She grew up watching the competition every year with her mum. On Saturday night at The Riverfront in Newport, Wales, Angela Aumonier made that childhood dream a reality by becoming Miss Universe Great Britain 2026 and earning the right to represent the United Kingdom at the 75th edition of Miss Universe in Puerto Rico later this year.
Angela, who grew up on the Isle of Man, was overcome with emotion after being crowned.
“To be crowned Miss Universe Great Britain 2026 is honestly so overwhelming,”
she said.
“I have so many different emotions, from being so excited and so proud of myself.”
Angela Magenda Pitao Aumonier is a public health researcher of English-Filipino descent, born in Northern Ireland to an English father and a Filipino mother. She is based in London and represented the capital in the 18th edition of the competition. She entered the University of Exeter in October 2019 and graduated in June 2022, before going on to complete a postgraduate degree at Imperial College London, graduating in October 2023.
At the heart of Angela’s Miss Universe journey is a deeply personal story. She founded Marsha’s Hope Foundation, a charity focused on improving women’s health, set up in memory of her aunt Marsha Pitao Cubbon, a respected GP in Douglas on the Isle of Man who sadly passed away. The foundation focuses on reducing health inequalities and improving outcomes for women who are too often underserved by healthcare systems. It is the kind of advocacy that Miss Universe was made for, and it gave Angela’s campaign a depth and authenticity that set her apart from the competition.
Angela grew up on the Isle of Man and spent much of her early life involved in sport, training at the National Sports Centre. The Philippines has a strong pageant culture, and she watched Miss Universe growing up with her mother, although she did not initially see it as something she would pursue, particularly as she lacked confidence in public speaking. That changed in her early twenties. At 22, Angela began entering international pageants, using the experience to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and improve her public speaking.
Her involvement in the Miss Universe Great Britain competition began almost on a whim. During a break at work, she submitted an online application, unsure whether she was ready for the opportunity. She decided to go ahead anyway. That decision has now taken her all the way to the top of one of Britain’s most prestigious beauty competitions and next, to Puerto Rico.
Angela works across public health, policy, and health programmes, with a focus on reducing health inequalities and translating evidence into practical action. She is particularly motivated by roles that sit between evidence, people, and systems to create meaningful, sustainable change. She brings that same energy to the stage—articulate, purposeful, and driven by something bigger than the crown itself.
Angela is a former pupil of King William’s College on the Isle of Man. This institution clearly gave her the foundations for the academic and professional journey that followed. The dream she shared with her mum in front of the television is now very much real.
