Asia Rose Simpson shares off-cam moments from Miss World 2026 in Vietnam

The Philippines again got close to claiming its second Miss World victory, when Asia Rose Simpson made it all the way to the Top 12, before her quest for the crown got dashed by being shut out of the final round. And the teen queen shared what transpired after her elimination.

“When I went back up to the stands I was greeted by my group. By continental group we each have a color, and Asia and Oceania was red. So I went up to my seat where the Philippine flag was. And it took a little while because hugs were shared,” she responded to Inquirer Entertainment at her homecoming press conference.

The 17-year-old youth advocate returned to Manila on Sept. 9 and faced the media the day after at the vestibule of Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City. It was still less than a week since the competition.

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Joheirry Mola gave the Dominican Republic its second victory at the culmination of the 73rd Miss World pageant, its 75h anniversary edition, and succeeded last year’s winner, Opal Suchata Chuangsri from Thailand.

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“Every single person just kept me and said how proud they were of me. That’s pretty much it, how proud they were of me. I never felt so loved. Every single friend that I have made along the way was there, it was amazing,” Simpson said.

The Philippine delegate had an impressive run in the competition, becoming one of the most successful Filipino delegates in the Miss World pageant. She topped the grueling “Head-to-Head” Challenge which brought her straight to the Top 20, and finished third in the Talent contest.

She also was among the six finalists from Asia and Oceania for “Beauty with a Purpose,” and made the first cut in the Top Model and Sports challenges.

Because of the competition format, Simpson had to compete against her roommate and host delegate Le Nguyen Bao Ngoc from Vietnam for Asia and Oceania’s lone slot in the Top 6 for the final round of the competition.

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“We shook hands and she was basically telling me how proud she was of me and how proud my country was of me. And so I looked at her and said, ‘Yours too. Your country is so proud of you. Look at all the Vietnamese flags in the standns. They’re so proud of you as well.’ That’s really what the competition was about,” Simpson shared.

In addressing the assembly of journalists and online content creators, the teen queen acknowledged that it took a while for her to earn the trust of the Filipino pageant fans. She trounced more popular contenders at the national competition, and was met by skepticism.

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But as the 2026 Miss World pageant progressed, Simpson silenced naysayers with her impressive performances at every preliminary event. She later emerged as one of the perceived top picks for the crown.

“That really is a lesson to not judge a book by its cover. For me it was never about getting people on my side, it was about proving why I was here. It was about being here. Because God put me in this place for such a time like this. And regardless of who’s with me, I was going through it,” she said.

Now that she is halfway through her reign as national titleholder, Simpson said she is looking forward to earning her high school diploma. “I am very close to graduating, and that’s really the immediate next step. But as for pageants or pursuing careers, I’m gonna think about that a little more,” she said.

Simpson expressed her gratitude to the Filipino pageant fans, her family and the national organization for allowing her to enjoy her “best pageant experience” in the short pageant “career” that she has had so far.

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“I took home that in everything there is purpose. In everything you can only do your best, and the rest will be in the hands of God. And when you prepare so hard, when you compete so hard, at the end of it you simply have to let go of the result. Because in that you have no control. I’m just so grateful for the experience and I would not have changed a thing,” she said. /ra