The Miss World Organisation has responded to former Miss England Milla Magee's accusations that she was exploited and made to “feel like a prostitute” at the ongoing competition in India.
Magee, 24, who suddenly quit the long-running competition earlier this month due to personal reasons, made headlines on Friday when she told The Sun newspaper the real reason she left.
“I went there to make a difference but we had to sit like performing monkeys," she said. “The point was to do good, promote change and make a difference. But it became obvious that just wasn’t going to happen. As far as I could see, it hasn’t changed and is stuck in the past. Morally, I couldn’t be a part of it.
Magee was one of 108 contenders who arrived in the South Indian state of Telangana earlier this month for the annual competition. Miss World 2025 is set be crowned on May 31.
In her interview with The Sun, Magee claimed contenders were told to wear make-up at all times and ball gowns all day, including at breakfast.
They were also told to "entertain middle-aged men as a thank you for money they put into the show".
“I found that unbelievable. I remember thinking, ‘This is so wrong’," she said. "I didn’t come here to be farmed out for people’s entertainment."
On Sunday evening, the Miss World Organisation released a statement, calling Magee's claims about her time in India "false and defamatory".
"These claims are completely unfounded and inconsistent with the reality of her time with us," the statement read.
It was accompanied by an unedited video of Magee singing praises of her time in India.
"I was amazing from the get-go, as soon as we arrived and we touched down with the plane, I didn't have to lift a finger," Magee says in the video. "The hospitality and the gratitude I have for you all have been so overwhelming.
"Telangana has so much to offer, whether it's the temples to explore or the food. To be honest since being here, I've been eating so much. You have to stop me from eating too much."
Miss World said the video "serves 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," it said.
A lifeguard from Cornwall, Magee was crowned Miss England in May last year. She was replaced by second-place holder Charlotte Grant, who has flown to India for the competition.
Meanwhile, Telangana MLA KT Rama Rao has demanded an investigation into the allegations made by Magee.
"I am truly sorry you had to go through this in our state of Telangana. Telangana has a rich culture of respecting women. We revere them, respect them and provide equal opportunities for growth," Rao, whose Bharat Rashtra Samithi party is the primary opposition party in the state, posted on X.
"Unfortunately, what you had experienced doesn't represent the real Telangana."
Jayesh Ranjan, the chief secretary of information for the Telangana government told The Hindu newspaper that Magee's allegations were “completely baseless and lacking even one percent of truth.” An internal investigation was conducted, Ranjan added and found the claims “fabricated and highly exaggerated.”
Now in its 79th year, Miss World is one of the longest-running beauty contests. India is hosting the event for the second year in a row, with Miss Czech Republic Krystyna Pyszkova winning the crown last year in Mumbai.
