Malaysian beauty queen Taanusiya Chetty has finished third at Miss World 2026, matching the country’s best-ever result in the international pageant.
The 26-year-old Kuala Lumpur-born contestant achieved the feat at the grand final in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Saturday.
Taanusiya also won the Beauty With a Purpose (BWAP) award, which recognises contestants involved in humanitarian and community projects.
Her third-place finish matches the result achieved by Lina Teoh in 1998, putting Malaysia back in the Miss World top three after 28 years.
Taanusiya, who works as an educator, impressed judges during the competition, including the question-and-answer segment where she spoke about the importance of teaching environmental awareness to children.
She also gained attention after speaking in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil during the Head-to-Head Challenge.
Taanusiya thanked Malaysians for their support and prayers, saying their encouragement helped her throughout the competition.
The Miss World 2026 title was won by Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic, while Spain’s Elisabeth Reynes Alabern finished first runner-up.
