai. She also attended the 2024 Paris Fashion Week. She walked in a show for L’Oreal, becoming the first Filipina celebrity to model in a runway show by a beauty brand at Paris Fashion Week.

Personal Life

Jeremy Jauncey in 2019.

Pia Wurtzbach is a strong supporter of gender equality. She has spoken out in favor of fairness and kindness for all people. In 2017, she was named a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific.

In June 2020, Pia confirmed her relationship with Scottish entrepreneur Jeremy Jauncey. They announced their engagement two years later. They got married on March 24, 2023, and shared the news in May. Their wedding was held in North Island, Seychelles.

Filmography

Television

Film

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Pia Wurtzbach para niños

• Philippines at major beauty pageants