Australian beauty queen Tegan Martin reveals ‘weird’ interaction with Donald Trump when they met at Miss Universe Australia
Tegan Martin has lifted the lid on her surprise encounter with Donald Trump at the Miss Universe 2014 pageant.
The model, 31, shared her experiences with fellow Miss Universe Australia winner Olivia Molly Rogers on her Tell Me More podcast this week, revealing how Trump liked her during a visit to his golf course in Miami.
Trump owned the Miss Universe pageant at the time and was known for mingling with beauty queens offstage.
‘I was one of the girls he talked to a lot. He would come over and we would have little interactions,” the blonde said.
Although Tegan had no idea Trump would one day become US president, she said she was fascinated by the man because of his larger-than-life personality and stardom.
Tegan Martin, 31, has lifted the lid on her surprise encounter with Donald Trump, 77, at the Miss Universe 2014 pageant. (Both pictured in 2014 at Trump’s golf course prior to the election)
However, she did admit that things got “weird” when Trump and his golfing friends dropped by the Miss Universe runway rehearsals.
“We’re here at Donald Trump’s golf resort in Miami, and he has an entourage of golfing buddies and they’re walking around and playing golf, stopping by our walking rehearsals… and just looking at us.”
‘People used to say, ‘There’s a bit of Hugh Hefner in it,’ and I thought, ‘No, it’s completely different. But it’s still weird.’ Like, it’s Donald Trump and I don’t know why he’s hanging around here.”
The model (right) shared her experiences with fellow Miss Universe Australia winner Olivia Molly Rogers (left) on her Tell Me More podcast this week and revealed how Trump liked her during a visit to his Miami golf course
Tegan also recalled the unexpected moment when Trump called her to answer a joke.
One day he spoke to me and said, “Australia” – because no one called us by our real names – “Australia, come here! My buddy Skippy is on the phone.” I thought, “What?” So he held his phone to my ear and there were all these photographers [taking photos of me],’ she said.
‘And that photo went viral. It was like, “Miss Universe Australia is talking to Trump! He has his phone to her ear!”
However, she did admit that things got “weird” when Trump and his golfing friends stopped by Miss Universe runway rehearsals
‘People used to say, ‘There’s a bit of Hugh Hefner in it,’ and I thought, ‘No, it’s completely different. But it’s still weird.’ Like, it’s Donald Trump and I don’t know why he’s hanging around here.”
In summary, Tegan described Trump as “respectful” and “polite” to the pageant’s contestants and staff, while adding that the politician “definitely had his favorites” among the beauty queens.
The Newcastle-born model managed to make it into the top 10 of the pageant before being eliminated.
Paulina Vega from Colombia won the title that year.