Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach-Jauncey (Tagalog: [ˈpiː.ɐ ʔɐˈloːn.so ˈwəːɾts.bɐk ˈd͡ʒoːn.si]; German: [ˈvʊʁtsbax]; English: WURTS-ba(h)k; born September 24, 1989), is a Filipino-German media personality, actress, host, author, advocate, and beauty queen. She is best known for winning the title of Miss Universe 2015. Previously, Wurtzbach won Binibining Pilipinas in 2015. She became the first Filipina to win in four decades.
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Early life and education
Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was born in Stuttgart, Germany, to a German father and a Filipina mother, and has a sister. The family later moved to Northern Mindanao region in the Philippines, first in Iligan, then settled in Cagayan de Oro, where she attended kindergarten at Kong Hua School and primary school at Corpus Christi School.
Her parents separated when she was 11 years old, and she became the family's main source of income by modeling and acting. After being raised in the Philippines, she spent several years in England. She finished her secondary education at ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center in Quezon City, Metro Manila, and studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan, Metro Manila. Wurtzbach speaks fluent Cebuano, English, and Tagalog. She also speaks basic German, which she described as "enough to get me a bratwurst".
Acting career
Wurtzbach is a professional model, actress, host, and TV personality. She began acting at age four under the stage name Pia Romero. Managed by ABS-CBN Corporation's talent agency, Star Magic, she was included on the Star Circle Batch 11. Among her TV credits are the teen-oriented series K2BU, the concert variety program ASAP, the romance anthology Your Song, the sitcom show Bora, and the drama series Sa Piling Mo. She appeared in films such as Kung Ako Na Lang Sana (2003), All My Life (2004), and All About Love (2006). She went on to become a stylist, makeup artist and beauty writer for Philippine Daily Inquirers 2bU section.
Pageantry
Early attempts at Binibining Pilipinas
Wurtzbach notably won the Miss Universe Philippines title on her third attempt. Prior to this, she first entered the Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 2013 where she was the first runner-up. She also won the Miss San Miguel Zero Fit and Sexy Body awards in the same year.
She then entered the Binibining Pilipinas pageant again in 2014 and finished at top 15. Pundits believe that her performance at the question and answer portion of the pageant, where she was asked by judge Senator Sonny Angara in Tagalog, which she also answered in Tagalog, affected her overall performance. She won Miss Philippine Airlines and She's So Jag awards.
Binibining Pilipinas 2015
On her third attempt for the title in 2015, Wurtzbach won Miss Universe Philippines, alongside the Miss Cream Silk awards and went on to compete in the Miss Universe 2015 Pageant. During the question and answer portion of the pageant she was asked by then-Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo: "Social media is now a very powerful tool on communication. Can you tell us your thoughts about internet censorship?" She answered:
I think that we should be careful about what we post online, especially our thoughts and our opinions, that we don't hurt anybody, especially selfies, we have to be careful with what we post especially in our bodies, in our faces. So always think before you click.
On April 17, 2016, Wurtzbach crowned Maxine Medina as her successor at Binibining Pilipinas 2016 held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines.
Miss Universe 2015
Wurtzbach represented the Philippines in the 64th Miss Universe pageant, and won on December 20, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. At the national costume competition, Wurtzbach wore a white capiz terno with a matching fan and headpiece. The whole ensemble was designed by Filipino designer Albert Andrada. She wore a red sleeveless crepe de chine gown by Filipino designer Oliver Tolentino at the preliminary evening gown competition.
At the coronation night, Wurtzbach reached the top 15. She wore a black and white two-piece bikini at the swimsuit competition and advanced to the top ten. She wore Albert Andrada's figure-hugging, strapless serpentina gown, inspired by the Philippines, "Pearl of the Orient". She then advanced to Top 5.
During the first question and answer round, Wurtzbach was asked by host Steve Harvey, "Earlier this year, there was a controversy in the Philippines about the United States reopening a military base in your country. Do you think the United States should have a military presence in your country?" She answered:
I think that the United States and the Philippines have always had a good relationship with each other. We were colonized by the Americans and we have their culture in our traditions even up to this day and I think that we're very welcoming with the Americans and I don't see any problem with that at all.
In the final question and answer portion, the top three contestants were asked the same question by Harvey: "Why should you be the next Miss Universe?" and she replied:
To be a Miss Universe is both an honor and responsibility. If I were to be Miss Universe, I will use my voice to influence the youth, and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness that is timely and relevant to my country which is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the universe rather, that I am confidently beautiful with a heart. Thank you.
At the end of the contest, host Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutiérrez as the winner. However, after Gutiérrez's crowning, Harvey returned to the stage and stated that he had misread the results and that Wurtzbach was the real winner. Paulina Vega (Miss Universe 2014) then removed the crown from Gutiérrez's head and placed it on Wurtzbach's head.
Post Miss Universe
On January 30, 2017, Wurtzbach stated that she has signed a contract with WME/IMG's IMG Universe division where she will continue to work with the Miss Universe Organization as an HIV/AIDS awareness advocate after her reign.
She was a guest judge on several episodes of Asia's Next Top Model fifth cycle.
On June 3, 2017, Liza Soberano portrayed the role of Wurtzbach in her life story on Maalaala Mo Kaya's episode entitled "Korona".
She costarred with Vice Ganda and Daniel Padilla in a film under production of Star Cinema. The project served as her acting comeback after six years and her first film in more than a decade. The film entitled Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad served as one of the eight official film entries in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival.
Wurtzbach served as a judge during the final coronation night of Miss Universe 2017.
She starred in another Star Cinema movie entitled My Perfect You alongside Gerald Anderson.
Wurtzbach co-hosted Binibining Pilipinas 2018 with Nicole Cordoves and Richard Gutierrez. She was featured as the 2019 calendar girl for the liquor brand Ginebra. This was her first swimsuit photoshoot since competing in the Miss Universe pageant.
In 2019, Wurtzbach participated in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games opening ceremony.
On April 29, 2024, she was received the Global Fashion Influencer of the Year award at the 2024 EMIGALA Fashion & Beauty Awards in Dubai.
Wurtzbach attended the 2024 Paris Fashion Week where she walked at the L'Oreal's Le Défilé "Walk Your Worth" show alongside Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Eva Longoria, Viola Davis, Camilla Cabello, Jane Fonda, and Simone Ashley, becoming the first Filipina celebrity to model in a runway show by a beauty brand at Paris Fashion Week.
Personal life
Wurtzbach is a practicing Roman Catholic, and openly supports views contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly the distribution of birth control via full implementation of the Philippines' Reproductive Health Law and the recognition of LGBT rights in the Philippines.
Wurtzbach is an advocate for gender equality. On Instagram, she declared her support for the LGBT community in light of the Orlando nightclub shooting in 2016. In 2018, she called on the Philippine Senate to pass the SOGIE Equality Bill. In 2017, Wurtzbach was named a UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific.
In 2017, Wurtzbach tweeted that she intended to remain unmarried and childfree. However, in June 2020, she confirmed her relationship with Scottish entrepreneur Jeremy Jauncey. Two years later, they announced their engagement. Her marriage on March 24, 2023, was only announced on May 5. The venue of their wedding was held in North Island, Seychelles.