‘Big deal’: Australian beauty queen goes public with new girlfriend

A former Miss Universe Australia winner has gone public with her new girlfriend on the front cover of Stellar, earning huge applause.

An Australian beauty queen has been praised by fans after going public with her new girlfriend following months of speculation.

Maria Thattil, 29, was rumoured to be secretly dating TikTok star Jorgia O’Hare after the pair were spotted leaving “flirty” comments on each others social media accounts late last year.

But on Sunday, the pair graced the front cover of Stellar magazine, confirming their romance – a move met with huge applause from fans and members of the LGBTQI+ community.

“Meet @jorgeerae – the woman who shook up my world,” Maria wrote in a post shared Sunday.

“I can try and write a perfect caption, but this note from August 2022 in my iPhone says it all: ‘Your love and heart brought out a lightness in me that truthfully, I’d forgotten. I wish I knew then what I know now, that all of my rules were a front to protect myself. Of course, until I met someone who helped me feel safe enough to love again.’”

“Meet the woman who helped me do exactly that.”

Maria Thattil has gone public with her new relationship with TikTok star Jorgia O’Hare. Picture: Instagram

The “loved-up” TV presenter told Stellar she had matched with Jorgia on Hinge after seeing one of her viral videos on TikTok.

“We exchanged maybe two messages, but I deleted the whole app because I was going through a ‘situationship’ that was very difficult.

“And then a month later, I popped up on her TikTok [feed] and she commented on my video, and the rest is history. We just got talking and we’ve been dating since.”

Despite being in “lust at first sight” following their initial date, Maria revealed it was only after she opened up publicly about being pansexual, a person who is attracted to people regardless of their sex or gender, that she felt comfortable to date openly.

“If there is anything I can take away reflecting on the past year, it has shown me how much good and how much love can come into your life when you’re not betraying yourself and denying who you are,” she said.

“Growing up, if I had seen an interracial same-sex female couple in the media – open, visible, living truthfully – that might have shaped my own experience a little bit more positively.”

The 29-year-old was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 2020. Picture: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images

Maria’s fans and many members of the LGBTQI+ community have been quick to praise the couple, describing their Stellar cover as “beautiful” and “a moment”.

“Love is love. Proud of you,” one person wrote.

“You are such a beautiful couple!” another commented.

As one declared: “Could you both be more hot and amazing??? Congrats.”

Maria, who won Miss Universe Australia in 2020, also noted how important it was to have visibility and representation, thanking the magazine for the “immeasurable” impact it would have.

“This is a big deal. I wish it wasn’t but – when have you seen an interracial same-sex couple on the cover of a national Australian magazine?” she wrote on Instagram.

“Being open matters – visibility IS important, needed and transformational. Sharing our stories bravely and opening discourse is how we connect, open minds and heal divides. I feel so strongly on this.

She was previously linked to British reality star Joey Essex. Pic: Instagram

Fans praised the magazine cover, with Maria agreeing it was a ‘big deal’. Picture: Stellar

“@jorgeerae and I don’t represent all queer experiences, all interracial experiences, & I don’t represent all POC experiences. But we represent US – and there are millions of people worldwide who will sure as hell feel seen BECAUSE of us.”

Since the cover hit newsstands on Sunday, the pair have already been spotted together, holding hands as they attended the Australian Open finals in Melbourne.

Previously, Maria had been linked to British reality star Joey Essex when they shared a fleeting romance while filming I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!