Drama as Miss Universe hits homestretch

Following the big Miss Universe Kenya return, the county’s crown holder announced her arrival in Mexico for the pageant’s grand finals this week.

The Kenyan beauty queen Irene N’gendo joins tens of finalists from across the world who seek to succeed Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua.

The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) is a global organisation that celebrates all cultures, backgrounds and religions. It creates and provides a safe space for women to share their stories and drive impact personally, professionally, and philanthropically.

The women who participate in this international platform serve as inspirational leaders and role models to their communities and fans around the world.

In the beauty pageantry business, there are ups and downs. Some models excel and shine throughout their career and end up being a queen in the pageant.

 In addition, most of the challenges don’t hinder most of the models and they end up bouncing back in the industry or choose a different career path.

And yes, there has been some drama at the preliminary levels and even at the grand stage of the Miss Universe pageant that has made headlines across the continent and also the world – that for the wrong reasons.

All this came ahead of the crowning grand finale at Arena Ciudad de México next Saturday, November 16, 2024.

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Keep Reading

• Italy Mora speaks out after Miss Universe removal two weeks before finals
• Nigeria's Chidimma Adetshina makes history as Miss Universe first runner-up
• What you need to know about Miss Universe Kenya

Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina is a South African beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, after withdrawing from Miss Universe South Africa due to her dual citizenship. Miss Adetshina is a law student whose father is from Nigeria while her mother has Mozambique descends.

 Her career was shining bright when she entered the final of the Miss South Africa Pageant. However, she left the competition in August after the Home Affairs Department announced the ‘identity theft’ committed by her mother.

“The country’s Department of Home Affairs informed a parliamentary committee that identifies papers of both Chidimma Adetshina and her mother will be cancelled as the latter was found to have committed ‘identity theft’ to become a South African,” the BBC reported.

Nonetheless, the department had also said the 23-year-old “could not have partaken in the alleged unlawful actions as she was an infant at the time”. For the elegant Adetshina, this scandal became a blessing in disguise.

She was invited to join Miss Universe Nigeria beauty pageantry and won. She is representing Nigeria at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico. Chidimma Adetshina described herself as both a “proud South African” and “proud Nigerian.” She added that she was born in Soweto. Soweto is a township near South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg.

Another model is Miss Universe Panama Italy Mora who was recently removed from the Miss Universe 2024 pageant by the Miss Universe Organization announced in an official statement that she was eliminated following a thorough review by the disciplinary committee.

The official statement was released on November 2, and it read, “The Miss Universe organization regrets to announce the withdrawal of Panama’s candidate from the Miss Universe 2024 pageant. This decision has been taken after a thorough evaluation by our disciplinary commission.

It is important to note that we made this decision with the utmost respect for all parties involved. Our number one priority remains the welfare and transparency for all of our candidates, who exemplify diversity, talent, and dedication.”

This unfortunate withdrawal comes just days ahead of the 73rd Miss Universe grand finals. It has been scheduled to take place on November 16, 2024, in Mexico. Miss Italy Mora has since responded to the uncalled-for dismissal on her Instagram page.

The Miss Universe Organization insisted on the maintenance of the confidentiality during the disciplinary process of Italy Mora. This is to ensure there is fairness and confidentiality of those involved. According to the disappointed Italy Mora, she was informed about her dismissal on her way to attend an event.

The ‘noncompliance’ issue that led to her removal was involving her room arrangements. She admitted that the issue occurred when she went to her room briefly to pick up some personal items and to put on makeup.

On her Instagram page, she wrote, “Unfortunately, I trusted and followed instructions without measuring the consequences. I would like to express that it was a severe measure and that it could have been solved with a dialogue or warning.”

Such instances trigger models emotionally especially after working so hard in preparation of the competition. Miss Universe Panama Italy Mora expressed her frustration concerning the decision.

“This event has been difficult to assimilate emotionally, especially because of the time, effort, resources, and support of the people who made possible my preparation to represent my country.”

She thanked and appreciated all her fans and supporters throughout the competition. The organization’s last say on the matter was, “As we move forward, we reaffirm our dedication to these principles, inviting all our participants, supporters, and media to join us in this commitment. We kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of our Panama candidate during this time and to avoid unnecessary speculation that may negatively affect all parties involved.”

Some aspiring models may wonder why elegant and sophisticated models are eliminated from a beauty pageant in the last minute of the competition. These decisions can vary depending on the specific rules and policies of the pageant. The following are some common reasons why a contestant can be removed or disqualified before the final event.