The Global Story: The International Drama of Miss Universe

Podcast: Global News Podcast – BBC World Service
Air Date: November 30, 2025
Hosts: Asma Khalid & Tristan Redmond
Featured Guest: William Lee Adams, BBC journalist and pageant aficionado

Episode Overview

This bonus episode dives into the sudden resurgence—and controversy—wrapped around the Miss Universe pageant in 2025. Hosts Asma Khalid and Tristan Redmond, alongside special guest William Lee Adams, dissect how beauty pageants, often dismissed in the West as outdated, have sparked massive global attention through a blend of social media virality, international intrigue, and real-world drama.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Is Miss Universe Making Headlines Again?

• Social Media Surge: Despite declining relevance in some countries, the 2025 Miss Universe pageant became a “viral sensation,” with drama and scandals blowing up feeds worldwide (02:07).
• Unexpected Drama: A string of incidents—contestant falls, heated exchanges, public walkouts, and high-profile resignations—propelled Miss Universe back into global discourse.
• Quote [02:30]: “A scandal hit... The pageant world has gone into absolute meltdown in recent days.” — William Lee Adams

2. Personal Connections to Pageants

• Hosts’ Reflections: Both William and Asma recall childhood memories centered on pageantry as a rare window into global diversity, especially for those from minority backgrounds (05:34–06:22).
  • William: “Miss Universe was like this gateway to the world. You saw people from Asia, you saw people from Southeast Asia... They were glamorous. They were owning the stage.” ([05:34])
  • Asma: “For South Asians, Miss Universe created stars—an avenue into stardom.” ([06:08])
• International Importance: While ratings may have dropped in the West, pageants remain crucial platforms for many countries to compete with wealthier nations.

3. How Does Miss Universe Work?

• Format Recap: National winners compete internationally for the crown, with swimsuit, evening gown, interviews, and a final question round ([06:45]).
• 130 contestants participated in 2025’s Bangkok event—an “avalanche of gowns and interviews” ([06:45]).

4. Donald Trump’s Shadow Over Pageants

• Commercialization & Excess: Trump’s ownership (late 90s–2015) glammed up and monetized the event, but was also dogged by controversy and serious allegations (07:56–09:52).
  • Public weight policing and derogatory remarks against Alicia Machado, Miss Universe 1996.
  • Trump’s alleged harassment—denied by him—cast a long shadow.
  • Quote [09:37]: “She called me, like Miss Piggy, Miss Housekeeping… a reference to the fact that she’s of Latin descent.” — Miss Mexico Contestant

5. The Two Men Battling for the Pageant’s Future

• Raul Rocha Cantu: Mexican businessman; purchased 50% of Miss Universe in 2024. Upholds traditional, business-driven pageant values.
• Nawat Itzaragrasil: Thai entrepreneur; controls Miss Thailand Universe for 25 years, favors influencer-style marketing and omnipresent social media content (10:32–12:13).
  • Raul: Sees winners as brand ambassadors.
  • Nawat: Pushes contestants to hawk products and promote Thailand—aggressive, hands-on involvement.

6. 2025’s Viral Showdown: Miss Mexico vs. Miss Thailand Director

• Live Confrontation: During a ceremonial live stream, Nawat challenged Miss Mexico for not promoting Thailand enough, called her “damaged” (or “dummy”) and had her escorted out. Fellow contestants walked out in solidarity (13:00–14:19).
  • Quote [13:26]: “You are not pushing Thailand as much as you should. And I find that offensive.” — Nawat
  • Quote [14:18]: Miss Mexico: “You are not respecting me as a woman. Why you stand up?” [Security called]
• Impact: Event went viral and led to mass contestant walkout as well as harsh criticism from reigning Miss Universe.

7. Official Reactions & More Fallout

• Miss Universe Organization: Raul Cantu released a video promising to protect contestants and limit Nawat’s role:
  • Quote [15:21]: “I will not allow the values of respect and dignity of women to be violated... Nawat, stop.”
• Nawat’s Apology: An emotional video insisted he meant no harm ([15:44]):
  • Quote [15:54]: “I am the human. Sometimes I cannot control... I have not intended to harm anyone.”
• Judges Resign: Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouche accused the competition of being rigged (top 30 preselected); French footballer Claude Mechele also stepped down, though not publicly citing a reason (16:42–17:25).
  • Quote [17:06]: “He is alleging that this competition is rigged.” — Asma Khalid
  • Organization said there was a “giant misunderstanding” and denied any wrongdoing, framing it as confusion over a separate philanthropic initiative ([17:32]).

8. Social Media Scandal: Miss Palestine & Miss Israel

• Viral Video: Clip suggested Miss Israel scowled at Miss Palestine, fueling international tensions. Miss Israel reported death threats, but a zoomed-out video showed many stunned/model ‘faces’—none targeting anyone specific (18:08–19:33).
  • William: “It just shows you how this day and age, when you have more videos being pumped out... there’s more to misinterpret.” ([19:33])

9. Pageants in the Age of TikTok

• Social media moments (e.g., Miss Norway’s salmon cape) generate global engagement—often outshining the actual crowning (20:03–20:32).
  • Quote [20:30]: “And it went viral.”
• The Downside: Clips can be misleading or weaponized, fueling unnecessary outrage ([20:32–20:37]).

10. Who Won? Conspiracy Theories Roll In

• Miss Mexico Takes the Crown: The very contestant embroiled in viral drama wins, sparking further conspiracy theories about organizational maneuvering ([24:08–24:53]).
  • Some claim her win was a patch to save face; others point to optics.
  • Nawat’s cryptic response: “A billion words that cannot be said... As for the outcome, we leave it to the viewers at home to judge.” ([24:57])

11. Pageant Contestants: Beyond Stereotypes

• Diverse Roles: Women from all walks participate, many as advocates for important causes—contradicting the “shallow beauty queen” stereotype ([25:53–28:09]).
  • Examples include Miss Vietnam 2018 (ethnic minority advocacy) and Miss Botswana 1999 (HIV awareness, UN speaker).
• Purpose: For many, pageants are platforms for agency and activism, not mere spectacle.

12. Are Pageants Outdated? Why Do They Persist?

• Western View: US and Western audiences may view pageants as anachronistic or sexist ([28:09]).
• Global Popularity: Still “enormously popular” across the world, important for national pride and social mobility.
• Subcultures: Pageants resonate in LGBTQ+ communities for their celebration of female power, transformation, and confidence ([28:51–29:37]).
  • Quote [29:04]: “The crown becomes armor... this woman has arrived.” — William Lee Adams

13. The Battle for Miss Universe’s Soul

• Two conflicting “visions” are at war:
  • Traditional business model (Raul) vs. disruptive, always-online model (Nawat).
  • William: “Based on media commentary... at the moment they're both losing. The fact is, the pageant looks like a dumpster fire.”
  • He suggests combining both approaches is essential to survival ([30:01–30:58]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• William Lee Adams on early pageant memories:
  “It was just very aspirational... I can see someone of Asian descent, and I can be proud of her.” ([05:34])
• Asma Khalid on cultural impact:
  “There have been many winners from Miss India who went on to become Bollywood stars. It was this avenue into stardom.” ([06:08])
• William Lee Adams on controversy:
  “At a celebratory event... [Miss Mexico] claims he called her a dummy. He said, I called you damaged.” ([13:49])
• Miss Mexico Contestant:
  “You are not respecting me as a woman. Why you stand up?” ([14:18])
• Raul Cantu’s response:
  “I will not allow the values of respect and dignity of women to be violated. And he added, nawat, stop.” ([15:21])
• William Lee Adams on contestants’ deeper roles:
  “So often we assume, oh, you’re Miss Universe, but I’ve never heard of you. That’s not why these women do that necessarily. They do it so they can be spokespeople, so they can advocate...” ([27:37])
• Pageant’s larger appeal:
  “It’s all about transformation. It’s taking the person from the street and making them that powerful, confident drag queen.” ([29:33])
• Final thoughts on the state of the pageant:
  “Having competition within your own organization isn’t going to help... They need to figure out how they can blend their visions to keep the pageant profitable, relevant, and empowering.” ([30:58])

Important Timestamps

• [02:07] – Pageant world returns to headlines
• [05:34] – William’s introduction to pageants
• [07:56] – Trump’s era and controversies
• [10:32] – Explanation of the “two men” shaping Miss Universe
• [13:00] – Viral Miss Mexico confrontation
• [15:21] – Organizational response to the scandal
• [16:42] – Judges resign, rigging allegations
• [18:08] – Miss Israel/Palestine social media scandal
• [20:03] – Miss Norway’s viral salmon outfit
• [24:08] – Miss Mexico’s win and aftershocks
• [25:53] – A look at the real women behind the crowns
• [28:09] – Are pageants still relevant?
• [30:01] – Who’s really “winning” the Miss Universe war?

Conclusion

Through firsthand stories, expert insight, and lively analysis, this episode highlights that Miss Universe is far from fading into obscurity. Instead, it reflects shifting global power dynamics, evolving gender norms, and the profound influence of social media. As William Lee Adams puts it, the current chaos is both a crisis and an opportunity—and the future of Miss Universe may depend on its ability to embrace change without losing sight of its roots.