One of Australia's boldest voices, Maria Thattil is a media personality, activist, writer, speaker and creator. Propelled into the spotlight when she was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2020, she placed in the top ten of the international competition in 2021 and was only the third woman of colour to represent Australia in the pageant's 69-year history. A passionate advocate for diversity, Thattil has dedicated her career to campaigning for change and representation. As a sought-after columnist, Thattil writes for outlets including 9Honey, Stellar magazine, Body+Soul, Mamamia and Women's Agenda. She has headlined global campaigns championing LGBTQIA+ rights, inclusion and equality for brands including Olay, Clinique, Piper Heidseick and L'Oreal Paris. A current panelist on Channel 9's Today Extra and Talking Honey, Thattil's 2022 appearance on I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! made waves internationally when she came out as bisexual on-air.