Mexican contestant Fatima Boss, who quits organizers, wins beauty pageant

Miss Mexico Fatima Boss was crowned the new Miss Universe in Thailand on Friday, marking the end of a scandal-filled pageant season.

The 25-year-old exited a beauty pageant in early November after an official publicly berated her in front of dozens of contestants and threatened to disqualify those who supported her.

A week later, two judges resigned, with one accusing organizers of rigging the competition.

Miss Universe was born in the United States and is one of the oldest beauty pageants on earth. Analysts say the latest controversy highlights cultural and strategic differences between the pageant’s Thai and Mexican organizers.

In this beauty pageant, Thailand’s Pravinal Singh won second place, and the other top five contestants included Venezuela, the Philippines and Cote d’Ivoire.

Thailand is hosting Miss Universe for the fourth time, and this year’s representatives are considered frontrunners by fan sites.

The crowning of the new Miss Universe, the 74th since 1952, signals an organization’s determination to remain relevant and evolve from an annual television event into a TikTok-ready media brand.

The pageants are organized by Thai media tycoon Nawat Itaragrasil, known to fans as the founder and owner of Miss International, a smaller Thai competition known for its influence on social media.

Mr Nahuatl holds the license to host this year’s Miss Universe pageant, while the organization is run in Mexico by businessman Raul Rocha.

In the early years, beauty queens from North, Central and South America dominated the competition, but in recent decades a community of pageant enthusiasts has emerged in Southeast Asia, especially in Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, where beauty pageant titles have become a way out of poverty or a fast pass for girls who dream of becoming famous.

But things took a dramatic turn during the pre-pageant ceremony earlier this month, when Mr Nahuat scolds Miss Mexico Fatima BossIn front of dozens of contestants for failing to post promotional content.

When she objected, Mr Navat called security and threatened to disqualify those who supported her. Ms Boss then left the room and others joined her in solidarity.

The Miss Universe Organization condemned Nahuatl’s actions as “malicious” and Rocha told his Thai business partner via video from Mexico to “stop it.”

Navat later apologized and claimed some of his words had been misunderstood, but a delegation of international executives was sent to take over the game.

a week later, Two judges resign One accused organizers of manipulating the selection process.

Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch announced his resignation from the eight-member jury on Instagram, claiming that a “temporary panel” had pre-selected the finalists ahead of Friday’s finale. Hours later, former France football star Claude Makelele also announced his withdrawal, citing “unforeseen personal reasons.”

The Miss Universe Organization rejected Hafouch’s claims, saying “no outside group is authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists.”

It suggests Mr Harfouch may have been referring to the Beyond the Crown program – a “social impact initiative” that operates independently of the main Miss Universe competition and has a separate selection committee.

Then, during Wednesday night’s evening gown preliminaries, Miss Jamaica fell on the stage and had to be carried out of the theater on a stretcher. She is recovering in the hospital.

Miss Universe is under new leadership, sparking a series of controversies after Thai transgender media mogul Anne Jakrajutatip resigned as chief executive on the eve of the pageant and was replaced by Guatemalan diplomat Mario Bucaro.

Ms Jakrajutatip acquired the pageant in 2022 from US entertainment company Endeavor. She made sweeping changes to inclusion, allowing trans women, married women and women with children to attend. She also removed the upper age limit for contestants.

As audience numbers dwindled over the years, she tried to monetize the Miss Universe brand, putting it on merchandise such as bottled water and bags.

2023, Her entertainment company JKN files for bankruptcy citing “liquidity issues”.

Before resigning, Ms Jakrajutatip brought in Mr Rocha from Mexico as a business partner and later appointed Mr Nawat to organize the 2025 pageant.

American beauty queen and pageant coach Dani Walker told the BBC it had been a “very difficult transition” for pageant leadership. Important roles are now divided between leaders in Bangkok and Mexico, she said.

She said the leadership structure was clearer when the pageant was hosted by Endeavor, and before that it was Donald Trump.

“It’s very confusing for fans and outsiders. No one knows who the real leaders are or who to ask when they have questions, and it does a lot of damage to the brand,” Paula Shugart, who chaired the Miss Universe organization under the previous two owners, told the BBC.

Thitiphong Duangkhong, a women’s and Latin American studies scholar and pageant expert, said the people behind pageants should be aware of their cultural differences.

“In our country, we use Thai to communicate with our fellow Thais. We understand the social context, we understand the social structure, we understand the inequalities of power in society and we constantly try to negotiate with them using Thai,” he told the BBC.

Mr. Thitiphong said Ms. Jakrajutatip’s status as a transgender woman might make some Latin American fans who identify with a macho culture uncomfortable.

“There are rumors that women who are not women are suddenly buying into a beauty pageant that is supposed to be entertainment for women. What’s going to happen?”

Viewership for the Miss Universe live broadcast has been steadily declining over the years as fans turn to social media. On TikTok and Instagram, former champions and even runners-up have accounts with millions of followers, turning them into influencers.

It’s this e-commerce space that Mr. Navat’s Miss International queens are expected to embrace — selling merchandise on live broadcasts — that he’s trying to introduce to Miss Universe.

But in Latin America, beauty queens are still seen as glamorous television personalities. There was even a Miss Universe reality show for viewers, with the winner – a Dominican-crowned Miss Universe Latina – competing in the main beauty pageant in Bangkok.

Although the controversy has highlighted the business side of Miss Universe, former queens continue to use their platforms to promote their careers. Catriona Gray, the 2018 title holder, has urged her 13.8 million Instagram followers to help charities provide safe drinking water to thousands of people left homeless by two consecutive super typhoons in the Philippines.

The pageant also continues to face ongoing criticism for objectifying women. But while most contestants wore two-piece bikinis in the 2025 competition, contestants from conservative countries were allowed to wear full-body coverings during the swimsuit rounds.

“Of course it’s not going to be for everyone and there will always be people who disagree. But as long as the core values ​​are intact, I think pageants will always have a role to play in society,” former president Ms Shugart said.

Women’s empowerment should be at the heart of the organization, she said.

“Miss Universe means nothing if you don’t empower the women who compete.”