Miss World 2025: UK Contestant Milla Magee Quits Midway, Calls Pageant 'Outdated' and 'Exploitative'

Milla Magee, 24, a British beauty queen who was representing the United Kingdom at the Miss World 2025 contest in India, has withdrawn from the competition, citing serious concerns about the event's organisation and ethics. The pageant is being hosted in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Magee, who won Miss England last year, told The Sun that her decision sprang from a feeling of being mistreated. She described the climate and expectations placed on candidates as humiliating and out of date. "I went there to make a change, but we were forced to sit like performing monkeys. "It's stuck in the past," she explained.

"Morally, I couldn't be a part of it. All the crowns and sashes in the world mean nothing compared to using your voice to make a difference."

Describing a particularly troubling experience, Magee recounted being assigned to sit with male guests during formal dinners: "There were two girls per table of six men. We were expected to entertain them as a thank you. I remember thinking, 'This is so wrong.' I didn't come here to be farmed out for people's entertainment."

She added that attempts to talk about charitable causes or serious issues were often brushed aside in favor of uncomfortable small talk. "It made me feel like a prostitute," she said. "It was humiliating. I wanted to help build a better future and inspire young people, not be reduced to this."

Magee's decision to walk away shocked many in the pageant community. Her position in the competition has since been filled by Miss England runner-up Charlotte Grant, 25. Despite the controversy, the Miss World 2025 finale is still scheduled to be broadcast in over 180 countries next week.