Miss England Milla Magee's allegations ‘fabricated, highly exaggerated': Telangana Govt responds to Miss World 2025 row
Telangana's Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan has strongly refuted allegations made by Miss England 2024, Milla Magee, who abruptly withdrew from the international beauty pageant, Miss World 2025 event, in Hyderabad on May 16.
Magee, in an interview with The Sun, claimed she was encouraged to 'socialise' with middle-aged men as a form of appreciation for their financial backing of the event. The comments sparked widespread media attention and criticism.
Ranjan responded with a categorical denial, after conducting an internal enquiry into the matter, according to The Hindu.
Ranjan dismissed allegations made by Miss England 2024 Milla Magee as 'completely baseless and lacking even one percent of truth.' He further called the claims, as per the news report: 'fabricated and highly exaggerated.'
Ranjan, referring to the senior IAS officer Magee was reportedly seated beside during the cultural evening, said, 'To suggest he made any inappropriate advances, especially in the presence of his family members, is absurd and unbelievable.'
Ranjan, who conducted an internal enquiry, said CCTV footage from the May 13 cultural programme at Chowmahalla Palace — the evening Magee referred to in her interview with The Sun — showed no inappropriate interaction. 'It clearly shows that Milla Magee was seated with one man and four women. The gentleman was a senior IAS officer, accompanied by his wife, daughter-in-law, and guests,' he said.
As per the official Miss World 2025 itinerary, there were three formal social events for contestants: the May 13 cultural night, a visit to Ramoji Film City on May 17, and a high tea at the Telangana Secretariat on May 18. Ranjan noted that Magee attended only the first event.
'All three events had tightly curated guest lists,' he stated.
To ensure a balanced response, Ranjan as per the report said he spoke with over a dozen contestants from different countries, including Scotland and Northern Ireland. Ranjan said their experience was 'completely contrary' to Magee's version of events.
In her interview, Magee also said she was disturbed by the poverty she saw in Hyderabad. While not denying the existence of poverty, Ranjan criticised the tone of her comments. 'Her description was highly exaggerated and appears to be driven by a vested agenda,' he reportedly said.
He added that the only minor issue flagged by a few contestants was the overwhelming number of people requesting selfies. 'They found it excessive but certainly not sinister,' he clarified.
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