'This world is insane': Miss Universe contestants reveal the chaos behind this year's pageant

The energy in the room couldn't have been more tense. Some women were yelling, telling their new friends to stand up and leave. Others were glued to their seats, crying in red-carpet-worthy gowns. Contestant Andromeda Peters was in the middle of it all. A licensed therapist since 2017, Peters felt compelled to help. She instructed the women to close their eyes and feel their backs against the chairs, to feel their feet planted firmly to the ground, some in their 6-inch stilettos. Then she began to lead the group through a breathwork exercise: Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, she said, and now exhale. It was the very first day of Miss Universe . "We were all distraught," Peters, who was Miss Ghana 2025, told Business Insider about her fellow contestants. "I was going to walk out, but then I realized, there's a girl crying next to me and she's holding my hand. There's a girl behind me crying. So I helped my sisters ground themselves." Chaos had erupted among the pageant queens after Miss Universe director Nawat Itsaragrisil yelled at Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch . Their confrontation was captured on livestream, kicking off what would become one of the messiest competitions in the pageant's 74-year history. When Bosch was ultimately named the new Miss Universe on November 21, many contestants wondered if they had ever really stood a chance at the crown. Over the weeks that followed, contestants that Business Insider spoke with would accuse the organization of grueling conditions, favoritism, inconsistent rules, and an ever-changing judging process. Interviews with more than a dozen contestants reveal how a pageant marketed as a women's empowerment platform had fallen apart as the world watched. Now, some believe that only a dramatic leadership change can fix Miss Universe. "I could give you the pageant answer, or I could just be real: Everyone has to go, absolutely everyone," Miss Haiti Melissa Sapini said. The Miss Universe Organization did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Drama from the start As November neared, 120 women packed their bags and began the journey to Thailand, where they'd spend a month attending events across Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya. For many contestants, walking the Miss Universe stage was a childhood dream finally coming true. Some were seasoned pageant queens with multiple crowns and sashes glittering on their shelves. Others were first-timers. Miss Bonaire Nicole Peiliker-Visser was inspired to compete after her daughter won Mini Miss Universe, while Miss Hungary Kincső Dezsény was searching for a purpose beyond modeling. "If you get beauty from ... God, you need to use it for good," Dezsény told Business Insider. Whatever their motivation, the women thought they knew what to expect. The three-week competition would kick off with sponsorship events and media opportunities as they traveled throughout Thailand. Then, contestants would return to the capital to compete in the evening gown, swimsuit, national costume , and interview competitions. A panel of judges would determine the results, though one...

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