MANILA, Philippines — A moment of encouragement from one Black woman to another.
Tyra Banks, the iconic model and former host of America’s Next Top Model, has expressed her support for Miss Universe Philippines 2024, Chelsea Manalo, just days before the 73rd edition of the Miss Universe pageant kicks off.
It all started with a comment from Tyra on Chelsea’s pinned headshot photo — a striking image shot by photographer Seven Barretto — which the Filipino beauty queen shared on Instagram last month. "Get it, girl!!!!!" Tyra wrote, adding her stamp of approval. The comment quickly garnered attention, racking up nearly 20,000 likes as of this writing. It has outpaced other remarks from notable beauty queens, including Catriona Gray, Pauline Amelinckx, Ahtisa Manalo, Angelique Manto, and Hannah Arnold.
But Tyra didn’t stop there. On another recent post by Chelsea, also captured by Barretto, Tyra left another enthusiastic comment: "Work!!! 🔥" — complete with a fire emoji. The remark has already garnered over 7,600 likes, making it the second most-liked comment on that post, following only a comment from Chelsea's roommate, Miss Universe Peru 2024, Tatiana Calmell.
Chelsea, clearly thrilled, shared Tyra’s first comment in her Instagram story with the caption: "OMG!!!!!!" In response, the Miss Universe Philippines Organization reposted the comment on their official account, celebrating the moment. “When the legend herself, Tyra Banks, notices our very own Miss Universe Philippines, Chelsea Manalo. You deserve all this!” the caption read.
Tyra Banks has a history of supporting Filipino beauty queens. She previously expressed her admiration for Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray, both of whom went on to win the Miss Universe title. Now, Chelsea is making history as the first Filipino-Black American to represent the Philippines at Miss Universe, aiming to become the country's fifth titleholder, following in the footsteps of Wurtzbach, Gray, Margie Moran, and Gloria Diaz.
Chelsea, who is one of nearly 130 candidates vying for the prestigious crown, will compete at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant on November 16 (November 17 in the Philippines), as she seeks to continue the Philippines' legacy of success on the global stage.