Minh Tu: 'I have never sold my body'

- How did the process of getting you to represent Vietnam in Miss Supranational take place?

- The opportunity brought me to the contest was quite special when I had the opportunity to meet Miss Hai Duong - National Director of Miss Supranational Vietnam - through designer Chung Thanh Phong. Through our conversations, Ms. Hai Duong knew that I had a passion for participating in international beauty contests but had missed many domestic contests. Understanding my personality, my enthusiasm for work and my unfinished dream, Ms. Hai Duong suggested that I apply to compete for a spot in the Miss Supranational 2018 contest.

My biggest disadvantage is that I only have titles in the modeling field such as: Silver prize in Supermodel 2013, runner-up in Asia's Next Top Model 2017. To become the chosen representative, I had to overcome many strong competitors, with high titles such as Miss and Runner-up in the country to gain the trust of Ms. Hai Duong. On the other hand, submitting the application to the international Miss Supranational organization is also a difficult process. You have to prove to them that you have all the necessary elements, representing the country to participate in one of the five biggest beauty contests in the world. Luckily everything went smoothly and finally I was chosen. The moment I received the news, I honestly cried with happiness.

- Many people think that Miss Supranational Vietnam 2018 - Ngoc Chau - should compete this year. Will your selection cause any conflicts?

- I think Ms. Hai Duong and the organizing committee have their own thoughts. Ngoc Chau is a beautiful, intelligent, and brave girl, as evidenced by Ngoc Chau being crowned Miss Supranational Vietnam 2018. Having worked together many times in the past, I love and appreciate her. However, what Ngoc Chau needs right now is time, perseverance, and passion. Maybe the copyright holder in Vietnam wants her to have another year to improve, then compete and shine her best in the international arena.

Chau herself also understands this, completely respects the decision of the organizing committee and supports me in competing. We are still close sisters. After the upcoming competition, I will share my experiences to help her overcome them.

- What do you think makes you most suitable for Miss Supranational, instead of other competitions like Miss Universe or Miss Grand International?

- Miss Supranational is one of the 5 biggest beauty pageants in the world, emphasizing performance and stage skills like Miss Universe and Miss Grand International. After receiving the offer from Ms. Hai Duong, I researched and watched the finals of previous years. I completely meet the criteria of Miss Supranational from body shape, stage skills to performance charisma. In addition, my shiny brown skin and good English skills help me feel more confident.

However, I still have to work hard to improve myself. I learned how to change from model catwalk to beauty pageant, I have to be more flexible, my hips have to shake more. The way I pose, my demeanor, my eyes and the energy I bring also have to be different. In terms of body, no one is perfect. I try to overcome this by posing, covering up my body's flaws or finding ways to make my smile more attractive to the audience.

I also followed some other contests and appreciated the careful preparation of Lan Khue and Pham Huong. I think the person who brought the most buzz was probably Pham Huong because she knew how to attract and shine. I think the return of Pham Huong and the Miss Universe Vietnam contest created a wave of beauty queen lovers in Vietnam.

- She once shared that she hadstrong personality, the way of speaking is not pleasing to the listener. What do you think you need to adjust?

- People always have the idea that beauty queens must be "girly", but beauty queens still have many other aspects. Although foreign beauty queens are gentle, they still have inner strength and power. When I was young, I was completely independent, which gave me courage, sometimes a bit "manly". Later, when I returned from reality TV competitions, I gained more experience and knew how to transform more appropriately. However, I wanted to change my skills, not my personality or nature. When competing internationally, I learned to be more gentle, clever, and gentle, but I still lived honestly and was not hypocritical with the person I was talking to. My colleagues and close friends over the years will understand this.

Many people also told me that I need to know how to "cut and slash" to compete with other strong candidates, but I think I need to focus more on my performance in the competition and my ability to handle situations. After many years of experience, I am confident that I always maintain my enthusiasm and fighting spirit. What must I do so that even if I am not competing on home ground, the audience will still applaud my performance?

- Many people say that in the past you took some overly revealing photos, not befitting a beauty queen. What do you think?

- I myself come from a modeling background and have been working honestly for many years. I earn money based on my professional ability and have never had to trade anything. The previous images are purely work and still comply with the law. I do not sell my body in a negative way, there are no love scandals or being accused by customers of being unprofessional or fighting for the vedette position. I am completely proud of myself.

Recently, I have also decided to take less sexy, strong-personality photos, and even bikini photos are more calm and cute. I have to consider and moderate my image.

- What is your goal for this competition?

- My point of view is that titles and crowns help you gain respect, but the most important thing is still human value. My story is an example. In 7 years of working, the name Minh Tu has always been next to Lan Khue, but I have never been sad because of that, because my opponent is a formidable person. That is the motivation for me to try to improve, break through and get the position I have today.

At Miss Supranational 2018, I don't care about the award, it depends on luck. I want to conquer the audience more than win the title. In the past, I had many anti-fans, but later I was able to turn a number of anti-fans into fans, supporting me in the competition. This is also something I am proud of and happy about.

- If I don't win a high prize, will I lose value?

- When I accepted Hai Duong's invitation and was announced as Vietnam's representative to compete in Miss Supranational 2018, I no longer thought much about "losing value" or failing. Simply, competing in beauty pageants is a great passion of my youth. At the age of 27 - the last age to compete in beauty pageants, I was able to fulfill that dream and continue writing beautiful memories of my youth. There is no reason for me to falter, worry or be afraid. During my years as a model, I realized that when you work hard and wholeheartedly, you will receive worthy results.

When the information was announced, many audiences expressed their support for me. Some international beauty sites, including Global Beauties, gave positive comments: "Vietnam's representative came to win this year's contest". I feel lucky to receive love from audiences at home and abroad, but on the contrary, I cannot be subjective and must try harder.

Performed by Anh Tuan