Miss Tieu Vy: 'I am still the Tieu Vy of the years before I became a beauty queen'

When 18-year-old Tran Tieu Vy was crowned Miss Vietnam 2018 last September, the public called her a true "beauty queen": beautiful but still very young, shy about everything. Even her smile was not as confident as her beauty allowed.

After half a year and turning 19, not only is Tieu Vy's beauty more radiant, but her communication style has also changed a lot. She laughs out loud every time she jokes. However, when asked difficult questions, such as about rich men, the beauty queen is still very confused, reacting childishly, befitting her age.

In my eyes, the rich are the old men.

- After half a year of coronation and countless showbiz activities, what is your biggest change?

- Before, I was a carefree, childish girl who didn't think much. Now, although I'm still innocent, I have to think more carefully and maturely to be able to do a better job. Moreover, I'm 19 years old, I need to change accordingly.

"The most valuable thing during half a year as a beauty queen is that I didn't lose myself."

When I was 18, I knew nothing, just went to school and came back. But after becoming a beauty queen, I had to work for real and had to learn a lot of things. If before I was very shy when meeting strangers and didn't dare to talk, now I have become more confident when I often meet many new people, very comfortable when talking.

- Are you afraid of losing your youth because you are only 18 years old and are Miss Vietnam, having to live up to public expectations?

- On the contrary, becoming a beauty queen at the age of 18, I had the opportunity to learn more than my peers. Thanks to that, I can live the best life that I want. In the past half year, the most precious thing is that I have not lost myself. I am still the same Tieu Vy from the years before becoming a beauty queen.

After half a year, the people I learned the most from were my team members, the people who stood behind me but always took care of everything so I could do my job well. I was like a younger sibling, a child in a close-knit, extended family.

"The tycoons are the older guys, the leaders or the presidents. They also give me the motivation to try harder."

The half year of being a beauty queen was also the time when I had to go to many places without my parents, the most ever. Therefore, my brothers and sisters became my parents, taking care of everything from my clothes, my face to reminding me to take medicine when I was sick.

- Many people say that Tieu Vy's beauty is also very suitable for successful men and tycoons. What do you think about this?

- I don't know if the people I meet at events are rich or not. But that doesn't matter to me.

Every time I attend an event, after finishing my work, I quickly leave with the crew. During the days of volunteering, I don’t care whether I will meet rich people there or not.

But it is true that at work, I still have the opportunity to meet successful men. They are older men, leaders or presidents of organizations. Working with successful people also gives me the motivation to try harder.

- If you were flirted with by them, how would you react?

- Besides work, I don't think about anything else. After appearing at the event, I also limited my personal contact. All other exchanges were through the management company. But it's so strange. Why is this question so difficult? Why are you suddenly asking me about a rich man (laughs)?

Like H'Hen Nie the most, My Linh is like a sister

- What are your impressions of the famous people in showbiz that you have met?

- I like H'Hen Niê the most among the celebrities I've met. There's something about her that's full of energy, always radiating outward. I only had the chance to meet her once when we attended an event, but from the first time we talked, I felt like we were already familiar with each other.

We talked a lot, Ms. Hen was very cute, funny, not cold at all like in the photos.

- You and Miss H'Hen Nie are often compared by public opinion in terms of beauty and personality. In the eyes of the majority, you are considered more suitable for Vietnamese people. What do you think about this comparison?

- Each person has their own beauty, Hen and I are both beauty queens but of 2 contests with very different criteria. Hen is beautiful in her own way, I am beautiful in my own way. After much praise and criticism, Hen has proven that she is worthy of being a beauty queen, entering the top 5 of Miss Universe 2018.

As for me, not all opinions support me. Many people say I am not Vietnamese because my face is very Western. I have to clarify that I am not mixed-race at all, both my parents are Vietnamese. I also try my best to prove my worth in the eyes of public opinion.

In my eyes, Ms. Hen is beautiful, unique, strange and very attractive. Vietnamese people often like girls with long hair and white skin. I have those characteristics so I am probably more pleasing to the eye. But with Ms. Hen's success, I think Vietnam should have more beautiful beauty queens like Ms. Hen.

Comments like "This girl is not suitable to be a beauty queen" or "This girl is not as good as My Linh" make me very sad.

- As for you, have you received heavy criticism about your appearance?

- Until now, there are still many conflicting opinions about my beauty. I diligently read comments to know my flaws and fix them. People criticize me for having an open mouth, being stiff, and having only one expression when taking pictures. I am trying to fix that.

There are comments like “This girl is not fit to be a beauty queen” or “This girl is not as good as My Linh” that make me very sad. But after reading it, I just know it and don’t think too much about it. I still accept criticism to help me improve. As for demands that are beyond my ability, I don’t care.

- You and the previous beauty queen Do My Linh are also very close. Does the fact that you were criticized as "not as good as My Linh" make you two feel awkward?

- Everyone has their own beauty. No one is the same and no one is perfect. People should not compare me and Linh like that. We are very close and talk a lot because whenever she has a business trip to Saigon, she stays in the same house and sleeps in the same room with me.

Not nervous when meeting David Beckham, Son Tung M-TP has talent and personality

- Last year, you also had a memorable experience when you met world superstar David Beckham in Paris. How did that feel for an 18-year-old girl?

- When I was informed that I was going to France and attend an event with David Beckham, I was very happy because I was going to meet my idol. David Beckham is the idol of many people, from women to men, from the elderly to children, everyone in the world.

I was also very happy and excited to meet someone I never thought I would.

But I also told myself to stay calm and not to show that I was his fan. Actions like asking for his autograph were not allowed. Because I was aware that I was a beauty queen representing a country, not a teenage fan, and had to maintain my image.

So after shaking hands with David, I went back to my room without chatting any longer. I heard that his wife Victoria was also backstage at the event but I didn't interact with her and kept her private.

"Son Tung M-TP has talent and personality".

For a long time, when meeting famous people, I have always kept a calm attitude. Because in my hometown Hoi An, famous artists often come to visit. I still love and respect them, but that does not mean I rush to talk or do anything excessive.

- As for Son Tung M-TP, many people think that your choice to perform the song "Lac troi" at Miss World shows your admiration?

- I chooseLostto sing at Miss World after auditioning with 5 other songs. Ms. Thieu Bao Trang and Ms. Phuong Uyen decided that I would singLostIt is best to agree on this song.Lostalso my favorite song

As for Son Tung M-TP, he is probably the most famous singer among Vietnamese youth today. He is loved by audiences from young to old, especially audiences my age. I think he is a talented and unique singer, his songs are all very good.

I am not a hypocrite

- However, Tieu Vy's image in the public eye is still not unique and individual, but rather gentle and bland. Do you intend to change?

- Actually, I am a girl with personality. I am not a hypocrite. I say what I think, very straightforward. But my way of speaking is very soft and slow, so many people think I am gentle and indifferent.

Actually, I am not afraid to speak up about things that are not good or not satisfactory without fear of conflict. I think I know how to speak up so that others are not offended and it is still good for the work.

"I am very straightforward, but my way of speaking is soft-spoken, so many people think I am gentle and shy."

- But on the catwalk or in photoshoots, you still stick with the princess image?

- I think the princess image suits me because I chose it for myself. It's not that princesses lack personality. I've mixed a bit of my strength and modernity into the princess image, but maybe it hasn't been successful because people haven't realized it yet.

In the future, I will try to show more personality and not be too fussy or feminine.

Mi Ly