Khaberni - The Miss Universe 2025 pageant is witnessing one of the biggest crises in its history, after widespread accusations emerged about a secret judging committee that selected the top 30 contestants before the start of the official competitions, in an unprecedented scandal that struck the credibility of the global event.
As the controversy escalated, Lebanese musician Omar Harfoush announced his withdrawal from the judging panel a few days before the scheduled final event in Bangkok, stating that what is happening behind the scenes is a "complete farce," according to his description.
Accusation of "Miss Universe" Cheating: Omar Harfoush's Withdrawal and a Contestant Supports Him
The scandal began when Harfoush, through social media posts, found out that the organization had formed a judging committee based on its considerations and had preselected the top 30 qualifiers from among 136 participating countries, without the knowledge of any of the eight official judging members, including himself.
Harfoush further explained that this committee operates away from the official protocol and consists of individuals who have personal relationships with some of the contestants, which he described as a clear conflict of interest.
Lack of Transparency
He added that the organization's posting of the list of people involved in the selection process on their Instagram account did not clarify each person's role, but rather added mystery and complexity to the situation. After discussing the lack of transparency with official Raoul Rocha, Harfoush decided to resign from the judging committee and refuse to present the musical pieces he had composed for this year's event.
It wasn't just Harfoush, as "People" magazine learned from a contestant, who refused to reveal her identity, that news of the top 30 contestants selection reached them through social media as well, not through the organization.
Miss Universe Judge Quits Pageant Over 'Lack of Transparency' in Voting | Us Weekly
She said that the contestants had spent months preparing, yet they discovered that the outcome had been decided before they even stepped onto the final training stage, expressing gratitude towards Omar Harfoush for speaking out publicly.
In the midst of this chaos, backstage sources indicated that the pre-selection list may have deliberately ignored the beauty queens from Palestine and Lebanon for unknown reasons, increasing suspicions of bias within the committee.
Israeli Members
In response, the Miss Universe organization issued an official statement categorically denying the existence of any ad-hoc committee or any delegation of the selection process to any external entity.
The developments did not stop there; the competition witnessed the withdrawal of several participants for various reasons coinciding with the current crisis, increasing the tension backstage.
Omar Harfoush
Miss Germany, Diana Fast, withdrew due to family reasons related to her child, and the representative from Niger, Zoula Amadou, failed to reach Bangkok due to flight issues, and she was invited to participate in the 2026 edition.
The current queen, Victoria Kjray Thilvig, left the hall in protest against the public humiliation faced by Miss Mexico, Melissa Flores, in front of the contestants, after missing a photo session for one of the sponsors.
Bangkok is preparing to host the final event on Friday, November 21, as all eyes are set to see who will claim the title of the seventy-fourth edition of the competition, amidst unprecedented scepticism and questions about the credibility of the results. The event will feature national costume shows, evening gown segment, and the standardized questions which form the essential testing moment for the contestants before the crowning moment.
