Alicia Faubel, a model and actress from Alicante, was selected as Miss Universe Spain 2022, representing Spain at the 71st Miss Universe pageant held in New Orleans, United States, on Saturday, January 14. Following the earlier discontinuation of the Miss Spain pageant, Faubel became the tenth Spanish woman to hold the Miss Universe Spain title, advancing to the top 16 finalists at the gala event.
The 25-year-old Alicante native earned the Miss Spain crown from a field of 13 contestants. During the pageant, she paid tribute to Ángela Ponce, the first transgender contestant to compete in Miss Universe. Faubel displayed a rainbow flag along with a cape and a photograph of Ponce during one of the parades, signaling solidarity with the LGBT community.
Alicia Faubel representing Spain at Miss Universe
Javier Heart
This moment of protest resonated with fans on social media, who praised the young Alicante native for honoring Ángela Ponce and using the gala moment to champion LGBT+ visibility and rights.
This is Miss Universe Spain 2022 candidate
Alicia Faubel, 25, is a model and actress who loves sports and was born in Alicante. Although she spent five years living in the Philippines, much of her life has been outside Spain. She aspires to study psychology and train to become a psychology assistant. Faubel has spoken openly about the importance of mental health and shared on Instagram that dreams become reality through hard work, effort, discipline, and patience.
Standing 1.75 meters tall, she is a boxing enthusiast who hopes to box professionally and demonstrate her resilience and worth. Her participation in the Miss Universe Spain pageant highlighted a broader message tied to her advocacy and the value of perseverance through sport and life’s challenges. Her strong connection to Ángela Ponce, who in 2018 became the first transgender contestant in Miss Universe, underscored a broader commitment to inclusion within the pageant community.
Ángela, the first trans woman to participate in Miss Universe
The 2018 Miss Universe pageant stood out for the historic achievement of a Spanish contestant who became the first transgender participant in a major global beauty competition. “My best weapon is being myself,” said Sevillian activist and television collaborator at the time, who highlighted the importance of authenticity and rights for the LGBT community in Bangkok interviews.
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The new Miss Universe is Philippine-American R’Bonney Gabriel. Faubel’s journey is often cited alongside the evolving landscape of Miss Universe Spain and the global pageant circuit, where advocacy and personal narratives increasingly shape public perception.
Ponce aimed to mark a turning point in beauty pageants by promoting tolerance, respect, and love. She emerged as a crowd favorite and continued to be a source of inspiration for many who followed the competition, and her story remains a touchstone in discussions about representation and empowerment within the contest sphere.