Why Miss Universe 2025 is facing its biggest credibility crisis yet

In the build-up to the grand finale, a series of incidents raised questions about contestant treatment and the competition’s transparency.

The event this year initially drew attention after footage emerged of Thai pageant organiser Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly reprimanding Miss Mexico during a pre-pageant engagement in Thailand. In the video, he accuses her of failing to participate in a promotional shoot, reportedly calling her a “dumbhead.”

The confrontation prompted several contestants, including reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig, to walk out in protest.

The Miss Universe Organisation later distanced itself from the episode, calling the treatment of delegates “unacceptable.” The organisation said Itsaragrisil’s role in this year’s competition had been curtailed. Itsaragrisil later apologised and mended his relations with Miss Mexico on stage.

Following this, another controversy surfaced when two judges at this year’s event, Omar Harfouch and Claude Makélélé, and the president of the selection committee, Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie, resigned days before the finale.

While the series of resignations had begun drawing criticisms, the Miss Universe Organisation moved to douse to controversy with a statement, part of which read, “The Miss Universe Organisation reiterates that all judging procedures for the 74th Miss Universe competition remain official, transparent, and fully governed by MUO protocols. The Beyond the Crown Program operates independently and is not part of the competition’s evaluation process. We encourage all audiences to refer exclusively to verified MUO communications and to continue supporting the delegates who embody the values of Miss Universe.”  

Fátima Bosch ultimately secured the Miss Universe 2025 crown on November 20, 2025, Mexico’s fourth win, but the unfolding row has overshadowed the pageant’s reputation. While supporters acclaimed her victory as a triumph over the initial setback, others said the surrounding controversies had undermined confidence in the event.

A few hours after the grand finale, Harfouch has, in a series of Instagram posts and interviews, alleged amongst others that the list of finalists and winner had been predetermined and there was

“I Omar Harfouch declared yesterday exclusively on the American HBO, 24 hours before the Miss Universe final, that Miss Mexico would win - because Miss Universe owner Raúl Rocha is in business with Fatima Bosch’s father. All details will be showed in May 2026 on HBO. Raul Rocha and his son urged me, week ago in Dubai, to vote for #Fatima Bosh because they need her to win “because it will be good for our business,” they said to me,” he said in an Instagram post.

Aside Harfouch, former title holder, Natalie Glebova who served as a judge this year took to her Instagram to name Miss Thailand as her winner and stated that she will not be participating as a judge in the competition again until organisers adopt more transparent methods.

She wrote, “As a judge this year I can only speak for myself when I cast my votes. Please remember that each person has their own opinion and not one single person can influence the result. However, this must be said…when I competed in 2005 and years prior, I recall there was always an auditor that came on stage with sealed results from accounting firm. I’d like to bring that back, please. Until then I don’t think I will be participating as a judge again.”

Social media reactions

The result also triggered a wave of criticism online, with many users arguing that Miss Côte d’Ivoire, Olivia Yacé, had been unfairly overlooked.

One user wrote that the outcome showed “as a Black woman you have to work a hundred times harder than others, and even that is not enough,” adding that “Olivia, you are the people’s Miss Universe 2025.” Another post praising Yacé read, “Look at her! That’s the true Miss Universe 2025!”

Others pointed to Yacé’s performance in the final question round, calling it the “winning answer” and arguing she should have secured the crown.

Several users framed the result as part of a wider pattern of bias in global beauty competitions. “This is another case of a Black woman being robbed so their token light-skinned woman can be platformed,” one commenter wrote, insisting “the real Miss Universe is Olivia Yacé.”

Here are a few reactions on X;