The Miss Universe competition is facing a crisis of confidence just days before its 74th annual crowning in Bangkok,Thailand.Two members of the eight-person judging panel have resigned, throwing the integrity of the long-running pageant into question [[1]]. One judge publicly accused the organization of pre-selecting finalists through an unauthorized committee, sparking allegations of a rigged competition [[2]], while the other cited personal reasons for his departure [[3]]. These resignations follow earlier controversy surrounding the Thai director’s public criticism of a contestant,leading too intervention from the Miss Universe organization.
Two judges have resigned from the Miss Universe competition just days before the annual event, with one accusing organizers of manipulating the selection process.
Franco-Lebanese musician Omar Harfouch, who announced his departure from the eight-member judging panel on Instagram, alleged that an “improvised jury” had pre-selected the finalists before the competition, which is set to take place Friday in Thailand.
Hours later, French football coach and former player Claude Makélélé also announced his withdrawal, citing “unforeseen personal reasons.”
The resignations come two weeks after several Miss Universe contestants walked out of a preliminary event due to controversial comments made by a local official in Thailand.
“An improvised jury has been formed to select 30 finalists from the 136 participating countries, without the presence of any of the [eight] actual jury members, including myself,” Harfouch wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday, stating he learned of this through social media.
He claimed the unofficial jury is comprised of “people with a significant potential conflict of interest due to certain personal relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants.”
Harfouch did not elaborate on how this “improvised jury” would function or how it would invalidate the official judges’ decision.
The Miss Universe Organization issued a statement Tuesday refuting Harfouch’s claims.
The organization stated that “no external group has been authorized to evaluate the candidates or select the finalists.”
The statement suggests Harfouch may have been referring to the Beyond the Crown program, a “social impact initiative” that operates independently of the Miss Universe competition and has its own selection committee.
The Miss Universe Organization announced the Beyond the Crown selection committee on Monday.
In its Tuesday statement, the organization said Harfouch’s accusations had “misrepresented” the program.
Makélélé, who also announced his resignation via Instagram, described it as a “difficult decision.”
“I hold Miss Universe in the highest esteem. The platform represents empowerment, diversity and excellence, values I have always defended throughout my career,” he wrote.
The beauty pageant first ran into controversy earlier this month when its director in Thailand, Nawat Itsaragrisil, publicly reprimanded Miss Mexico, Fátima Bosch, at a preliminary event for not posting promotional content on her social media.
Videos that went viral show Bosch and several other contestants leaving the event, with some heard shouting at Nawat.
Nawat later claimed some of his words were misinterpreted, but his behavior prompted a strong rebuke from the Miss Universe Organization, which has since sent a delegation of international executives to take over the organization of the competition.
