Mexico wins feud-marred Miss U 2025; PH bet 3rd runner-up
Mexico is now tied with the Philippines as the fourth most successful country in the Miss Universe pageant with four wins each, after Mexican bet Fatima Bosch was crowned in ceremonies held in Thailand on Friday morning.
The new queen bested 119 other aspirants in the competition held at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok. She inherited the crown from Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who won in last year’s contest held in Mexico.
Pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo represented the Philippines this year, and was proclaimed third runner-up. She was first runner-up in the 2018 Miss International pageant.
Finishing as first runner-up was host-delegate Praveenar Singh from Thailand, followed by Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali as second runner-up.
Crowd favorite and former Miss World second runner-up Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire rounded up the winners’ circle as fourth runner-up.
Before Bosch, the Miss Universe crown was won by Mexican women Lupita Jones, Ximena Navarette, and Andrea Meza, who was a member of this year’s selection committee.
The Philippines, on the other hand, has Miss Universe winners Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray, who won in the 2018 competition held in Thailand.
Dramatic victory
It was a dramatic victory for Bosch, a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant, who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts.
The bad vibes at this year’s event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity, and a teary melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.
At the livestreamed sashing ceremony for virtually all 120 contestants on Nov. 4, Thai national director Nawat Itsaragrisil hectored Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines for taking part in local promotional activities. He called security when she spoke up to defend herself.
Bosch walked out of the room, joined by several others in a show of solidarity, including Theilvig.
“What your director did is not respectful: he called me dumb,” an unbowed Bosch told Thai reporters. “If it takes away your dignity, you need to go.”
The Miss Universe Organization president, Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, released a statement condemning Nawat’s conduct as “public aggression” and “serious abuse.”
Even Mexico’s first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, piled on, saying at a news conference in her country’s capital that she wanted to give “recognition” to Miss Mexico for voicing her disagreement in a “dignified” way.
Nawat later made apologies for his actions, appearing both tearful and defiant at the same time.
During the final round, when asked how she would use the Miss Universe platform to empower young girls, Bosch responded: “Believe in the power of your authenticity. Believe in yourself. Your dreams matter, your heart matters, and no, never let anyone make you doubt about your worth, because [you’re] worth everything. And you are powerful, and your voice needs to be heard.”
For her part, Manalo responded: “I work with an organization called Alon Akademie, where we work with young people to provide them opportunities to make them realize that it doesn’t matter what your life circumstances are, it doesn’t define where you will go. And I want to continue working with Alon Akademie and a bigger platform like Miss Universe to pursue making sure that people who come from low-income backgrounds are given the same opportunities as everyone else.”
Bosch’s official Miss Universe biography says she studied fashion in Mexico and Italy and has focused on creating sustainable designs and working with discarded materials. It says she has volunteered with sick children, promoted environmental awareness, and supported migrants and mental health issues.
Organizers’ feud
This year’s competition also saw a report that two judges had quit, with one of them suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. The allegation was denied.
Separately, Thai police investigated the alleged illegal promotion of online casinos as part of the event’s publicity, a turn of events that may have been connected with the organizers’ feud.
The United States remains the leading country in Miss Universe history with nine wins, followed by Venezuela with seven queens, and Puerto Rico with five.
This is the 74th edition of the international pageant, and the fourth time for Thailand to host. Next year’s competition will be held in Puerto Rico. —WITH A REPORT FROM AP
