End Of The Year Review 2024
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2024 will always be remembered as a tumultuous year for two of the world's biggest pageants: Miss Universe and Miss Grand International. Both pageants dominated the news when it came to scandals and controversies. Let's begin with Miss Universe
February 8 - MUO CEO Amy Emmerich posted on her LinkedIn page that she is stepping down from her position which she held for two years. Emmerich was instrumental in reshaping the Miss Universe brand for the new era by eliminating the age restriction and allowing married/divorced/pregnant/trans/plus size women to compete.
February 18 - Former Miss Universe Organization President Paula Shugart, who resigned from her post last November, released a statement on her Instagram addressing the allegations against her made by MUO owner Anne Jakrajutatip. Paula is considering taking legal action against Anne. The post has generated strong reactions from fans most of whom support Paula.
February 23 - Perhaps the biggest scandal of the Miss Universe organization was unleashed when the program “De Primera Mano” on Imagen TV published leaked a video of a board meeting conducted by JKN Global CEO Anne Jakrajutatip and her team in Mexico that included MUO co-owner and president Raul Rocha Cantu, and Cynthia de la Vega (new national director for Mexico). The video was leaked by Rodrigo Goytortua, the former CEO of Miss Universe Mexico who had recorded the meeting that took place in Mexico on October 23, 2023. The leaked video revealed the lie of MUO's empowerment promise. Jakrajutatip said that it would be good for the pageant’s image to allow women from nontraditional backgrounds to compete in a potential Miss Universe reality show, but ultimately, “they cannot win.” Jakrajutatip would later release a statement condemning the unauthorized release of the video and claiming that her words were taken out of context.
February 24 - Miss Universe Nepal Jane Dipika Garrett admitted that the Miss Universe 2023 pageant was rigged and that the “inclusion” girls “weren’t ever gonna get a real chance to win.” Based on her Instagram story.
May 6 - The Miss Universe Mexico Organization released a statement today announcing that Osmel Sousa has made the decision to dismiss Cynthia de la Vega as the national director of Miss Universe Mexico. Since Osmel was hired as the President Advisor of MUO in April, his main job is to make sure that the organization’s “standards” are met by everyone affiliated with MUO. However, one wonders what these standards are based on or who implemented them. Moments after the statement was published, Cynthia released her own statement indicating that she left because the recent changes do not reflect what was originally proposed to her and that the changes go against her personal values. She was replaced by Martha Cristiana Merino who describes herself as a Mexican Top Model, artist and writer.
June 24 - Martha Cristiana Merino steps down as national director of Miss Universe Mexico. During a press conference, she stated that “it wasn’t what was promised.” A proponent of inclusion, Merino said that she was not allowed to include transwomen or a 42-year-old woman in the national contest. “I should not and cannot be part of an organization that acts like this, and it is for this reason that I am renouncing my position.”
October - Anne Jakrajutatip and Osmel Sousa made controversial comments about Miss Lebanon contestant Nada Koussa's photo in a viral video. The video caused controversy and led to a public request for an apology from the Miss Lebanon organization. In the video, Osmel made a negative comment about Koussa and Anne laughed in agreement. MUO took the video down, but never apologized to Koussa in person as they had promised.
November 16 - During the press conference following the coronation of Denmark's Victoria Kjaer Theilvig as the new Miss Universe, a reporter asked Anne Jakrajutatip about the evolution of the Miss Universe pageant, she fixated on Theilvig's looks. "Evolution? We have blond and blue eyes, so we're coming to the ultimate evolution already. We don't need any more evolution here. We already got the best here." Some critics in the pageant world said this is the latest example that Jakrajutatip's promises for Miss Universe may only be skin deep.
November 21 - A documentary called "Cracks in the Crown: Miss Universe in Crisis?" produced by ABC News IMPACT x Nightline, aired on Hulu channel. The documentary highlights the controversies surrounding the new ownership and features several pageant personalities who were interviewed, including me!
November 22 - MUO published a lengthy statement denouncing the above documentary without actually mentioning its title. “These assertions lack veracity and transparency,” says the statement which is full of clichés and is uninteresting. Yet another attempt by MUO to deny the allegations - despite strong evidence via videos and official documents that prove otherwise.
December 10 - MUO released a statement announcing that Chilean TV presenter Jordi Castell has been fired by Chilevisión following misogynistic remarks he had made against MU Mexico Maria Fernanda Beltran. MUO also stated that it would file a lawsuit against Castell for defamation and slander.
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And now let's talk about Miss Grand International:
October 6 - MGI President Nawat Itsaragrisil announced that Cambodia would no longer serve as the host country due to its “inability to fulfill the requirements as stipulated in the host agreement contract.” MG Cambodia announced that it lost its license and that MGI does not respect Cambodia.” The MGI team and the contestants travel to Thailand for the rest of the competition.
October 7 - MG Costa Rica Macarena Chamberlain withdrew from MGI 2024 due to mental health issues caused by the conflict between MGI team and MG Cambodia team in Cambodia. MG Cambodia Sotheary Bee withdrew from MGI contest due to conflict between her national director Sokunthea Im and MGI team that happened in Cambodia. She said she would not be traveling to Thailand with the other contestants.
October 9 - MG Cambodia team gave a press conference denying Nawat Itsaragrisil’s accusations that MGC failed to satisfy his requirements and standards.
October 19 - MG Ukraine Kateryna Bilyk withdrew from the contest citing health reasons caused by harsh activities and threats from the organization. She was also forced to work on a tourist visa. MG Hong Kong Kaylie Chong withdrew from the contest citing illness.
October 25 - Rachel Gupta of India wins Miss Grand International 2024. Myanmar’s Thae Sue Nyein placed second runner-up but relinquished her crown two days later, pressured by her national director Htoo Ant Lwin who created a scene by taking off the crown and sash of Thae to protest the unfair results.
October 28 - During an Instagram live, MG Myanmar Thae Sue Nyein said she that she would give up her second runner-up title because she felt robbed after not getting two special awards - Best in National Costume and Country's Power of the Year. MGI released a statement announcing that it has decided to revoke Thae's 2nd runner-up position “due to inappropriate behavior and actions that violated several regulations.” Htoo Ant Lwin has also been permanently banned from MGI for "lack of sportsmanship and business credibility."
October 31 - Nawat Itsaragrisil denied Myanmar director Htoo Ant Lwin’s claim of selling the winning title for US$25,000 and threatened legal action.
November 17 - Nikhil Anand, the national director of Miss Grand India, posted an announcement on the official Instagram accounts of Miss Grand India and Glamanand Supermodel India stating that his organization has decided to part ways with MGI. Though the post seemed civil and respectful, Anand's Instagram stories carried the opposite tone - that of anger and frustration - as he blames MGI for being greedy and not loyal to directors.
November 23 - On the official Instagram account of the Miss Grand Honduras Organization, national director Amelia Vega published a press release announcing her organization's decision to terminate its partnership with MGI. "For personal reasons, today I am withdrawing from the Miss Grand International organization," the statement read. "I am very disappointed with the treatment MGI gives us as national directors." Vega explained that MGI is "only interested in our money" and does not value the sacrifices or investments national directors have made to promote the brand in their countries or to send their representatives to the competition. She also claimed that MGI fails to recognize national directors as "true investors" in the competition and as one of the key factors in its success. "During the concentration, we are not even given identification as directors, and at the same time, we are charged for entry to all the shows," the statement continued. "Throughout the year, they never take us into account or take the time to give a message of thanks for our collaboration." Vega expressed regret that many other national directors are too afraid to speak out due to fear of having their licenses revoked by MGI.
December 2 - Indonesia's national director Ivan Gunawan gave a press conference announcing that he will not send an Indonesian representative to the 2025 pageant and that he wants to focus on running his business.
December 6 - Miss Grand France Safiétou Kabengele, third runner-up in Miss Grand International 2024, publicly criticized the winner, Rachel Gupta, by claiming that Gupta had disrespected her in front of the MGI team and the girls. "I won’t fake a relationship with someone who hurt me, and with whom I have no bond," she continued. "I stay authentic."
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IDENTITY CRISIS: This issue happen every year, and 2024 was not an exception. On January 26, Karolina Shiino, a Ukrainian-born model who is white, was crowned as Miss Japan 2024.The decision to pick a winner with European heritage has raised questions about beauty standards and what it means to be Japanese. Shiino said she faced difficulties being accepted as a local because of her appearance, and hoped her win would change minds about who can be considered Japanese. On February 6, Shiino resigned from her title after it was revealed that she was a married woman. On February 24, an Iranian-born mother and immigrant, Apameh Schönauer, was crowned Miss Germany 2024. Her detractors took issue with the fact that she doesn’t fit stereotypical beauty standards; some also suggested she isn’t “German enough.” On October 23, MUO disqualified Armenia’s delegate Irina Zakharova because she doesn’t have an Armenian passport and she doesn’t live in Armenia. This is in violation of MUO’s entry policies that require a representative to be a citizen of and to live in a country she represents. Zakharova was replaced by her second runner-up Emma Avanesyan, an Armenian who lives in Moscow.
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SIGNIFICANT FIRSTS: On January 13, Aleksandra Klepaczka of Poland was crowned Reina Internacional del Café 2024 (International Queen of Coffee), making her the first Polish woman to win the contest which is open to coffee-producing countries. On January 14, Madison Marsh, a 22-year-old second lieutenant in the US Air Force was crowned Miss America 2024, making her the first active-duty Air Force officer ever to receive the national title. On April 28, Kayla Kosmalski makes history by being crowned as the first Miss Delaware Teen USA with Down Syndrome. On June 27, Jennifer Colon, 36, became the first mother to be crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico. On August 4, Alma Cooper, became the first active-duty Army officer to be crowned Miss USA 2024. On August 11, Mia Le Roux became the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss South Africa 2024. On August 25, Miss Universe Guatemala 2024 Andrea Radford announced that she is pregnant; she would have been the first openly pregnant contestant to compete in Miss Universe, but she decided to resign from her title and was replaced by Ana Gabriela Villanueva. On September 19, Luana Cavalcante, 25, became the first married mother to be crowned Miss Universe Brazil 2024. On September 26, Marianela Ancheta was crowned Miss Universe Cuba 2024 in Miami; she is the first Cuban woman to represent Cuba in MU since 1957. On October 5, Ketut Permata Juliastrid of Indonesia was crowned the first Miss Cosmo in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Greenland debuted in Miss Grand International in October; the Danish territory was represented by Naja Mathilde Rosing. On November 12, Huỳnh Thị Thanh Thủy won the first Miss International crown for Vietnam. On November 23, Daniel Mejia won Puerto Rico's first Mr. World title. On December 14, Angélique Angarni-Filopon, 34, became the first woman from Martinique to be crowned Miss France, as well as the first winner above 28 years of age.
For the first time in its 73-year history, Miss Universe accepted the participation of an ancient country that no longer exists - Persia (which is now associated with the modern country of Iran). The Miss Persia Organization, based in Italy whose president is Golshan Bakhtiary, launched the Miss Universe Persia pageant to promote Persian cultural heritage. On June 17, Fay Asghari, a 30+ Iranian-American nurse practitioner who is the sister of Sam Asghari, ex-husband of pop star Britney Spears. However, Asghari was replaced months later by Ava Vaneshan, a 26-year-old specialist of Chinese medicine living in Portugal.
Several countries placed for the first time notably Belize in Miss World; Egypt, Cambodia and Macau in Miss Universe; South Sudan in Miss International; and Cabo Verde and United Arab Emirates in Miss Earth. A record-breaking eleven countries debuted in Miss Universe: Belarus, Eritrea, Guinea, Iran (Persia), Macau, Maldives, Moldova, North Macedonia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. The total number of actual participants was 125, surpassing Miss World which had 112.
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FROM BEAUTY QUEEN TO WITCH: When Megan Young, Miss World 2013, co-hosted the 2023 Miss World pageant in Mumbai, India on March 9, where she was involved in a controversial incident with Miss Botswana, Lesego Chombo. During the final round, Young was seen fixing Chombo's hair, which led to accusations of cultural insensitivity and invading personal space. Some Internet users claimed that Young intentionally fixed Chombo's hair to expose her wig to the jury, break her confidence, and prevent her from winning. Some Botswanians even thought that Young "pulled a witchcraft" on their contestant. Young later issued a public apology for her actions, stating that she takes full responsibility for the "thoughtless and disrespectful act."
What does AI say about this phenomenon? The statement "Touching hair without consent is a big microaggression in the Black community" is generally considered accurate because within Black culture, hair is often deeply tied to identity, heritage, and personal expression, making unsolicited touching of Black hair a potentially disrespectful act that can be perceived as a microaggression, even if unintentional. Though some pageant fans would say that "sisterhood means being on the lookout for each other, and the Miss World is a global movement of sisterhood using beauty with a purpose for the greater good." But just to be on the safe side, it's best not to touch someone's hair unless you are given the permission to do so. I sure don't want anybody touching my hair, unless that person is Zac Efron. LOL
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OLDIES BUT GOODIES: Since Miss Universe removed all age restrictions effective in 2024, we have seen several women above the former age limit of 28 competing in national preliminaries. On January 9, Jocelyn Cubales, 69, was the first overage woman to compete in Miss Universe Philippines system as a contender for MU PH Quezon City title. On April 16, Haidy Cruz, 47, a health coach and fitness expert, becomes the first contestant over 30 to compete in Miss Universe Dominican Republic. On April 24, 60-year-old lawyer and journalist Alejandra Rodriguez crowned Miss Universe Buenos Aires 2024. On June 28, Lorraine Peters, 58, was the oldest contestant in Miss Universe Canada 2024. On July 11, 39-year-old Beatrice Noya was crowned Miss Universe Malta 2024. On September 17, 80-year-old Soon-hwa Choi became the oldest contestant so far in the Miss Universe system by competing in Miss Universe Korea 2024. 40-year-old Ariadna Muro had signed up for Miss Universe Italy 2024, but she withdrew from the contest and entered Miss Universe Mexico 2024 instead. Zya Barceló, also 40, competed wih Muro and both women made the top 16.
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DENIED: On February 16, Miss World Bulgaria 2022 Kristiyana Yordanova posted on her IG page that she was denied the opportunity to compete in Miss World. She has been preparing for 14 months for the contest. She pleaded with her supporters to tag Julia Morley to her post and to share her story. A new representative was selected just two weeks before she was supposed to leave for India without any explanation from her national director who never communicated with her. On March 12, Miss Universe Costa Rica announced that it will ban transgender women from competing in the pageant. This was announced by Yessenia Ramírez, director of the beauty contest, during an interview with La Nación: “I want to handle this in a very sensitive way, for the respect that that population deserves. For me we are all the same and we all deserve the same respect, but, in this specific case, this contest is for women and that is something that even the same people demand. It is not our issue, if it is not something that is to do justice to women, so to speak.” On August 31, Chidimma Adetshina won Miss Universe Nigeria 2024; however, a month earlier, Adetshina had entered Miss South Africa 2024, but following an investigation by the Department of Home Affairs into her mother’s citizenship, she withdrew from the pageant, citing concerns for her safety and well-being. On September 13, two contestants - Karen Nijsen and Vina Anggi Sitorus - withdrew from Miss Universe Indonesia 2024 contest due to clauses in the contract they find unacceptable. On September 16, a New York woman named Danielle Hazel filed a complaint with New York City's Commission on Human Rights against Miss World and Miss America's rule forbidding mothers to compete. The complaint states that such rule denies and excludes mothers from an “important business and cultural opportunity” simply because of their status as parents. Hazel was supported by her feminist lawyer Gloria Allred and by Veronika Didusenko who was crowned Miss Ukraine 2018 only to have the title stripped when the Miss World organization learned that she had a child. On November 2, the Miss Universe Organization announced that Panama's representative, Italy Mora, had been disqualified from the competition following allegations that she had broken contest rules by spending one night with her boyfriend.
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SHOCKERS: Pageant fans are always shocked when the most popular contestants are either shut out of the competition or that a contestant who has been ignored or gets little attention all of a sudden wins the contest. In Miss World 2024 contest that took place in Mumba, India on March 9, five pageant powerhouse countries failed to make the top 40: Colombia, Mexico, Philippines, USA and Venezuela. Lochlan Carey, who was Manhunt International 2022, represented Australia in Mr. World 2024 but did not place, much to the shock of pageant fans, although he won the title of Mr. World Oceania (despite Australia being the only country from the region). Ahtisa Manalo, who was first runner-up in Miss International 2018, represented the Philippines in the inaugural edition of Miss Cosmo held in Vietnam, but she failed to advance to the top five. Considered a heavy favorite for the crown, Sofia Cajo of Peru did not even make the top 20 in Miss International.
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MOTHERS DOMINATE: Ever since Miss Universe updated its entry requirements as to include mothers (married, divorced, or single), at least 16 mothers competed in 2024 - two of whom made the top 12: Puerto Rico's Jennifer Colón and Venezuela's Ileana Márquez. The others were the contestants from Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Malta, Netherlands, Romania, United Arab Emirates and Zambia.
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SHE SAYS, SHE SAYS: On May 6, Noelia Voigt resigned as Miss USA citing mental health. Voigt wrote in her resignation letter: “There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment... This started soon after winning the title of Miss USA 2023.” Two days later, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, announced she was also stepping down in a statement that said her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.” Fans who were shocked by the unprecedented resignations noticed that the first letter in every sentence of Voigt’s online statement spelled out “I am silenced.”
In her resignation letter, Voigt said that Miss USA CEO and President Laylah Rose consistently failed to communicate and that when she did, she was “often cold and unnecessarily aggressive.” “It’s incredibly jarring to be trying to do my job and constantly be threatened with disciplinary action, including taking away my salary, for things that were never discussed with me and, if it related to a public-facing post for example, were causing no issue other than not meeting her personal preference,” Voigt wrote.
Rose said in a statement that “the well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority.” “All along, my personal goal as the head of this organization has been to inspire women to always create new dreams, have the courage to explore it all, and continue to preserve integrity along the way. I hold myself to these same high standards and I take these allegations seriously,” she said.
Voigt's resignation created a tremendous domino effect, resulting in the resignation of Miss USA Organization's social media director Claudia Michelle, assistant national directors Christina Lee and Jillian Spano, and several state directors including Paula Miles who owns RPM Productions and ran pageants for four states, spanning nearly five decades. On May 10, Miss Colorado USA 2023 Arianna Lemus resigned from her position to show her support for Voigt.
Voigt was succeeded by her first runner-up, Samantha Gankiewicz of Hawaii, who was crowned Miss USA 2023 by the governor of Hawaii in Waikiki on May 15. None of Srivastava's runners-up accepted the offer to succeed her.
Despite Voigt and Srivastava's resignation, the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA 2024 pageants were held in Hollywood, California in early August without any incident.
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FRANCHISES REGAINED: On February 8, 2023, the Miss Universe Organization took away the Indonesian franchise from Yayasan Puteri Indonesia (YPI) and gave it to Poppy Capella, allegedly a good friend of MUO owner Anne Jakrajutatip. Capella was also awarded the Malaysian franchise. However, six months after acquiring the franchise for two countries, MUO cut ties with Capella after allegations of six Miss Universe Indonesia contestants alleged that they were ordered to strip to their underwear for “body checks.” Surprisingly, on September 8, Capella posted on her Instagram that she had been appointed by MUO as the national director for Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates.
FRANCHISES DISMISSED: On February 19, The Miss Netherlands Organization decided to withdraw from Miss Universe with this excuse from its director Monica Van Ee: "Doesn't feel good. Miss Netherlands is not going to the Miss Universe election this year. The Dutch delegation has decided to withdraw now that the Thai main organization has entered into a partnership with a Mexican company." But the real truth is that Van Ee was outbid by another Dutch group led by Milou Verhoeks who created a new company, Miss Universe Netherlands. On December 12, Van Ee and her associates that include former Miss Netherlands titleholders Denise Speelman and Rikki Kollé and the current titleholder, Amber Rustenberg, dropped "Miss Netherlands" and replaced it with an online group called "Niet Meer Van Deze Tijd" ("No Longer of This Time") that seeks to empower women by offering services by women professionals.
Josh Yugen of the Yugen Group, who owns the Miss Universe franchise for Bahrain, Pakistan and Egypt, briefly acquired the franchise for New Zealand which was eventually revoked for reasons unknown. In March, he flew to Manila to introduce Franki Russell as the Miss Universe New Zealand titleholder for Miss Universe 2024. Observations from pageant followers point to Russell’s risqué movie scenes as the supposed reason for the revocation of the license. The New Zealand license was later offered to Maria Siayngco, a Filipino finance data manager and photographer who lives in New Zealand. Russell ended up representing New Zealand in the inaugural edition of Miss Cosmo where she placed in the top 21.
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MORE LIKE TRADEMARK THEFT: On June 19, Stephi Barton-Williams, the CEO of U.S.-based Cosmos International Pageants, went live on her Facebook page to denounce Unicorp, the Vietnamese group that produces the new Miss Cosmo pageant, for trademark theft. Unicorp had contacted her in early March expressing interest in purchasing her pageant system. After weeks of back-and-forth exchanges between Barton-Williams and Unicorp's contact person Trang Chu, Unicorp stopped communicating with Barton-Williams who was eager to consider selling. Then several weeks later, Barton-Williams found out that Unicorp had stolen the "Cosmos" name, dropped the letter S, and named its new pageant "Miss Cosmo International" - which is virtually identical to Barton-Williams' "Miss Cosmos International". Barton-Williams posted screenshots of her e-mail exchanges with Unicorp as proof that the company wanted to purchase her pageant but ended up ghosting her instead. Barton-Williams threatened legal action against Unicorp for trademark infringement and theft of intellectual property.
So just because Miss Cosmo had a phenomenal inaugural show last October 5, even with the fervent support of former Miss Universe president Paula Shugart who judged the finals, the public needs to know that the new pageant's name was stolen from the U.S.-based group which has run the pageant for several years!
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BEHAVING BADLY: On October 25, the Miss Grand US Virgin Islands Organization released a statement stripping Samantha Keaton of her title, just moments after she had made the top 20 in Miss Grand International 2024 contest held in Bangkok Thailand. Keaton was accused of disrespecting the organization and not complying with the contract, according to director Brian Javier.
On December 17, Miss World Mongolia 2006 Selenge Erdene-Ochir, 37, appeared at Aylesbury Crown Court following her arrest. She faces charges of two separate assaults against her husband Robert Clay, which occurred on Oct. 30 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. The court was told that the alleged assaults included Erdene-Ochir punching Clay, with one incident reportedly resulting in injuries to his mouth. Erdene-Ochir has denied the charges.
And during the Miss Universe contest in Mexico last November, widespread stories of Miss Dominican Republic Celinee Santos behaving like a diva and not following instructions have been confirmed by some of her fellow contestants who have spoken out after the contest.
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On my social media platforms, I asked my followers who from the pageantry world has been the biggest attention seeker of 2024. I tallied the votes and likes and here are the results:
In fourth place, it's Urvashi Rautela, Miss Universe India 2015 who singlehandedly grabbed everyone's attention because of her perpetual self-love and theatrical self-adoration during the finals of Miss Universe India 2024.
In third place, it's Nawat Itsaragrisil, the ever-noisy and ever-pompous president of Miss Grand International who thinks he could no wrong when it comes to what is best for his business, even by dismissing some of the finest directors who helped elevate the MGI to stratosphere. Whatever he says on social media, it surely catches the attention of fans and pageant bloggers alike because he knows that getting more attention means more money.
In second place, it's the outrageous pair of Anne Jakrajutatip and Osmel Sousa, the two top executives of MUO who have been inseparable since Osmel joined the staff in April. The video of them together judging the headshots of the contestants, sometimes disparagingly, was not only unprofessional and tacky but also goes against MUO's mission to empower women.
And in first place, the biggest attention seeker of the year is the Miss Grand Myanmar Team consisting of Miss Grand Myanmar Thae Su Nyein and her national director Htoo Ant Lwin. The couple instantly made the headlines with their bizarre behavior during and after the Miss Grand International 2024 finals that took place in Thailand on October 25.
THE DRAMA began during the national costume competition on October 20 when Thae had been told that the prop that accompanied her costume, a wooden replica of a horse-drawn carriage, was too heavy to be lifted to the stage. She became visibly upset that her emotions worked to her advantage: somehow she appeared "possessed" by the spirit of Empress Panhtwar, a warrior queen in Burmese legend who is considered a heroine figure. Thae fully embraced the Empress's character, showing anger, sorrow and hatred when the king attacks her territory. Thae's costume performance was perfectly executed and she and Lwin were convinced that Myanmar would win the best national costume award. But backstage after her performance, Thae burst into tears and nearly fainted; the dramatic episode was caught on video by the MGI staff and went viral. Many social media users believed that Thae, an 18-year-old young woman, was behaving like an immature brat. Others believed that she engaged in dramatic antics to garner attention and sympathy.
Then the unthinkable happened. After Myanmar was called as the second runner-up during the finals, Thae's facial expression revealed a combination of shock and resentment, which had already been compounded by Myanmar's loss to Thailand for Country's Power of the Year award and loss to Brazil, Ecuador and Honduras for the Best National Costume award. During the group photo shoot of the top five finalists on stage, Miss Grand France Safiétou Kabengele was seen consoling Thea who looked defeated.
Then moments later, controversy erupted when Lwin violently removed the crown and sash from Thae on stage. The situation escalated when Htoo accused MGI President Nawat Itsaragrisil of attempting to sell the crown for $25,000, an allegation Nawat firmly dismissed as “ridiculous."
In a Facebook livestream on October 27, Thae announced her decision to reject the second runner-up position. She also questioned why she didn’t receive the awards for which she had gained the most votes: Best National Costume, Miss Popular Vote, Country's Power of the Year. "I cried not because I did not get the winner crown, not because I didn't feel like I deserved the second runner-up, not because of any of those," she said. "[It’s] because, not only for me but for people. They all hoped for this crown and they all [fought] together.... we put a lot of effort into this mission... And my performance, I did my best. We just hoped for National Costume and Country Power of the Year."
Reacting to Thae's claims, Nawat callously stated during a press conference at Bangkok’s Movenpick Sukhumvit 63: "What makes her so delusional? If she wants first place and must have it, I suggest she create her own pageant so she can win every title. Someone like you shouldn’t participate in anything competitive or challenging others. You should stay in your own imaginary, fantasy virtual world. End of story!"
Meanwhile, Htoo also got emotional during his live because of the controversy. He and Thae both claimed that they got cheated because they didn't win the Best in National Costume and the Country of the Year Award. He also apologized to the Thai people and the Thai media for his scandalous behavior on finals night. His video also went viral and stirred mixed reactions among pageant fans, some sympathizing with him and others condemning his unprofessionalism.
And there you have it! The Miss Grand Myanmar Team is the biggest attention seeker of 2024, not because they purposely sought attention, but because they sincerely believed that their work and effort were exceptional enough to merit grand attention.
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Winners of International Pageants Held in 2024
(This list only includes pageants for teenagers and adults. It does not include pageant systems with multiple age divisions).
Miss Global (January 18) - Puerto Rico - Ashley Melendez (technically, it's Miss Global 2023, but she was elected in 2024)
Reina Hispanoamericana (January 28) - Peru - Maricielo Gamarra (technically, it's Reina Hispanoamericana 2023, but she was elected in 2024)
Reina Internacional del Café (January 13) - Poland - Aleksandra Klepaczka
Mister Teenager Universe (March 1) - Philippines - Lloyd Figueras / Miss Teenager Universe - Honduras - Camila Davadi
Miss World (March 9) - Czech Republic - Krystyna Pyszková (technically, it's Miss World 2023, but she was elected in 2024)
Miss Mesoamerica International (March 23) - Colombia - Brigith Navarro Lugo
Mister Universe Tourism (March 24) - Taiwan - ChangYu Chen *
Universal Woman (March 28) - Philippines - Maria Gigante
Miss Eco International (April 28) - Ukraine - Angelina Usanova
Miss Teen Universe, by Alexander Montiel (April 28) - Peru - Luciana Vasquez
Miss Petite Global (May 11) - Philippines - Lara Melissa Gaffud
Miss Fitness Supermodel World (May 18) - Philippines - Kirsten Dawn Delerio
Manhunt International (May 26) - Thailand - Kevin Dasom
Mister Culture International (June 7) - Philippines - Ryan Sacopon
Miss Top Model International (June 15) - Spain - Andreina Brito / Miss Teen Top Model International - Mexico - Kimberly Castillo
Miss Petite International (June 16) - Puerto Rico - Gianie Velez / Teen Petite International - Canada - Sophia Koster
Mister Supranational (June 26) - South Africa - Fezile Mkhize
Miss Teen Universal (June 26) - Dominican Republic - Valerie Batista
Miss Supranational (July 6) - Indonesia - Harashta Haifa Zahra
Miss Teen International, India edition (July 7) - Cambodia - MuyLeang Ly
Miss Universal Grand (July 21) - Puerto Rico - Isadora Marie Torres Maldonado
Teen Universal Grand (July 21) - Venezuela - Isabella Astor
Man of the World (July 26) - Venezuela - Sergio Azuaga
Miss Teen Mundial (August 4) - Puerto Rico - Juliana Rivera Larsen
Miss International Queen (August 24) - Peru - Catalina Marsano
Mr. Gay World (August 26) - Great Britain - Paul Carruthers
Miss Trans Global (September 6) - France - Kevhoney Scarlett
Miss Elite (September 14) - Philippines - Juyvel Anne Saluta
Miss Tourism Universe (September 16) - Venezuela - Maurieth Cubillán
Face of Beauty International (September 19) - Philippines - Jeanne Isabelle Bilasano
Mister Earth International (September 19) - Philippines - Nathaniel Tiu
Miss Cosmo (October 5) - Indonesia - Ketut Permata Juliastrid
Mister Global (October 6) - Philippines - Daumier Corilla
Miss Asia Pacific International (October 7) - USA - Janelis Leyba
Miss Aura International (October 8) - Colombia - Yuri Rey
Miss Global International (October 13) - Guyana - Arian Dahlia Richmond
The Miss Globe (October 15) - Colombia - Diana Moreno
Miss Orb International (October 24) - Costa Rica - Fernanda Fernandez
Caballero Universal (October 25) - Canada - Jeremy Ste.-Marie
Miss Grand International (October 25) - India - Rachel Gupta
Miss Eco Teen International (October 31) - Canada - Cece Wu
Miss Earth (November 9) - Australia - Jessica Lane
Miss Teen Universe, by Brayhan Guerrero/Freddie Medina (Nov. 9) - India - Trishna Ray
Miss Universe Trans (November 11) - Venezuela - Chiquinquirá Reina Rivas
Miss International (November 12) - Vietnam - Huỳnh Thị Thanh Thủy
Miss Universe (November 16) - Denmark - Victoria Kjaer Theilvig
Mr. Universe, India edition (November 16) - Australia - Jonathan Berry
Man of the Year (November 17) - Slovakia - Kevin Mruŝkovič
Miss CosmoWorld (November 20) - Australia - Valeriya Sizova
Mr. World (November 23) - Puerto Rico - Daniel Mejia
Miss Planet International (November 27) - United Arab Emirates - Mahra Lutfi
Mister Glam International (November 29) - Thailand - Asse Asraf
Miss Scuba International (November 30) - China - Christina Zhang
Man Hot Star International (December 5) - Thailand - Patrick Bevis
Miss Intercontinental (December 7) - Puerto Rico - Maria Cepero Jimenez
Mister Friendship International (December 8) - Taiwan - Henry Chang
Miss Tourism International (December 13) - Philippines - Yana Barrido
Subsidiary titles of Miss Tourism International:
Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International - Thailand - Natta Intasao
Miss Tourism Metropolitan International - Venezuela - Milena Paola
Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International - Great Britain - Grace Richardson
Miss Tourism Global - Kyrgyzstan - Albina Kostikova
Dream Girl of the Year International - Indonesia - Nicole Bacon
Miss Southeast Asia Tourism Ambassadress - Vietnam - Vu Quynh Trang
Mister International (December 14) - Nigeria - Samuel Nwajagu
Miss Star International (December 14) - Philippines - Patricia Payumo
Miss International Trans (December 20) - Peru - Keyla Fernandez *
Miss Charm (December 21) - Malaysia - Rashmita Rasindran
Mister Universe, USA edition (December 22) - Ireland - Patrick Callahan
Based on this compilation, we see that the Philippines has won the most number of titles - 11, making it as the most successful country in 2024 pageantry. (*Added: 1/5/2025)
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IN MEMORIAM
On February 23, Jackie Loughery, Miss USA 1952 from Vermont, passed away at 93. She represented the USA in Miss Universe 1952 contest where she placed ninth. After her reign, Jackie appeared in several movies and television shows. On April 28, Landy Párraga, a contestant in Miss Ecuador 2022, was shot to death by a hit man in a restaurant in the city of Quevedo after having lunch with her boyfriend, plastic surgeon Jose Luis Betancourt. She was 23.
On August 25, Dima Safi, who represented Lebanon in Miss International 2017, died of a heart attack at age 30.
On November 4, Kiki Håkansson of Sweden, the first Miss World crowned in 1951, died at 94. When it came to winning Miss World in 1951, according to The Times, Kiki Håkansson’s “prize was a cheque for £1,000, a considerable sum equivalent to £40,000 today, a bunch of gladioli and a black and white cat that Morley gave her as a 22nd birthday present and which was permitted to sit on the table with its own saucer of milk at a celebratory dinner at the Savoy.”
On December 18, Carol Joan Crawford, Miss World 1963 from Jamaica, died at 81. Carol was the first black winner of Miss World, as well as the shortest at 1.58 centimeters tall. Her return to Jamaica, after her historic win in London, sparked a huge celebration: "The reception when I returned was simply fantastic. The airport was filled with people welcoming me. The Government had issued millions of commemorative stamps with my picture in my swimsuit on it. There were receptions with Sir Alexander Bustamante and Governor General Sir Clifford Campbell and his wife. I was presented with the gold key to the city of Kingston." In honor of her winning the Miss World title, the Jamaica Post issued a series of stamps imprinted with an image of Crawford wearing a swimsuit.
Text by Rafa Delfin, 1/1/2025
Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy. - Anne Frank
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