A shocking move just days before the grand finale, Miss England 2024, Milla Magee, has withdrawn from the Miss World pageant, which is being held in Hyderabad, India. The 24-year-old beauty queen from Cornwall, UK, claimed she was harassed and disrespected by the organisers, and that the experience went against her values.
Magee, who works as a lifeguard, was one of the 108 contestants set to compete for the Miss World 2025 crown. However, she walked away from the competition, saying she “couldn’t stay quiet” about what was happening behind the scenes.
“I went there to make a difference,” Milla said, “but we were treated like performing monkeys.” She shared that contestants were expected to wear full makeup and ball gowns all day—even during breakfast. But what troubled her most was being asked to sit and “entertain” male sponsors at an event.
“There were two girls at each table with six men. We were told it was a way to thank the sponsors. But it didn’t feel right,” she explained. “I didn’t come here to be farmed out for people’s entertainment. It made me feel like I had no voice.”
Magee also revealed that when she tried to speak about her causes, the men were not interested. She was later called “boring” for not being more engaging. “I wanted to inspire people, not sit through meaningless small talk,” she said.
The final straw came when a pageant organiser clapped in her face to get her attention. “It felt disrespectful, like we were children, not adult women representing our countries.”
After these experiences, Milla chose to leave the pageant and fly back to her home in Newquay. Her spot will now be taken by Charlotte Grant, the Miss England runner-up from Liverpool.
Despite Milla’s departure, the Miss World 2025 final is still scheduled for May 31 at the HITEX Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, where Miss World 2024, Krystyna Pyszková from the Czech Republic, will crown her successor.
