Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch has been crowned Miss Universe 2025 after a controversial edition of the global pageant. The 25-year-old won the 74th edition of the pageant, which was held in Bangkok on Friday morning (Thursday evening in the US), taking the crown from Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig, the first Danish holder of the title.
The official Miss Universe account shared the exact moment Bosch was crowned and captured her emotional reaction on stage.
In the final lineup, Miss Thailand finished as the first runner-up, followed by Miss Venezuela and Miss Philippines.
Bosch’s win comes after weeks of confusion surrounding this year’s competition. On November 4, the opening day of Miss Universe 2025, she engaged in a heated exchange with Miss Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil during a sponsorship event – a moment that was streamed live on the Miss Thailand Facebook page and quickly went viral.
In response, Miss Universe President Raul Rocha announced that Itsaragrisil would be banned from future pageants. Despite the statement, he was seen at several functions and was even honored during the live finale.
Controversy deepened days before the final when composer Omar Harfouch resigned as a judge, claiming the organization had already selected the top 30 contestants through a “secret ballot” that bypassed the official jury.
“I felt honored to be invited as an official judge,” he told Business Insider. “But everything changed when I discovered a parallel selection committee acting independently of the jury. It affected trust and credibility.”
In a statement on Instagram issued on November 18, the Miss Universe Organization said that Omar Harfouch misunderstood the purpose of the separate selection committee used for the pageant’s “Beyond the Crown Program,” which highlights contestants’ charitable work.
“The Miss Universe Organization makes it clear that this eight-member panel operates completely independently of the official Miss Universe jury,” the statement read. “This commission does not evaluate the performance of the delegates during the 74th Miss Universe pageant, nor does its decision affect the final results.”
Bosch, the first Miss Mexico winner from Tabasco, has built her career on sustainable fashion. According to her bio, Miss Universe also works with children battling cancer and collaborates with Corazón Migrante and Ruta Monarca on initiatives supporting migrant communities and environmental causes.
