Fatima Bosch of Mexico has been crowned Miss Universe 2025 in a glittering but controversy-laden finale in Thailand. The 25-year-old humanitarian emerged as a decisive fan favourite after standing up to a public dressing-down by a pageant director, defining her journey with a powerful message of self-worth.
The competition, widely known as the “Super Bowl” of beauty pageants, featured representatives from 120 countries and drew millions of viewers.
Bosch’s win is noteworthy because of the drama that preceded it. Earlier in the month, at a live-streamed pre-pageant meeting, Miss Universe Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil publicly scolded Bosch.
The director criticised her for not posting enough promotional content, allegedly appearing to call her a “dumbhead.” Though Nawat later denied this, the incident had immediate repercussions:
The Miss Universe Organisation subsequently condemned Nawat’s behaviour and limited his role in the pageant.
Bosch, who was crowned by last year’s winner, Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark, secured the title on Friday night in Thailand, a country with one of Asia’s most passionate pageant fanbases.
The final five included, Praveenar Singh (Thailand) as the runner-up, and the other finalists were Stephany Abasali (Venezuela), Ahtisa Manalo (Philippines), and Olivia Yacé (Ivory Coast).
In her final appearance, Bosch delivered a message of empowerment that felt especially relevant given the weeks of internal drama.
“Believe in the power of your authenticity. Your dreams matter, your heart matters. Never let anyone make you doubt your worth.”
The finale was further marred by controversy over the judging process, which resulted in the abrupt stepping down of two judges just days before the coronation.
Composer Omar Harfouch resigned from the eight-member panel, publicly accusing the pageant of being rigged. He claimed a secret, “impromptu” panel had already pre-selected the top 30 semifinalists.
“I could not stand before the public and television cameras, pretending to legitimize a vote I never took part in,” Harfouch stated.
The Miss Universe Organisation denied the claims, clarifying that all competition evaluations strictly follow “established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols.” Former French soccer star Claude Makélélé also stepped down the same day, citing “unforeseen personal reasons.”
The event, hosted by American comedian Steve Byrne, also featured historic moments and alarming incidents, where Nadeen Ayoub, made history as the first woman to represent the Palestinian people at the pageant, making it to the final 30 semifinalists.
The contestant from Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, suffered a scary tumble during the evening gown round at the preliminaries. Miss Universe President Raul Rocha later confirmed Henry was “under good care” in hospital and had not broken any bones.
Delegates showcased elaborate, flamboyant outfits, with Miss USA, Audrey Eckert, paying homage to her homeland with an elaborate bald eagle costume.
The next Miss Universe contest is scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico.
