The Miss Universe pageant has been thrown into fresh controversy just days before it crowns its 74th winner, after two judges abruptly resigned, one claiming the competition is rigged.
The departures come as the long-running beauty contest grapples with a series of disputes, including a recent incident in which a senior organiser publicly berated Miss Mexico, prompting several contestants to stage a brief walkout in protest.
On Tuesday, Lebanese-French composer Omar Harfouch announced on Instagram that he had stepped down from the eight-member judging panel, denouncing the pageant as a “charade” lacking transparency. He alleged the existence of a second, secret panel of judges responsible for deciding which contestants progress to the finals; claims the Miss Universe Organisation firmly denies.
Just hours later, former French football star Claude Makélélé also revealed on Instagram that he would not be attending the contest, citing “unforeseen personal reasons”. “This was a difficult decision, as I hold Miss Universe in the highest regard,” he wrote.
In a series of posts, Harfouch claimed he had uncovered an “impromptu jury” tasked with secretly selecting the 30 semi-finalists from the 136 entrants, without the official judges’ knowledge. He suggested that some members of this group had personal ties to certain contestants.
After raising concerns with organisers, he said a list of names was published, which he believes was an attempt to address the issue, but he ultimately resigned following a conversation with Raul Rocha Cantu, the organisation’s president and co-owner, over what he called a “lack of transparency” in the voting process.
The Miss Universe Organisation disputed his account, insisting that no secondary judging panel exists and stating that “all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent and supervised MUO protocols.” It accused Harfouch of publicly misrepresenting the programme, explaining that the list of names he referenced in fact belonged to a selection committee for a separate social impact initiative.
The organisation has not commented on Makélélé’s withdrawal and did not respond to enquiries from The Times.
The judges’ resignations follow weeks of tension after co-owner Nawat Itsaragrisil criticised Fátima Bosch, Miss Mexico, for failing to take part in certain promotional events.
The confrontation led several contestants to walk out temporarily. Nawat later issued an apology, while Cantu admonished him, stressing that he would not allow contestants to be “attacked and humiliated.”
Founded in 1952 by a California swimwear company, Miss Universe remains one of the world’s most recognisable beauty contests. The brand is owned by the Miss Universe Organisation, which generates revenue through global licensing and the sale of broadcast rights.
However, interest from broadcasters and sponsors has waned in recent decades as public enthusiasm for traditional pageants has declined.
This year’s competition is set to conclude on Friday in Bangkok, following the preliminary round held on Wednesday.
