2 judges resign as Miss Universe hit by fraud allegations

The 74th edition of the prestigious Miss Universe pageant, currently underway in Thailand, has been engulfed in controversy as allegations of irregularities in the judging process surface.

The claims have sparked international uproar, prompting two judges to resign from the official panel.

According to a BBC report, the new Miss Universe is scheduled to be announced on November 21. Ahead of the final event, contestants have been participating in various sessions. In the midst of these activities, Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch, an official jury member, announced his resignation on Tuesday.

In a post on Instagram, Harfouch claimed that “a suddenly formed secret jury panel has already selected the top 30 finalists without the presence of any official judge.” He alleged that the panel included individuals who had conflicts of interest or personal connections with certain contestants. He did not provide further details.

Just hours after Harfouch’s statement, another judge—French football manager Claude Makélélé—also stepped down, citing personal reasons.

This is not the first controversy surrounding this year’s Miss Universe event. Earlier, a Thai official publicly humiliated Miss Mexico Fatima Bosh during a pre-event programme, prompting several contestants to walk out in protest. The video of the incident went viral, drawing widespread criticism globally.

The series of controversies has raised fresh questions about the credibility of this year’s pageant.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s representative, Tanzia Zaman Methila, continues to gain significant attention on the international stage. She is close to topping the popularity vote, which has already drawn a record 1.55 million votes from Bangladesh. Voting remains open until Wednesday (19 November) at 10:59 pm.