Sa history ng Miss Universe, ilang Filipino personalities na rin ang naimbitahan para maging isa sa mga judge ng pageant. Ito ay sina Carlos P. Romulo at Gloria Diaz (1974); Josie Cruz Natori (1989); Kuh Ledesma (1991); Dr Emilio Yap (1994) at si Lea Salonga (2011).
Kasama natin si Lea Salonga noong 2011 Miss Universe bilang coverage team na naganap sa Sao Paulo, Brazil. This year, kasama naman sa panel of judges ang Pambansang Kamao na si Manny Pacquiao.
Binalikan ni Lea ang kanyang masayang experience bilang judge ng isa sa pinaka sikat na pageant sa mundo.
“From my experience with the Miss Universe Pageant they pick people that they think represents a more global community its not naman na lahat ng judges nila from one country. I think Manny will have a good time.”
Hindi rin daw madali ang mag judge ng isang beauty contest lalo na sa kalibre ng Miss Universe Pageant.
“One thing that I discovered its not as easy as it looks and its not as easy when you are doing it at home on your sofa in your pajamas.”
Nagbigay din ng tips at advise si Lea para kay Pacman.
“When you’re there you really have to be objective and you become really really objective as in how this one candidate looks on this video in bathing suit, you have to be picky with everything and how things looks on TV is different from how it looks like.”