Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil on her break-up: ‘I’m lucky I got to experience a love like that’

Beauty queen turned multi-hyphenate media personality Maria Thattil has no regrets about making her love life public, even though she’s single now. Here’s why.

Former Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil is getting personal in her new podcast Picture: Adam Yip

Former Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil often gets told “it’s a shame” and “a waste” that her relationships with men didn’t work out, and that she “doesn’t look queer”.

“These ideas are so silly and outdated,” the multi-hyphenate media personality, who claimed the Miss Universe title in 2020 “on a campaign of what I had to say,” told Confidential.

The 30-year-old beauty queen and diversity advocate began a new chapter of her life in 2023, publishing her biography Unbounded in February.

On Wednesday she launched her podcast The Maria Thattil Show and has been confirmed to host a TEDx talk in September.

The “openly queer” child of South Asian immigrants has a lot more to offer mainstream media than her pretty face.

Former Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil at the The Langham in Millers Point. Picture: Adam Yip

Speaking exclusively to Confidential, the recently single Thattil opened up about the decision to finally make her private life so public, and whether she has any regrets.

Thattil has dated a number of famous men, but it wasn’t until January when she appeared on the cover of Stellar magazine with then-girlfriend TikToker Jorjia O’Hare that she spoke about her love life.

Jorjia O’Hare and Maria Thattil on the cover of Stellar Magazine in January 2023. Picture: Stellar

Maria Thattil at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney in May. Picture: David Swift

“I have never publicly shared who I dated before this year. I’m generally a very private person,” Thattil said.

“When I became Miss Universe, I intentionally asked people I dated to keep it private because I didn’t want to be talked about as someone’s girlfriend.”

Thattil confirmed to The Daily Telegraph in May that she and O’Hare had broken up.

“I understand once you start to put your ideas and who you are out there, people are invested and they want to know who you’re dating and that you’re happy. It’s not hard, but it’s not the most interesting thing about me,” she continued.

Maria Thattil launched her podcast The Maria Thattil Show on Wednesday. Picture: Adam Yip

That said, she has no regrets about sharing the relationship.

“She was the first time I’d fallen in love in four years and I suddenly had a public platform. I knew it was only a matter of time before people connected the dots.”

Thattil attended St Columba’s Catholic College and “always had crushes on girls”.

Yet growing up in a “conservative, religious household”, she didn’t understand them.

In 2022, she was outed as bisexual on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!

Maria Thattil and her brother Dom Thattil at the Myer Precious Metals Ball at Crown. Picture: James Thomas

“So many parents messaged me saying their kids had come out after they saw me. The visibility is giving younger people the language to articulate how they feel. That’s why representation is so important.

“If I was growing up and I saw a South Asian woman with her girlfriend, in an interracial relationship and she was just happy and kicking goals in her career, it would’ve helped me become me a lot easier.

“Jorjia healed so much in me.

“I’m lucky I got to experience a love like that because I didn’t even know it was possible. I couldn’t imagine being closeted and not experiencing that.”

In next week’s episode of Thattil’s podcast, she will bring listeners into her family life, by trying to explain modern dating and sexuality to her father, who is a priest.