The highs and one major low of the Miss Universe 2025 pageant
The three-week lead-up to the Miss Universe 2025 coronation night was quite chaotic, with one controversy coming after another.
There was the very public reprimand by Nawat Itsaragrisil, Executive Director of the Miss Universe Organization and the National Director of Miss Universe Thailand, of Miss Universe Mexico over issues concerning her social media activities that made her walk out from the event followed by several other candidates in solidarity with her, including Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who echoed Miss Mexico’s cries of disrespect.
There was the cancelled special dinner with Nawat that involved public voting for the select candidates who would be included in the activity that the MUO denied approving. And there were sudden departures and withdrawals of several members of the selection committee just days before the finals.
From the early goings, it seemed that the pageant was constantly on the verge of collapsing and not making it through to the coronation night. Fortunately, it did—and the three-hour extravaganza of glitz, glamour, beauty, body and brains, music and stage craft, held at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, made viewers forget about all the offstage drama. That is, until the very final moments.
Here are some of the show’s highlights and its one big—very, very big—lowlight.
HIGH: The staging
As befits one of the biggest assemblies of candidates (120), this was one of the most enormous stages ever, not only in Miss Universe history but in pageantry in general. It makes last year’s stage in Mexico look like a satellite platform. The massive LED wall looked like it was at least three storeys tall and yet did not make the people onstage look like midgets.
It also popped with graphics that were dynamic and colorful enough without drowning the other candidates. That pair of sliding LED panels for the Top 5 final walk was a very nifty touch. One downside, though: The stage was so big that video cameras could not do many extreme closeups on the candidates to capture the instant reactions of those who advanced to the next rounds of the competition.
HIGH: The energy
From the staging and the scripting to the music (that clubby Swimsuit round song played for 30 candidates and yet did not feel overlong despite the many repetitions) and the offstage commentaries (from Misses Universe Dayarana Torres and R’Bonney Gabriel), the energy was consistently on the up and up throughout the three-hour show.
But the MVP was American comedian and actor Steve Byrne, who proved to be an excellent host in his debut on the Miss Universe stage. He was peppy, smart, and sharp, neither overdoing nor underdelivering anything. After years of lackluster and energy-less hosts who were phoning it in or who looked like they were floating in outer space (we’re looking at you, Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo), finally, we have someone who might potentially be a worthy successor to multi-year master of ceremonies Bob Barker and Steve Harvey. MUO would do well to take his onstage joke of returning next year.
HIGH: The backup dancers
There was a troupe of female backup cultural dancers for the opening number that was not really necessary (the candidates were way more than enough women onstage), but was a very welcome addition because they added a healthy dose of freshness and creativity. First of all, their outfit: a stylized version of the traditional Thai dress that ditched the usual gold color for white and the pencil-cut skirt for a voluminous ball skirt. It was a unique look that was both classic and post-modern, and, movement-wise, it made them look like they were gliding onstage, much like Disney princesses dancing at the royal hall, except without any prince in tow.
HIGH: The gilded accessories
The Thai touch was not totally absent in the show. It made an appearance during the swimsuit competition and came in the form of the gilded accents on the swimwear the Top 30 candidates paraded in. They were small pieces resting on a bra strap and the bikini, but they made a big visual impact, also providing a fresh and smart alternative to the add-ons like capes, sarongs, and wings usually seen during this round of the competitions. Speaking of add-ons, one side-note: It looked like there were more hair extensions on the Top 30 candidates this year than in any of the last 10 years.
HIGH: The Philippines shoutouts
Between Ahtisa Manalo, Filipino-American R’Bonney, self-proclaimed adopted Filipino Dayanara Torres, selection committee member Louie Heredia, major sponsor Philippine Airlines, and the many shoutouts in the script—with our favorites being Byrne’s passage about the country “suffering strife” and Dayanara’s rave for Ahtisa’s gown as a “dream come true”—it sounded like the Philippines was a co-host of this year’s pageant. Whether or not that was an intentional bait for Pinoy pageant fans, thanks are in order. Khap khun krap, scriptwriters! Mabuhay!
HIGH: The standouts
This was mostly a strong Top 30 that did not leave out any of the public and critics’ favorites going into the finals. There were a few surprises but perhaps none bigger than Rwanda, who looked quite incredulous herself. Our Swimsuit favorites were Cote d’Ivoire, Colombia, Guadalupe, Miss Universe Latina, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Thailand, and the USA.
The evening gown competition among the Top 12 was even stronger. There was not one dud look on that stage. Thailand’s piece, though, was a bit underwhelming. It definitely looked intricate and well-crafted, but it was a bit too muted and lacked the wow factor, especially on such a gigantic stage. Our favorites were Guadalupe, Chile, Venezuela, the Philippines, and Côte d’Ivoire.
For the two Q&A rounds, Cote d’Ivoire and the Philippines consistently gave the best answers: sharp, smart, concise, inspiring, with the perfect balance of the personal and the universal, and delivered with winning confidence, clarity, and conviction. Our least favorite: Mexico and Thailand, who both gave the most generic and clichèd answers to both questions.
LOW: The results
Which brings us the results. To say that it’s a headscratcher is an understatement. Even to say it was a surprise would be a bit kind, if not generous. It was nothing less than a shocker, one of the worst results in Miss Universe history. Before announcing the winner between the last women standing, Mexico and Thailand, Byrne quipped that he did not want a repeat of Steve Harvey’s infamous misreading of the 2015 results. After Mexico was declared the new queen of the universe, the question on our minds was: Did he read the rankings in reverse? Because clearly this was the rightful order, considering the candidates’ overall performance, with the answers getting the heaviest weight:
- 4th runner-up: Mexico
- 3rd runner-up: Thailand
- 2nd runner-up: Venezuela
- 1st runner-up: Philippines
- Miss Universe: Cote d’Ivoire
Apparently, Miss Universe 2018, our very own Catriona Gray, was similarly shocked, which prompted her to take to her socials with this reaction: “Wala na bang bearing ng Q&A si MU?” To underscore her sentiments, she added a frowning emoji and a broken heart emoji.
We totally second the emotions.
