BANGKOK– The sparkle of gowns and stage lights at the 74th Miss Universe competition is being drowned out by scandal. What should have been a glittering build-up to Friday night’s final at Bangkok’s Impact Arena has been shaken by claims of rigged votes, backstage drama, and a shock exit from two judges.
One of them alleges that a hidden panel secretly picked some of the finalists. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has strongly denied any wrongdoing and insists everything is “transparent and fair”. Yet for many watching, this year’s event, long seen as a giant of global pageant culture, now feels closer to a tense soap opera than a feel-good show about female empowerment.
The fresh accusations broke only days before the crowning. Lebanese French composer Omar Harfouch, a respected musician who has performed with major orchestras, announced his resignation in an Instagram post on Tuesday, 18 November. The video has passed 500,000 views.
Harfouch claims organisers created an “impromptu jury” whose identities were kept quiet. According to him, this unofficial panel chose the top 30 semifinalists instead of the appointed group of eight judges. He also claimed some of those involved had personal ties with certain contestants.
He wrote that audiences would naturally believe the official judging panel had made these choices, and said he refused to accept blame for decisions he did not take part in. He hinted he might take legal action and added, “Pretending otherwise would be dishonest.”
Miss Universe Judges Walk Off As Tensions Rise
Soon after Harfouch stepped down, another big name followed. Former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makélélé, now known for his charity work, also quit as a judge. In a short Instagram statement, the 42-year-old cited “ unforeseen personal reasons “. He did not mention the rigging claims, which have only fuelled talk that the controversy played a part.
Their exits have hit a show that has tried to reshape its image since changing owners. Behind the scenes, insiders speak of rising tension. Some contestants are said to be uneasy about the scoring systems brought in after 2022. In his Instagram statement, Harfouch referred to “individuals with significant potential conflict of interest due to some personal relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants”. The careful wording has been widely read as a nod to rumours of romantic links behind the curtain.
Miss Universe 2025 has already faced a storm over fairness and respect. In early November, a livestream went viral after Thailand director, Nawat Itsaragrisil, was seen scolding Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, 24, during the official welcome ceremony on 5 November.
Accusing her of missing a promotional photoshoot, he snapped, “You’re dumb if you think that’s respect.” Bosch immediately fired back, “No one can shut our voice.” The clip spread quickly and sparked a walkout by more than a dozen contestants, among them Miss Angola and Miss Venezuela, who joined Bosch in protest at what they saw as disrespect.
Bosch, an entrepreneur and women’s rights advocate from Mexico City, later told CNN that the clash highlighted deeper problems with how some Latin American contestants were treated. Itsaragrisil issued a public apology, yet the anger has not fully faded. Bosch has vowed to keep competing “with grace and fire”.
A Shocking Fall Grabs Global Attention
As the drama grew online, another incident during Wednesday’s preliminary show added a painful twist. Miss Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, 28, a doctor and maternal health campaigner from Kingston, fell from the stage during the evening gown portion.
Henry walked with confidence in a bright orange dress inspired by Jamaica’s beaches, then misjudged the edge of the runway and dropped several feet to the floor. The arena went silent as medical staff rushed in. She was carried out on a stretcher while photographers kept flashing their cameras.
Hours later, the Miss Universe Jamaica Organization posted on Facebook, saying, “At 12:00 a.m. Bangkok time, I have just left the hospital where she is being treated. Gabrielle is stable, alert, and in good spirits.”
Henry underwent scans for a possible concussion and sprains as a precaution. From her hospital bed on Thursday, she shared a video thanking supporters. “A little slip won’t dim my shine. See you soon, Universe!” she said.
Her calm reaction has won huge praise, and the hashtag #PrayForGabrielle has trended across platforms. Some social media users, already suspicious after the rigging talk, have called the pageant “cursed”. Officials have blamed the fall on a lighting issue on the raised stage.
MUO Hits Back As Pressure For Change Grows
The Miss Universe Organization has responded in strong terms to the rigging scandal. In an Instagram statement on 19 November, MUO president Amy Chua Alano wrote, “No external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists. All of our judging procedures… remain official, transparent, and fully governed by MUO protocols.”
The organisation said that semifinalists are chosen through several steps. These include public voting and preliminary judging, with results reviewed by independent auditors. MUO branded Harfouch’s comments as “unsubstantiated” and suggested it could seek legal action if it viewed the claims as defamatory.
Behind closed doors, insiders say senior figures are working hard to calm major sponsors such as PepsiCo and L’Oréal. Both have poured significant funds into the rebranding of Miss Universe, which now promotes body positivity, diversity, and global social causes.
All of this is unfolding during what was meant to be a proud chapter for Miss Universe in Thailand. In October 2022, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, a prominent transgender entrepreneur and CEO of JKN Global Media , bought the pageant for about $20 million. She became the first woman to own the competition in its 73-year history.
Jakrajutatip, 58, a former pageant contestant, promised a “new era” of empowerment at the time of the purchase. She hosted the 2024 final in Mexico, then chose her home country for the 2025 edition. “This is about uplifting women from all walks,” she said then, pointing to her own journey from corporate boards to media mogul.
Under her leadership, the pageant has removed age limits and dropped compulsory swimwear rounds. That shift helped attract a record 122 countries. Her time in charge has not been free of trouble, though. In June 2025, Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into JKN over allegedly misleading financial statements. The case did not result in charges, yet questions about the company’s finances have lingered.
Bangkok’s Pageant Under Fire As The Crown Awaits
Despite everything, the show is still moving ahead with its usual spectacle. Thursday’s national costume event thrilled many in the audience. India’s Manika Vishwakarma stepped out in a striking sapphire monokini inspired by the Ganges and drew huge cheers from the crowd of around 10,000.
Preliminary swimsuit and talent segments have trimmed the field and boosted the buzz around several favourites, including Miss Denmark, widely tipped as a strong successor to current queen Victoria Kjær Theilvig, and Miss Philippines, who impressed judges with a dramatic fire dance.
Public voting through the MUO app has risen by about 40 percent compared with last year, a sign that fans are more involved than ever, even as criticism grows louder.
As the sun rises over the Chao Phraya River on the morning before the final, contestants gather for their last rehearsals. Their focus and calm in the middle of so much noise have not gone unnoticed.
Bosch, still in the race, told the media, “We’ve turned pain into power.” From her recovery room, Henry, now cleared to rejoin the competition, added, “Beauty isn’t just skin-deep; it’s surviving the fall.”
For Jakrajutatip and the MUO, the real challenge now is clear. They have to crown a winner while doubts about fairness still swirl. These events may shape how fans see the Miss Universe crown for years.
With cameras fixed on Bangkok, Miss Universe 2025 has become more than a beauty contest; it looks like a test of an industry searching for its conscience. Whoever wins on Friday will not only receive a tiara, but she will also inherit a divided stage and a call to repair trust.
