Press "Enter" to skip to content

MyHeritage Reveals Origins of Miss Universe 2021 Delegates

One of the most incredible things about taking a DNA test is discovering how truly “universal” we are. The Miss Universe pageant, which celebrates women of all backgrounds and cultures, is taking place in Eilat, Israel this year. MyHeritage was happy to help the delegates discover more about themselves, their diverse backgrounds, and their family origins.

The delegates were amazed and excited by what they discovered, and a teaser video of their reactions was broadcast as part of the show. Below, you’ll find the full video of our DNA reveal for Miss British Virgin Islands, Miss Spain, and Miss Great Britain.

Their results were presented to them by Miss Finland, Essi Unkuri, who had already taken a MyHeritage DNA in the past. Essi’s results showed that she is 66.4% Finnish, 32.1% Scandinavian, and 1.5% Inuit! She was also found to belong to 6 Genetic Groups based in Finland. Essi’s DNA Matches included a staggering 42,704 people from 62 countries — more than any of the other delegates!

Here’s what she revealed to the other delegates about their DNA results.

Miss British Virgin Islands: Xaria Penn

Xaria’s DNA results are a testimony to the diverse international history of her homeland, with roots from across 4 continents! She is 47.4% Nigerian, 20.7% Sierra Leonean, 10.9% Kenyan, 8.4% English, 4.4% Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, 2.9% Italian, 2.7% Iberian, 1.4% Native American, and 1.2% Central Asian!

MyHeritage Reveals Origins of Miss British Virgin Islands Xaria Penn
She matched with 753 people in the MyHeritage DNA database, including a close match — a great-aunt! We surprised her with a recorded message from this relative wishing her luck in the contest. Xaria was deeply moved to hear the message: her grandfather passed away when she was very young, and she has no memories of him. 

She knew he had siblings, but had never met them. She can’t wait to meet her newfound family member.

Miss Spain: Sarah Loinaz

Sarah’s results reflect to a large degree what she already knew about her heritage — but with some fascinating surprises thrown in. She is 66.7% Iberian and belongs to two Genetic Groups from the Basque Country. Her mother is from Morocco, and this was reflected in her 26.3% North African heritage as well as a Genetic Group based in Morocco. But then it got interesting: she’s also 3.8% Italian, 2.4% Nigerian, and 0.8% Papuan!

MyHeritage Reveals Origins of Miss Spain Sarah Loinaz

Sarah has 1,370 DNA Matches from 40 different countries on MyHeritage.

Miss Great Britain: Emma Collingridge

Emma’s results reflect strong roots in the British Isles with 47.2% English origins, 28.4% Irish, Scottish, and Welsh, and 4 Genetic Groups from the U.K. However, she also has a significant amount of Scandinavian heritage: 16.3%, as well as some Italian (7%) and Baltic (1.1%).


Emma matched with 5,225 people from 37 countries in the MyHeritage database. She was delighted to learn about her origins and is excited to do some more digging into her family background.

All the delegates learned something new about themselves and found the experience of discovering their origins special and heartwarming. Xaria said that her MyHeritage DNA reveal was the highlight of her trip!

Want to find out how “universal” your own origins are? Order your MyHeritage DNA kit today.

The post MyHeritage Reveals Origins of Miss Universe 2021 Delegates appeared first on MyHeritage Blog.

Source: My Heritage

Be First to Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *