Australian chef Jordan Bruno crowned Mr Gay World 2018
Ricky Devine-White from New Zealand and Samarpan Maiti from India were runners-up
An Australian reality TV chef Jordan Bruno has been crowned Mr Gay World 2018.
Bruno, 25, from Perth, Australia, was a fan-favorite contestant on the show My Kitchen Rules. Following the show, he wrote a cookbook titled The Gay Chef and amassed a large social media following.
With his dedication to cooking and passion for LGBTQ mental health issues, Bruno was invited to compete in Kynsya, South Africa, against 20 other participants from around the world to become the spokesperson for Mr Gay World.
“You form a network, you educate each other, and you form bonds [to fight for gay rights]; that is how you reach equality, that is what Mr Gay World is about,” Bruno said, responding to a question about the competition’s relevance. After receiving his crown, he said that gay rights are nonexistent, and the focus should be on human rights.
Second place was given to lifestyle coach Ricky Devine-White from Marlborough, New Zealand, while Samarpan Maiti, a brain cancer scientist from Siddha, India, came third.
South Africa’s delegate, Karabo Morake, a legal executive manager from Cape Town, won the best outfit category.
Igor Scheurkogel, the chairperson of the board of Mr Gay World, said that the competition is about making a difference rather than just “being someone” with a title.
“The winner should aim to be a voice and a role model for the youth who are struggling to be accepted for who they are,” he said, according to The Huffington Post.
The tenth year of Mr Gay World, the competition was held in conjunction with the Pink Loerie festival in Knysna, with Mayor Eleanore Bouw-Spies opening the final night. A charity auction was held to benefit victims of Knysna’s fire disaster, with competitors bringing items from their home countries to auction off.
Next year’s Mr Gay World will be held in Hong Kong. See more of Jordan, Ricky and Samarpan below:
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