The Miss Universe Fiji licensee has terminated its contract with the organizer of the 2024 Fiji Miss Universe event due to a failure to adhere to established protocols, which led to considerable confusion and controversy during the crowning night. An error occurred when the wrong contestant was declared the winner.
In a statement, the Miss Universe Fiji (MUF) organization highlighted that while they have the authority to appoint all judges, only one judge was present from the licensee, who was there to ensure the process was conducted fairly and transparently. MUF expressed their trust in the contracted organizer to appoint the remaining judges impartially and guarantee a fair voting process.
However, MUF reported that the organizer did not include the licensee’s vote, resulting in a tie with four votes each for the top two contestants. Despite this tie, the organizer hastily announced their preferred winner without consulting the licensee, who was supposed to decide in the event of a tie.
An internal review also found that the voting process was not conducted privately, leaving room for potential influence on the judges’ decisions in favor of a predetermined winner.
The organizers indicated that they plan to pursue legal action against the contractor for damaging the event’s reputation. Additionally, they have apologized to the two leading contestants for the emotional distress caused by the organizer’s failure to follow proper protocols.