Franki Russell starts her pageant journey
Former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Franki Russell was appointed as the Miss Universe New Zealand 2024.
After her PBB stint, Franki did some showbiz projects. She appeared in the Kapamilya series Ang Probinsyano and did the movie Pabuya in 2022. Her most recent acting stint was in the movie Martyr or Murderer last year.
Just recently, it was announced by Xpedition, a Dubai-based magazine, that Franki was chosen to represent New Zealand in this year’s Miss Universe pageant, based on the article in PEP.
“This is her official launch as the new Miss Universe New Zealand (@missuniverse_newzealand) After a four-year hiatus, Franki Russell will carry the torch of New Zealand to represent her culture at the 72nd Miss Universe in Mexico City,” the social media post stated.
It also included her background in showbiz. Franki is half-Pinay and half-Kiwi. The post highlighted her advocacy. It said that Franki is “eager to leverage her new platform to address a prevalent concern among youth in New Zealand and worldwide – Cyberbullying.”
Back in 2021, Franki tried her luck in a beauty pageant when she joined Miss Universe UAE. At that time she posted on her account on X, formerly known as Twitter, about this stint.
She was aware that there were people who wondered why she joined in a different country. “It may not be the flag that you prefer, but I am so excited because this particular pageant represents a lot more than that,” she said.
Franki also stressed that this was a good platform to showcase and celebrate women with interracial backgrounds. She added that she has always wanted to do something new and challenge herself.
Franki Russell is also known as someone who was linked romantically to actor Diego Loyzaga. Following the rumors linking them, the actor admitted that he was dating the former PBB housemate.