The 74th Miss Universe pageant, set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand on November 21, has been rocked by controversy just days before the event. Two prominent judges have resigned, with one accusing organizers of rigging the selection process. Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch, a member of the eight-judge panel, announced his resignation on Instagram, alleging that an ‘impromptu jury’ had pre-selected finalists without the involvement of the official judges. Hours later, French football manager Claude Makélélé also stepped down, citing ‘unforeseen personal reasons.’ Harfouch claimed that the unofficial jury included individuals with potential conflicts of interest due to personal relationships with contestants. The Miss Universe Organisation denied the allegations, stating that no external group was authorized to evaluate delegates. They suggested Harfouch may have confused the process with the Beyond the Crown programme, a separate social impact initiative. The controversy follows an earlier incident where contestants walked out of a pre-pageant event after the Thailand director berated Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, for not promoting the event on social media. The Miss Universe Organisation has since sent a delegation to oversee the competition.