(MENAFN- Live Mint) Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch has been crowned Miss Universe 2025 after a controversy-fuelled edition of the global pageant. The 25-year-old won the 74th annual competition held in Bangkok on Friday morning (Thursday night in the US), receiving the crown from Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig, Denmark's first titleholder.

The official Miss Universe account shared the exact moment Bosch was crowned, capturing her emotional reaction onstage.

Watch the video here:

In the final lineup, Miss Thailand finished as first runner-up, followed by Miss Venezuela and Miss Philippines.

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Bosch's win comes after weeks of turmoil surrounding this year's competition. On 4 November, the opening day of Miss Universe 2025, she was involved in a heated exchange with Miss Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil during a sponsorship event - a moment that was livestreamed on the Miss Thailand Facebook page and quickly went viral.

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In response, Miss Universe president Raul Rocha announced that Itsaragrisil would be barred from attending future pageant events. Despite the statement, he was seen at multiple functions and even acknowledged during the live finale.

The controversy deepened days before the finals when composer Omar Harfouch withdrew as a judge, alleging that the organisation had already selected the top 30 contestants through a“secret vote” that bypassed the official jury.

“I felt honoured to be invited as an official judge,” he told Business Insider.“But everything changed when I discovered a parallel selection committee acting independently from the jury. It affected trust and credibility.”

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In an Instagram statement issued on 18 November, the Miss Universe Organization said Omar Harfouch had misunderstood the purpose of a separate selection committee used for the pageant's“Beyond the Crown Program,” which highlights the charitable work of contestants.

“The Miss Universe Organization clarifies that this eight-person committee operates entirely independently from the official Miss Universe judging panel,” the statement read.“This committee does not evaluate delegate performances during the 74th Miss Universe competition, nor do its decisions influence the final results.”

Bosch, the first Miss Mexico winner from Tabasco, has built her career around sustainable fashion. According to her Miss Universe bio, she also works with children battling cancer and collaborates with Corazón Migrante and Ruta Monarca on initiatives supporting migrant communities and environmental causes.

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