PAGEANT Circle

The Miss Universe Organization has officially launched the M*U Beverage, a new business group under the M*U brand, to bring top-quality drinks to people around the world. Hosted at the True Icon Hall, Iconsiam in Bangkok, Thailand on Monday (July 17), the star-studded event was attended by reigning Miss Universe R'Bonney Gabriel and her fellow competitors during the 71st Miss Universe pageant. Present were Ndavi Noderi of South Africa, Monique Riley of Australia, Divita Rai of India, Evlin Khalifa of Bahrain, Hrafnhildur Haraldsdóttir of Iceland, and Anna Sueangam-iam of Thailand. Miss Universe Thailand 2023 contestants, former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova of Canada, and of course, the president of MUO, Anne Jakrajutatip, were also in attendance. The first product introduced was M*U NØR, a natural alkaline mineral water sourced from Iceland. According to the organization, it is the first Thai brand of alkaline water that comes in a glass bottle. M*U, a healthy beverage made from n

After missing five editions, Guyana will return to the prestigious Miss Universe competition as the new license holder was announced over the weekend. US-based talent acquisition leader and award-winning pageant director, Teri Brown-Walker, was officially revealed as the new national director for Miss Universe Guyana. Teri held leadership positions at various companies in the past 20 years and has accomplished awards for her involvement with several pageant systems including Miss Earth USA and Miss United States. "My heart is filled with so much gratitude. I am pleased to announce my first season as the National Director for Miss Universe Guyana. Being a part of this organization is a dream come true," she wrote on social media. Guyana, a country on South America’s North Atlantic coast, last joined Miss Universe in 2017 with the stunning Guyanese model Rafieya Husain. Called "the Land of many waters" because of its numerous rivers, creeks, and streams particularly t

After more than two decades, Esther Swan will be leaving the Miss Universe Organization at the end of May and this has been confirmed by MUO in an official announcement. The company's longtime collaborator and director of talent development is well-known in the pageant community, especially in recent years for her "who are you?" question to every newly crowned Miss Universe winner. One of the many highlights of her time with the prestigious pageant organization was accompanying the reigning queens during their official travels around the world. In a comment on social media, Esther confirmed she isn't yet ready to retire anytime soon and emphasized that her resignation was her own choice. Although she hasn't revealed what she's up to next after leaving Miss Universe, she said, "I'm not finished, I'm too young yet, still on the clock, and got things to complete before I hang up my sash." "Esther has been integral to our development over th

The Cayman Islands Minister for Tourism and Transport, Hon. Kenneth Bryan officially announced the government's decision to drop the national license for Miss Universe Cayman Islands. According to the minister, the local committee was consulted before notifying the Miss Universe Organization. Future uncertainties due to the changes being implemented by MUO were hinted at as the reasons for their decision. While first runner-up and 70th Miss Universe representative Chloe Powery-Doxey is expected to be officially crowned as Miss Universe Cayman Islands this March, it is still unknown who will take over the franchise or when the country will be back to the Miss Universe pageant. "I am hopeful that a private sector entity will step up and take over the franchise, because, in addition to offering tremendous empowerment opportunities for young women, it also allows them to act as positive role models for other young women, and represent the Cayman Islands as a cultural ambassador,&q

The new national director for Miss Universe Vietnam, Quỳnh Nga, was officially announced on Friday, February 24 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Moving forward, the news anchor and former pageant contestant will head the national competition that will select Vietnam's next representative at Miss Universe, starting with the 72nd edition (Miss Universe 2023) later this year in El Salvador. Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel of the USA and second runner-up Andreína Martínez Founier of the Dominican Republic were special guests during the official license signing ceremony that took place at the spectacular The Reverie Saigon. The newly formed partnership between the Vietnamese licensee and the Miss Universe Organization under JKN Global Group's Anne Jakrajutatip is just one of the series of changes (after Miss Universe Indonesia and Malaysia) made public since the Thai business mogul acquired full ownership. "This momentous occasion marks the beginning of an exciting new era

Unicorp, the organizer of Hoa Hậu Hoàn Vũ Việt Nam (Miss Universe Vietnam) announced its continuation of the national pageant despite losing the national license for Miss Universe. Affirming its ownership rights to the brand, the important details for the upcoming Hoa Hậu Hoàn Vũ Việt Nam 2023 competition will soon be announced together with Unimedia. The new license holder for Miss Universe Vietnam is a media personality and former aspiring beauty queen Quỳnh Nga. She was officially announced in a license signing ceremony held on Friday, February 24 at The Reverie Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City. In an official statement, the former licensee also announced a week ago its decision to "suspend cooperation with Miss Universe Organization" and said, "After a period of careful consideration on many factors ... the new business orientations of Miss Universe were no longer consistent with the strategy and long-term development goals of Hoa Hậu Hoàn Vũ Việt Nam. Under Unicorp, Vietn

Two weeks after the announcement that shocked the pageant community, the new Miss Universe Indonesia organization under the leadership of Indonesian singer and entrepreneur Poppy Capella has been officially launched. A star-studded press conference followed by a glittering red carpet gala dinner took place on Tuesday, February 21 at the Mulia resort, on the beautiful Nusa Dua in Bali. Among the special guests were reigning Miss Universe from the USA R'Bonney Gabriel, second runner-up Andreína Martínez Founier of the Dominican Republic, and Top 5 finalist Gabriëla Dos Santos of Curacao. The owner of the Miss Universe Organization Anne Jakrajutatip and her team were also present and made another surprising revelation about her company's preference for standalone national pageants being held exclusively for her prestigious brand. "We (MUO) prefer to have just one stage for one beauty pageant brand. No other brands must involve. I respect your work in the past 20-30 years, I a

Newly formed Miss Universe Malaysia was launched in a press conference held on Friday, February 17 at the Astor Ballroom of the St. Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event officially introduced Indonesian singer Poppy Capella of Just Capella as the new license holder. She is also the owner of Jakarta-based PT Capella Swastika Karya which recently acquired Miss Universe Indonesia. Also announced joining her team is appointed CEO Dato' Westin Chew, a Malaysian businessman and hands-on chief executive officer who has over a decade of experience in various fields. Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel and her court, Dominican Republic's Andreína Martínez Founier, and Curacao's Gabriëla Dos Santos were invited to attend as special guests. This is the second part of their official Asian tour that kicked off in Bangkok, Thailand a week ago. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Miss Universe (@missuniverse) Miss Universe Organization owner an

Romeo Escobar, the national director of Miss Universe Belize for the past five years, announced his withdrawal from the Miss Universe Organization in an official statement released on Thursday, February 16. He mentioned MUO's recent "changes and implementations on its business model including franchise bidding under JKN Global Group's ownership" as the reason for his decision to give up his national franchise. The three-time Emmy Award winner and "Survivor 42" runner-up added, "This does not align with the way I conduct business and I believe it is not a sustainable way to keep a partnership long-term with its directors." He also confessed to struggling to get the financial backing needed to run the national pageant organization because, according to his statement, "no one cared or wanted to be associated with pageants in Belize at all." His message for the next national director: "I hope the next person who takes on the Miss Univers