Will Catriona do a Michelle McLean (of Namibia)?

In 1991, Namibia’s Michelle McLean finished one of the Top 5 finalists in the Miss World pageant held in Georgia, USA. The following year (1992), McLean won Miss Universe in the pageant held in Bangkok.

In 2016, Catriona Gray landed in the Top 5 of the Miss World pageant held in Maryland, USA. She just left for Bangkok to compete with more than 90 aspirants (one of them a transgender Miss Spain) in the 2018 (67th) Miss Universe pageant. Notice the striking coincidence?

The big question is: will Catriona do a Michelle McLean? Keep your collective fingers crossed, Catriona supporters. The answer will be known on Dec. 17 during the Miss U grand finals (aired live by ABS-CBN starting at 8 a.m.)

“It could happen,” said Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas who covered the Nov. 12 send-off for Catriona and 2018 Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar who will compete in the 10th Miss Supranational pageant on Dec. 7 in Poland. Added Celso, “It’s not the first time that ‘cross-over’ beauties eventually emerge winners,” proceeding to name some of the Miss U runners-up who won Miss World, to wit:

• 1955 Miss World Carmen Zubillaga of Venezuela was a 1955 Miss U semi-finalist;

• 1959 Miss World Corine Rottschaefer of Holland was a 1958 Miss U semi-finalist;

• 1967 Miss World Madeleine Houghton of Peru was a 1966 Miss U semi-finalist;

• 1969 Miss World Eva Reuber-Staier of Austria was a 1969 Miss U semi-finalist;

• 1974 Miss World Helen Morgan of UK was a 1974 Miss U first runner-up;

• 1979 Miss World Gina Ann Swainson of Bermuda was a 1979 Miss U first runner-up; and

• 2001 Miss World Ibiagbanidokibubo Darego of Nigeria was a 2001 Miss U semi-finalist;

Kurt Russell recalls his childhood Santa Claus

Now streaming on Netflix is The Christmas Chronicles in which Kurt Russell (photo) plays Santa Claus.

Excerpts from the red-carpet interview with Russell:

1. This (The Christmas Chronicles) is kind of dedicated to my dad. He was our Santa, and he was always a mysterious and fabulous Santa Claus. I did have the opportunity to look back and find out that he (Santa) was, you know, a real person in 280 AD and has lasted for 1,700 years, so I was looking forward to playing a true icon.

2. I was really pleased when they told me that they were going after Oliver (Hudson) to play the part of the father because it’s really important to the movie and he did a great job that was a very inventive and creative actor. So, aside from the fact that it was a blast to be in the same movie together, it was a great casting choice.

3. It was great seeing Oliver at work and playing the father. I thought it was a great choice and it was a blast to be in the same movie. The kids were great. They were a blast to work with. Clay Kaytis did a great job. He’s the director and, I gotta say Chris Columbus is just fabulous to work with and I think he creates an environment in this screenplay scenario that gives you that Home Alone, Harry Potter sort of feel and, I thought it was just perfect. But most of all, it was an opportunity to play somebody that was very, very, very special in my sisters’ and my life.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)