Mexico’s Fatima Bosch was crowned winner at the grand finale of the 74th Miss Universe pageant on Friday in Bangkok, Thailand, after weeks of controversy plaguing the annual event.
The 25-year-old from Tabasco was crowned by last year’s winner Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark.
In second place was Thailand’s Praveenar Singh, followed by Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali, Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo, and Ivory Coast’s Olivia Yacé rounding out the top five.
Representatives from 120 countries competed, including Nadeen Ayoub, who became the first woman to represent the Palestinian people at the pageant and reached the top 30 before being eliminated.
The ceremony, hosted by American comedian Steve Byrne, opened with a performance by Thai singer Jeff Satur.
Bosch was asked how she would use the title of Miss Universe to make a safer place for women.
“As a woman and as Miss Universe, I will put my voice and the power in the service of others because nowadays we are here to speak up, to make change and have everything in view because we are women and the brave ones that stand up are the ones that will make history,” she said.
This year’s competition kicked off earlier this month, with the sashing ceremony on 5 November.
Her victory comes against the backdrop of the contest’s recent controversies.
Earlier this month, the pageant saw a walkout by multiple contestants after a widely publicised confrontation in which Thai pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil berated Bosch at a pre-pageant event for failing to post promotional content.
In footage of the moment, Bosch speaks up to say that Itsaragrisil is not “respecting me as a woman”, prompting him to call for security to remove her. Other contestants, including reigning title holder Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark, walked out in solidarity.
Miss Universe organisation’s president Raul Rocha Cantu released a statement at the time, saying he would not allow “the values of respect and dignity of women to be violated”.
Nawat apologised in a social media statement to “anyone [who] feels bad, uncomfortable, or affected” by his actions.
Separately, two judges resigned mere hours before the event.
On Wednesday, Miss Jamaica Gabrielle Henry had to be taken away in a stretcher after suffering a fall during the preliminary evening gown round of the pageant. In footage circulated online by Meekii Modez, Miss Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, is seen posing at the front of the stage in an orange gown and high heels when she falls off the stage.
Audibly shocked at the moment, the audience can be heard asking Henry whether she is OK. Other videos online show a group of people coming to help her, eventually carrying her off on a stretcher.
A statement from the Miss Universe Jamaica Organisation clarified that “she is not suffering from any life-threatening injuries”. Rocha also wrote on Instagram to say that he had been to the hospital where Henry is being treated, and that “thankfully there are no broken bones and she is under good care”.
