The Miss World 2025 pageant, currently underway in Hyderabad, has become embroiled in controversy after Miss England, 24-year-old Milla Magee, quit the contest midway, levelling explosive allegations of exploitation and superficiality. Her dramatic exit has left the Telangana Congress government red-faced, with the Opposition demanding accountability.
Magee, who returned to the UK on May 16, told British tabloid The Sun that contestants were “farmed out for entertainment” to wealthy male sponsors during the event’s welcome dinner.
“We were made to sit like performing monkeys, fully made-up in ball gowns,” Magee said, adding, “I felt like a prostitute.”
Her statement, the first of its kind in the 74-year history of the Miss World pageant, has sparked global attention. The organisers’ tagline “beauty with a purpose”, she claimed, is hollow and outdated. “This is not empowerment. This is disrespect dressed up as glamour,” she told the tabloid.
Magee cited a moral dilemma, poor treatment of contestants, and a lack of respect as reasons for her unprecedented decision to leave the pageant halfway. She has been replaced by Miss England runner-up Charlotte Grant, who landed in Hyderabad on May 22 to fill the vacant spot.
The Congress-led Telangana government, which had proudly hosted the event claiming it would boost tourism and brand Hyderabad globally, now finds itself battling criticism from multiple fronts.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, already under fire for admitting the state is grappling with a revenue crisis, had hailed the Miss World pageant as a landmark international event to attract global eyeballs. However, with this controversy, the very purpose of the event is being questioned.
Several civil society organisations and women’s groups had earlier opposed the pageant, arguing that it commercialised women and did little for empowerment. Their warnings, now seen as prophetic.
In response to the backlash, the Miss World Organisation released an official statement dismissing Magee’s claims:
“These claims are completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us.”
Despite the controversy, the grand finale of the 72nd Miss World Festival is scheduled to take place as planned on May 31 at the HITEX Convention Centre in Hyderabad.
