Felt exploited, farmed for entertainment: Miss Brit Milla leaves Miss World pageant

Hyderabad: In a turn of events at the ongoing Miss World 2025 pageant in Hyderabad, reigning Miss England Milla Magee has withdrawn from the competition, citing feelings of exploitation and moral conflict.

The 24-year-old, who is also a plus-size advocate and campaigner for CPR awareness, initially cited “personal reasons” for her departure. However, in an exclusive interview with The Sun, Magee disclosed deeper concerns regarding her treatment during the event and broader issues within the Miss World organization.

Allegations of Superficial Treatment

Magee described feeling “objectified” during her time in Hyderabad and criticised the pageant for valuing appearance over character, despite its long-standing “Beauty With a Purpose” slogan. “I felt like we were being judged more for how we looked in the room than for what we had to say,” she reportedly said.

She further stated, “It felt outdated. The atmosphere didn’t reflect the progress we keep hearing about. There was a lack of genuine respect for what we, as women from diverse backgrounds, bring to the table.”

Charlotte Grant to Represent England

Following Magee’s decision, Miss England runner-up Charlotte Grant will represent England in the Miss World final. The Miss England organisation confirmed the change on Thursday evening.

A Broader Conversation on Pageantry

Magee’s withdrawal has sparked fresh debate around the relevance and practices of global beauty pageants. Her stance has gained attention in public discourse, especially given her background in advocacy and support from Prince William for her CPR awareness campaign.

Response from Officials

When NewsMeter reached out, a senior official from the host nation confirmed that a meeting between the Miss World team and Indian organisers is scheduled for the morning of May 25.

“Very unfortunate that Miss Brit has opted to leave the pageant. The host nation and the Miss World team will be holding a meeting on May 25th morning and a joint statement will be released soon,” the official said.

Full statement

Julia Morley CBE, Chairman and CEO of the Miss World Organisation shared “ The Miss World Organisation would like to address recent media reports circulating in the British press concerning Miss England 2025, Milla Maggie, and her withdrawal from the 72nd Miss World Festival currently being held in India.

Earlier this month, Milla Maggie requested to leave the competition due to a reported family emergency involving her mother’s health. As a mother and grandmother herself, Julia Morley CBE, Chairwoman of Miss World, responded to Milla’s situation with compassion and immediately arranged her return to England, placing the well-being of the contestant and her family first.

Following her departure, Charlotte Grant, the 1st runner-up of Miss England, graciously stepped in to represent her country. Charlotte arrived in India on Wednesday and has since been warmly welcomed into the Miss World sisterhood.

Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that certain UK media outlets have published false and defamatory statements, allegedly made by Milla Maggie, regarding her experience in India. These claims are completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us.

In response, the Miss World Organisation is releasing unedited videos recorded during Milla’s stay in India, in which she expresses gratitude, joy, and appreciation for the experience. These videos reflect her own words and sentiments, and serve as a direct contradiction to the recent false narratives.

Miss World remains committed to truth, dignity, and the values of Beauty With a Purpose. We urge media outlets to uphold journalistic integrity and verify their sources before publishing misleading content.