Who is Jane Dipika Garrett? Miss Nepal creates history at Miss Universe 2023 as first plus-size candidate

Nepali model Jane Dipika Garrett has been making headlines after she participated in the 2023 Miss Universe, making her the first plus-sized candidate in the competition. Jane has already been crowned Miss Nepal in 2023 and was representing the same at the 72nd iteration of the pageant, held on November 18, 2023. Following her Miss Nepal win, Jane managed to grab her position among the top 20 at Miss Universe 2023.

Jane Dipika Garrett's participation in the Miss Universe 2023 has gained a lot of attention across the internet and the world, with people wanting to know more about her. It is, however, worth noting that while people are happy about her participation, the same has been criticized by a few people.

The model, who is part American, was praised by everyone for her confidence and walk during the swimsuit round. She was also cheered on by the audience when she appeared at the preliminary competition on November 16, 2023.

Following her win at Miss Nepal 2023, Jane gave a speech where she spoke about being a curvy woman "who doesn't meet certain beauty standards."

"As a woman who is curvy and who does not meet certain beauty standards, I'm here to represent women who are curvy, who struggle with weight gain, who struggle with hormonal issues," she said.

It is worth noting that Jane has openly spoken about her struggle during her early days. She is active on Instagram where her posts have received a positive reaction from her followers.

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Jane Dipika Garrett has openly spoken about her health issues throughout her career

Miss Universe 2023 brought a few changes which included the participation of contestants who were married or divorced as well as plus-sized women. Jane Dipika Garrett is one of those contestants who is being praised online for her participation.

The 22-year-old is a nursing student who said during her appearance on On Air: With Sanjay Silwal Gupta that she was interested in modeling, acting, and business. Jane has been an advocate for hormonal and mental health alongside polycystic ovary syndrome.

She stated that she felt insecure when she started to participate in various beauty competitions and added that she would compare herself to the other girls. She noted that she would think that she wasn't "tall enough or not pretty enough or too chubby" or that she "couldn't even walk" like them.

"But I kept pushing myself and learning and especially towards the Preliminary round, I felt confident in myself and a lot of people started noticing me after my interview," she added.

In an interview with Hola magazine, Jane Dipika Garrett stated that she doesn't have an issue with how she appears and that "success varies depending on each person." She added that she once had "low self-esteem" but that she loves herself now.

As mentioned earlier, Jane Dipika Garrett is active on Instagram with around 249,000 followers and describes herself as an entrepreneur in her bio.

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Sheynnis Palacios won the title of Miss Universe 2023

Sheynnis Palacios emerged as the winner in this year's Miss Universe. Vos TV states that Palacios was crowned Miss Nicaragua in 2020 and 2023, and Miss Teen Nicaragua in 2016.

According to USA Today, Palacios was crowned by the winner of last year's Miss Universe, R'Bonney Gabriel. Miss Thailand Antonia Porslid and Miss Australia Moraya Wilson grabbed the positions of first and second runner-up, respectively.

Miss Universe 2023 was held in El Salvador on November 18, 2023, and around 84 contestants participated in the pageant.