Ahtisa Manalo stepped back onto Philippine soil still glowing from her 3rd runner-up finish at Miss Universe 2025, greeted by fans who cheered her home like a returning champion. On Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, the beauty queen faced the cameras with the same composure she carried on the MU stageโthis time, tackling the controversies that lit up the pageant world.
Ahtisa made one thing clear: no regrets, no disappointment. Competing at Miss Universe, she said, was the culmination of an 18-year dream, and she shut out all online noise to stay focused. Boy praised her strong prelim performance and spotlighted the Filipino designers behind her looks before steering the conversation toward the biggest scandal of the yearโthe tense viral clash between newly crowned Miss Universe Fatima Bosch and Thailand MU national director Nawat Itsaragrisil during the sashing ceremony. Ahtisa kept it diplomatic but firm: the confrontation should have been handled privately. Still, she described Nawat as โkindโ in every personal encounter sheโs had.
On allegations that the results were rigged, Ahtisa didnโt take the bait. She acknowledged the noiseโfrom claims of no proper auditing to rumors of secret votingโbut emphasized that without evidence, โit is what it is.โ Bosch, for her part, already denied that her father had business ties with MU president Raul Rocha. Ahtisa also addressed speculation that she rejected the Miss Universe Asia title, clarifying she was never offered the crownโand would have declined anyway.
The queen loosened up during the โFast Talkโ segment, revealing sheโd pick money over a crown, that she was once courted by a public figure, and that Jericho Rosales would be her dream leading man if she ever ventures into acting. But politics? A hard no. Despite once considering a run for councilor, she said her future lies far away from public office. For now, Ahtisa is contentโin her wordsโwith โmoving on with life,โ grace intact, drama behind her, and plenty of admirers cheering ringside.
Image from themissuniverseph IG