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Miss Universe pageant in chaos after contestants walk out over organiser's 'attempts to humiliate' Miss Mexico

The contest, which is taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, saw one organiser demand contestants "sit down" before the mass walkout.

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Miss Universe 2025 contestants pose on stage during the official Miss Universe 2025 welcome event in Bangkok, Thailand
Miss Universe 2025 contestants pose on stage during the official Miss Universe 2025 welcome event in Bangkok, Thailand. Picture: Alamy

By Danielle de Wolfe

The Miss Universe pageant has been thrown into chaos after contestants were seen to walk out of the pageant after one organiser attempted to publicly humiliate Miss Mexico.

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Nawat Itsaragrisil, Miss Universe Thailand director, attempted to call out the Mexican representative in front of fellow contestants after she failed to post enough promotional content.

Footage emerging from the pre-pageant ceremony saw Mr Nawat, 60, chastise Fatima Bosch in front of dozens of contestants over the content.

It's been widely reported that Mr Nawat chastise the 25-year-old Miss Mexico entry, allegedly branding her a "dumbhead".

The controversy saw Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who was crowned Miss Universe in 2024, call out the director, before announcing that she is leaving Thailand in the wake of the fallout.

Addressing the room full of pageant hopefuls, the director attempts to shame the Mexican contestant, who is seen to push back on Mr Nawat's comments.

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Unhappy with her reaction, he continues to shout into the microphone, threatening to disqualify her from the competition - before ordering security to walk her out of the building.

It's at this point that her fellow contestants all begin to stand, before walking out in solidarity.

Appearing to panic, Mr Nawat stands shouting into a microphone as he demands all contestants "sit down", as the stream of pageant stars head for the exit.

Tuesday's walkout, which was live streamed, has since been shared widely online, with the Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) subsequently condemning Mr Nawat's "malicious" behaviour.

After leaving the event, Ms Bosch went on to tell the press that Mr Nawat was "not respectful" and said he had called her "dumb".

Mr Nawat continues to dispute this claim, adding that his wording was misunderstood by the contestant.

However, the director has since apologised for his actions, breaking down in tears during a press conference later in the day.

In a video statement, MUO President, Raul Rocha, said Mr Nawat had "forgotten the true meaning of what it means to be a genuine host".

In a statement, he explained that Thai official had "humiliated, insulted and showed a lack of respect" to Ms Bosch.

He added that the director had committed a "serious abuse of having called security to intimidate a defenceless woman".