Latest news with #MillaMagee
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Miss World beauty contest is embroiled in 'exploitation' row after Miss England competitor accuses organisers of using her to lure in wealthy investors
A Miss World beauty contestant has become embroiled in an exploitation row after accusing the organisers of using her as entertainment for wealthy investors. Milla Magee, the reigning Miss England, said she decided to take part in the Miss World 2025 pageant to promote her campaign to have CPR added to the school curriculum. However, she left before the grand final in India on Saturday, reportedly claiming she felt exploited and as though she and the other women were being used as entertainment for investors as a 'thank you', the Guardian first reported. In response to the claims, Miss World referred to 'false and defamatory statements' that it said were 'completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us'. Julia Morley, the organisation's chief executive, reportedly claimed in an interview with the Hindu newspaper that Magee left because she 'believed she didn't stand a chance in the competition'. Magee, 24, said on Saturday: 'What Julia said was vindictive and very bitter. And it was a ridiculous statement. I did not leave because I thought I was not going to win. I left because I wanted to stand for what I believe in and it didn't align with my values. 'And I would hate for another young girl to go into this system after watching me this past year and have to experience the same.' She added: 'I felt like I've been fed a false narrative of this system that promotes ''beauty with a purpose'', that's supposed to be about advocacy and what you champion for.' Instead, Magee claimed she found she and the other women were there based on looks and to entertain guests, with limited opportunity provided to promote their chosen causes. In one claim, the contestant alleged that a man approached her and said: 'Next time I'm in London or England, hook me up' - leaving Magee feeling uncomfortable. She added that she has received many messages from women who have also taken part in pageants, 'saying how they felt the exact same'.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Miss England Milla Magee shares pics from Ibiza holiday after leaving India mid-way through Miss World pageant
Milla Magee, the reigning Miss England, recently quit the Miss World pageant midway citing ethical concerns. Magee, 24, left India on May 16, accusing the Miss World organisers of exploiting contestants. She told The Sun that she was being made to feel 'like a prostitute' at the beauty pageant, which concluded in Hyderabad on May 31 with the crowning of Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri. Two days after the grand finale of the Miss World beauty pageant in Hyderabad, Milla Magee seems to have reached Ibiza. The Spanish island is known for its stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife. Magee took to Instagram to share a series of photographs from Ibiza a few hours ago. Her Instagram Stories show a beach crowded with hundreds of tourists, a picture of calm waters captioned 'Elixir', and a photograph of the friend who seems to be accompanying her on the holiday. Milla Magee grew up in London, initially being schooled at More House. She later moved to Cornwall. She is currently based in Newquay in Cornwall, where she also works as a lifeguard. In a no-holds-barred interview with The Sun, Magee said that her experience at the Miss World pageant in Hyderabad left her emotionally shaken. She said she 'felt like a prostitute' and was 'farmed out for entertainment' by the organisers. 'I went there to make a difference, but we had to sit like performing monkeys. It's stuck in the past. Morally, I couldn't be a part of it,' she said. In an interview with The Hindu, Miss World chief executive Julia Morley rubbished these claims. Morley said that Magee's 'false and defamatory statements' were 'completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us'. She also added that Magee quit the pageant as 'she didn't stand a chance in the competition'.
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Miss England quits world beauty pageant, saying she was farmed out for entertainment
©UK Independent The Miss World Organisation has denied Miss England's allegation that she was 'farmed out for entertainment'. Less than a week before the Miss World 2025 finale, being held in the southern India city of Hyderabad, Miss England, Milla Magee, quit the competition, claiming the participants were made to 'sit like performing monkeys'.
The Guardian
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Miss World organisers accused of being ‘vindictive and bitter' towards ex-contestant
Their mantra is 'beauty with a purpose'. But the organisers of the Miss World pageant have been accused of something altogether uglier: being 'vindictive and very bitter' towards a contestant who left over claims she had been used as window dressing. The reigning Miss England, Milla Magee, said she agreed to take part in the 2025 Miss World pageant because she believed it would be a platform to promote her campaign to have CPR included in the school curriculum. But she said the reality was very different. She left before the grand final in India on Saturday, saying she felt she was being exploited and claiming she and the other women felt they had been provided as entertainment for investors as a 'thank you'. Miss World organisers responded with a statement in which they referred to 'false and defamatory statements' that they said were 'completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us'. The organisation's chief executive, Julia Morley, went further in an interview with the Hindu newspaper, in which she accused Magee of leaving because she 'believed she didn't stand a chance in the competition'. On Saturday, Magee said: 'What Julia said was vindictive and very bitter. And it was a ridiculous statement. I did not leave because I thought I was not going to win. I left because I wanted to stand for what I believe in and it didn't align with my values. And I would hate for another young girl to go into this system after watching me this past year and have to experience the same.' Magee said there were a 'lot of tears behind the smiles' at the Miss World event in Hyderabad and she was unwilling to 'promote a lie'. She said that while the pageant purported to be about 'beauty with purpose', she found it to be about 'wearing different ballgowns every day and what you look like'. She said: 'I felt like I've been fed a false narrative of this system that promotes 'beauty with a purpose', that's supposed to be about advocacy and what you champion for. And I thought, right, this is a real good opportunity for me on a global stage to be able to talk about [my campaign] Go Far with CPR. This isn't about me standing on the stage, this isn't about what I wear. It's not about what I look like.' Instead, Magee claimed she found she and the other contestants were there more to look pretty and to entertain guests, with only limited opportunity given to promote their causes. In one instance, she alleged, a man she could not identify walked up to her and said: 'Next time I'm in London or England, hook me up,' leaving her feeling uncomfortable. Magee also said she felt Miss World had exposed her to anger from its backers by posting its statement on social media for them to comment on – failing, she said, in its duty of care to her. Nevertheless, she said, she had been 'inundated' with messages from women who had taken part in pageants 'saying how they felt the exact same'. She called on the organisation to modernise, saying: 'They have a big responsibility to acknowledge what I've said, acknowledge and listen to the reasons of why I left, to not just so quickly and irresponsibly put out a statement to say it's because I didn't think I was going to win.' Miss World has been contacted for comment.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Miss Thailand crowned Miss World winner of 2025 after Brit contestant claimed she was ‘exploited' by host nation
THAILAND'S Opal Suchata Chuangsri has been crowned as Miss World 2025. The illustrious international pageant came to an emotional conclusion tonight after days of controversy after a British contestant claimed she was "exploited" by host nation India. 3 3 Glamorous Chuangsri topped a competitive field of 108 women at the ultimate beauty showcase this weekend. Chuangsri was handed the glitzy crown from last year's winner Krystyna Pyszková. Hasset Dereje Admassu of Ethiopia came second at the 72nd Miss World beauty pageant. The annual event was marred in controversy this year after Miss England hit back at Miss World bosses after they accused her of lying to escape the pageant. Milla Magee, 24, walked out on the contest in India after she claimed she and the other finalists were being 'exploited'. She told how they were used to entertain wealthy male 'sponsors' at posh dinners in Hyderabad as a 'thank you' for the money they pumped into the show. Milla said she was made to feel 'like a prostitute'. A Miss World spokesperson said Milla's claims were 'completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us'. 3
