Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, once professionally known as Pia Romero, is an actress, model and beauty queen who was crowned Mission Universe 2015 on December 20, 2015 after becoming Mission Universe Philippines 2015 at the Binibining Pilipinas 2015 pageant on March 15, 2015.
Background
Wurtzbach was born in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, in then West Germany, to a German father and Filipino mother. Her middle name of "Alonzo" is her mother"s maiden name which is a naming practice in the Philippines and based upon Spanish naming customs.
Education
She later moved to Cagayan de Oro on the island of Mindanao where she attended kindergarten at Kong Hua School and primary school at Corpus Christi. She finished her secondary education at ABS-Christian Broadcasting Network Distance Learning School in Quezon City, Metro Manila and studied culinary arts at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in San Juan, Metro Manila.
Career
After being raised in the Philippines, she spent several years in England. Wurtzbach is a professional model, actress, host and television personality. She began acting at age 12 under the stage name "Pia Romero".
Managed by ABS-Christian Broadcasting Network"s theatrical agency, Star Magic, she was included on the Star Circle Batch 11.
Among her television 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 Missouri She appeared in films such as Kung Ako Na Language 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 Inquirer"s 2bU section. Wurtzbach speaks fluent Cebuano, English and Tagalog.
She also speaks basic German, describing it as "Enough to get myself a bratwurst".
Binibining Pilipinas
Wurtzbach joined the Binibining Pilipinas Pageant three times before winning the Binibining Pilipinas Universe title. During Binibining Pilipinas 2013, she was the 1st Runner-Up (5th place). She joined the Binibining Pilipinas 2014, but only placed in the Top 15.
She was asked a question in Tagalog by a Filipino judge, Senator Sonny Angara, which she answered in Tagalog.
Online commentators wondered if the question and answer in Tagalog cost her points from the international judges and therefore any title that year. Mission Universe 2015
Wurtzbach represented the Philippines in the Mission Universe 2015 held on December 20, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
However, after Gutiérrez"s crowning, Harvey returned to the stage and stated that he had misread the results and that Wurtzbach was the actual Mission Universe 2015. Mission Universe 2014 Paulina Vega then removed the crown from Gutiérrez"s head and placed it on Wurtzbach"s head
Wurtzbach became the third Mission Universe from the Philippines after Gloria Diaz in 1969, and Margie Moran in 1973.
On January 23, 2016, she arrived in the Philippines for a week-long homecoming celebration with visits to the City of Manila, Congress of the Philippines and Malacañang Palace. During her reign, she has traveled to Canada and Indonesia after being crowned in the United States.
As of March 2016, Wurtzbach was dating New York based model and doctor Mikhail Varshavski (also known as Doctor Mike).