Maria Thattil is an Australian actress, media personality, author, and beauty pageant titleholder best known for winning the Miss Universe Australia title in October 2020.
She went on to represent Australia at the global Miss Universe 2020 competition in Florida, where she finished in the top ten.
Who is Maria Thattil?
Maria Thattil is an Indian-Australian actress, presenter, author, podcaster, and activist.
She rose to national prominence after becoming Miss Universe Australia 2020, only the third non-white woman to win the title in the pageant’s nearly 70-year history.
Since then, she has built a wide-ranging media career across television, print, podcasting, and acting.
Her work consistently centres on themes of identity, inclusion, and representation. Thattil published her debut book, Unbounded, with Penguin Australia in 2023.
She also gave a TEDx Sydney talk that year titled “The 6 Words You Need To Change Your Life,” speaking about authenticity and using her platform for social change.
She serves as a member of the United Nations Association of Australia and has supported charities including Mission Australia and SisterWorks.
Thattil has also been ambassador for Witchery’s White Shirt campaign, which raises funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
Early Life of Maria Thattil
Maria Thattil was born on February 10, 1993, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Her parents emigrated from India, with her father coming from Kerala and her mother from Kolkata.
The family settled in Melbourne and raised Maria within a household that kept strong ties to Indian culture.
Growing up in Melbourne as the child of migrants, she attended a private girls’ school.
During that time she faced bullying and recalled feeling pressure to shed her Indian identity in order to fit in as an Australian.
As a teenager, she took performing arts classes at Stage School Australia. That early training in performance would later prove useful as she transitioned into television and acting.
Her father’s name is Tony Thattil. She has a brother who came out as gay, and Thattil has spoken publicly about working with LGBTQIA+ youth charity Minus18 on his behalf.
Both parents became fully supportive of Maria and her brother after her brother came out eight years before she did.
Maria Thattil Age / Birthday
Maria Thattil is 33 years old as of 2026, born on February 10, 1993. Her zodiac sign is Aquarius, a sign often linked with independent thinking and a drive toward social progress.
By her early thirties she had already built a career spanning pageantry, television, acting, writing, and public speaking.
Maria Thattil Ethnicity and Nationality
Maria Thattil is Australian by nationality, born and raised in Melbourne. She is of Indian heritage, with her father’s roots in Kerala and her mother’s roots in West Bengal.
She has spoken openly about the pride she takes in balancing both her Australian and Indian identities.
Maria Thattil Height and Weight
Maria Thattil stands 5 feet 3 inches tall, or approximately 161 cm. Her weight is listed at around 52 kg (115 lbs).
Despite entering a competition historically associated with tall contestants, she used her 5’3″ height as part of her platform to challenge narrow Australian beauty standards.
Maria Thattil Education
Thattil holds two university degrees from Melbourne institutions. She earned a bachelor’s degree in applied science, majoring in psychology, from RMIT University.
She later completed a Master of Management (Human Resources) at the University of Melbourne in 2017, attending night classes on weekdays while working retail on weekends to fund her studies.
She had initially intended to become a clinical psychologist, but stepped away from the honours program after deciding it was not the right path for her.
That shift toward management ultimately led her to a corporate role as a talent acquisition partner at the Victorian State Government’s North East Link Project.
Thattil was also nominated for a Harvard fellowship program, which she turned down after deciding to pursue a broader public platform instead of a purely corporate path.
Maria Thattil Career
Early Career and Miss Universe Australia (2020)
Before entering pageantry, Thattil worked as a makeup artist, fashion stylist, blogger, and social media influencer.
She built an early following on Instagram and YouTube, posting makeup tutorials and lifestyle content.
In October 2020, she competed in the 16th edition of Miss Universe Australia, held in Melbourne.
The winner was announced in a virtual event due to Melbourne’s 112-day COVID-19 lockdown.
She was crowned by the 2019 title holder Priya Serrao, another woman of Indian origin.
Her win was historic. She became only the third non-white woman to hold the Miss Universe Australia title in its nearly 70-year history.
The victory sparked widespread media conversations about representation, diversity, and evolving beauty standards in Australia.
In May 2021, she represented Australia at the 69th Miss Universe international pageant in Florida, finishing in the top ten.
Television and Media Career (2021–Present)
After her pageant win, Thattil’s television profile grew steadily. She appeared as a guest and commentator on Channel 9’s Today Extra and Talking Honey, Seven Network’s The Morning Show, ABC’s News Breakfast, and Network 10’s Studio 10.
In January 2022, she appeared as a contestant on the eighth season of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Australia on Network 10.
During her time in the jungle, she came out as bisexual on national television, one of the most-discussed moments of that series. She was eliminated as the second contestant to leave.
From 2023, Thattil became a guest co-host on Network 10’s current affairs show The Project.
That same year she also served as a panellist on ABC Television’s Q+A, appearing in a special September 2024 episode filmed in Dandenong, Victoria.
In July 2023, she launched her own podcast, The Maria Thattil Show. Also that year, she served as a guest judge on an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.
Acting Career (2023–Present)
Thattil made her acting debut in August 2023 in the remake of Mother and Son on ABC Television, taking a guest role in episode two. The move marked a new direction in her career.
In December 2023 she joined the cast of long-running Australian series Neighbours, playing the character Amira Devkar, described as the first South Asian queer character in the show’s history.
Her first appearance aired in May 2024, with her appearing in six episodes overall.
She also created and appeared in a TikTok comedy series called Let’s Get Ducking Famous!, in which her character Naomi and a friend attempt to make their duck internet-famous.
Writing and Speaking Work
Thattil secured a book deal with Penguin Australia in August 2021 and spent the following year writing her debut book.
In 2023, she published Unbounded, described as part memoir and part practical guide, grounded in academic research and exploring race, sexuality, gender, and identity.
In October 2023, she gave a TEDx Sydney talk titled “The 6 Words You Need To Change Your Life,” sharing her journey toward embracing her authentic self.
She has written columns and opinion pieces on racism, sexism, leadership, and empowerment for outlets including Stellar Magazine, 9Honey, Mamamia, Women’s Agenda, SBS, Body+Soul, and Buzzfeed.
Maria Thattil Awards
- 2023: Voice of Now, Marie Claire Women of the Year Awards, for her advocacy work in challenging barriers and championing inclusion
- 2024: Named one of six honorees at Elle magazine’s “BOLD, BRIGHT, BRAVE” event
Maria Thattil Endorsements and Brand Work
Thattil has represented a wide range of major brands throughout her career. Her confirmed partnerships include Olay, Clinique, Alfa Romeo, Myer, Tommy Hilfiger, L’Oréal Paris, and Adore Beauty.
She has served as keynote speaker and event host for organisations including Microsoft, Westpac, Verizon Media, Are Media, and several major Melbourne universities.
Since at least 2022 she has been an ambassador for Witchery’s White Shirt campaign, which fundraises for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
Maria Thattil Partner
Maria Thattil publicly revealed her relationship with former AFLW player and Australian Survivor contestant Moana Hope in September 2023.
The couple made their red carpet debut at the Melbourne premiere of Death of a Salesman the same month.
They were together for more than 16 months. In February 2025, the pair announced their separation through individual Instagram statements, each expressing respect and care for the other.
As of 2026, Thattil is single. She has spoken about having had a relationship with a man in her twenties, and has said she began exploring her sexual identity after that relationship ended.
She came out publicly as bisexual during her appearance on I’m a Celebrity in January 2022.
Maria Thattil Net Worth
Maria Thattil’s estimated net worth is $1 million as of 2026. Her income draws from multiple streams built across the years since her Miss Universe Australia win.
Her television presenting work, including her co-hosting role on The Project and regular appearances on network morning and current affairs programs, forms a steady part of her earnings.
Brand partnerships with companies such as Olay, Tommy Hilfiger, and L’Oréal Paris, plus corporate keynote speaking engagements at organisations like Microsoft and Westpac, add significantly to her income.
Her 2023 book Unbounded, published by Penguin Australia, also contributes through book sales and royalties.
Her social media presence, with over 260,000 followers on Instagram, supports ongoing paid collaborations with brands in the beauty and lifestyle space.
Maria Thattil Social Media
Thattil is active across several platforms. On Instagram she posts under @mariathattil, where she shares lifestyle content, advocacy work, and brand collaborations.
She also maintains a presence on TikTok, where she created the comedy series Let’s Get Ducking Famous!, and on YouTube, where she posts lifestyle and makeup content. Her official website is mariathattil.com.
Conclusion
Maria Thattil turned a pageant win into a genuine media career by consistently engaging with the questions of identity, race, and sexuality that defined her own life story.
Her television presenting, acting debut in Neighbours, published memoir, and TEDx Sydney talk all reflect a public figure who has stayed grounded in the same themes that brought her to national attention.