Two judges for the forthcoming Miss Universe pageant have resigned from the event, days ahead of its broadcast.
Composer Omar Harfouch and former Chelsea midfielder Claude Makélélé have both announced their resignations within hours of each other.
Harfouch shared a series of posts Tuesday on his Instagram Stories explaining that he was confused and concerned regarding his fellow judges for the event scheduled for Friday in Bangkok, Thailand.
He claimed that he learned through social media that there was an “impromptu jury” that was asked to pick 30 finalists in advance out of the 136 countries that are supposed to participate.
“The results of this selection are currently being kept secret,” one of his posts read, adding that none of the “real” eight judges were part of this jury, which he claimed was “composed of individuals with a significant potential conflict of interest due to some [personal] relationships with some of the Miss Universe contestants, including the person responsible for counting the votes and managing the results, which constitutes a further conflict of interest.”
Harfouch then said he spoke to the Miss Universe officials regarding the lack of transparency, which led to them posting “a list of names associated with the selection on their Instagram page” without naming exactly what role each person played.
His posts concluded by writing that he would no longer be a judge for the competition.
“After having a disrespectful conversation with [Miss Universe CEO] Raul Rocha about the lack of transparency in the Miss Universe voting process, l decided to resign from the jury and refuse to be part of this charade,” Harfouch wrote. “I will also not be playing the music composed for the event.”
A few hours later, Makélélé shared a statement on his Instagram, writing that he would not be attending the event “due to unforeseen personal reasons”.
“It is with regret that I must announce that I won’t be able to attend the Miss Universe 2025 event due to unforeseen personal reasons,” he wrote.
“This was a difficult decision, as I hold Miss Universe in the highest regard. The platform represents empowerment, diversity, and excellence – values I have always championed throughout my career.
“I sincerely apologise to the organisation, the contestants, and everyone involved, and I hope to be able to contribute in the future under better circumstances. Thank you for your understanding and support.”
Shortly after Harfouch’s posts, Miss Universe officials posted a statement on its Instagram account, addressing his comments and how the judging process works.
“The Miss Universe Organization firmly clarifies that no impromptu jury has been created, that no external group has been authorized to evaluate delegates or select finalists, and that all competition evaluations continue to follow the established, transparent, and supervised MUO protocols,” the statement read.
“Given [Mr Harfouch's] expressed confusion, his public mischaracterization of the program, and his stated desire not to participate, the Miss Universe Organization respectfully acknowledges his withdrawal from the official judging panel.”
The competition explained that the musician was no longer allowed to “display, reference, or associate himself with any Miss Universe trademarks, service marks, logos, titles, or registered properties, in any format, medium, or communication, whether digital, written, or verbal.”
“The Miss Universe Organization encourages the public, media outlets, and fans worldwide to rely solely on verified MUO communications and to continue supporting the delegates whose leadership, service, and dedication reflect the true values of Miss Universe,” the statement concluded.
The Independent has reached out to the Miss Universe officials for further comment.
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