WATCH: Miss World Philippines candidate Michelle Dee on mom Melanie Marquez, cousin Wyn Marquez

MANILA, Philippines — Actress and Miss World 2019 Philippines candidate Michelle Dee admitted that being a celebrity and having relatives in the pageant industry are both an advantage and a disadvantage.

During the presentation of candidates recently held in Novotel, Quezon City, Michelle said: “It has its own pros and cons. Honestly, we're in a room full of beautiful and talented people. We have nurses, we have lawyers and we all go in the same type of training, we all go through different steps in the journey to be Miss World,” Michelle said.  

Related video: Miss World Philippines 2019 press presentation

As the daughter of Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez and cousin of another beauty queen, Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 Wynwyn Marquez, Michelle admitted that growing up in a family of celebrities and beauty queens added pressure to her in the pageant.  

“Yes, it's kind of hard because you are put in a spotlight and you have certain expectations that you put on your head, not only being an artista but my family members are very good and well known in the pageant industry, and that adds a lot of extreme pressure,” Michelle said. 

She also admitted that having beauty queen relatives was one of the reasons why she is hesitant to join a pageant at first. 

“Actually, that's one of the reasons that's why I'm hesitant to join because I feel like prior to this, I felt like I was not good enough," she professed.

"But, what the pageantry has taught me is besides being artista and these expectations, it's really about the journey, it's really what can you take from everything. Although being an artista has a slight advantage on publicity, I really do believe na pantay lang po ang laban dito,” she asserted. — Videos by Kat Leandicho