Miss England quits midway, leaves India: Is Miss World 'outdated' and 'exploitative'?

Milla Magee, Miss England 2024 and the UK's representative at Miss World 2025 in India, has withdrawn from the competition, claiming she and other contestants were objectified and paraded before wealthy male sponsors.

Speaking to The Sun, the 24-year-old lifeguard from Cornwall said she felt contestants were treated like "performing monkeys."

Magee said, “We were expected to charm affluent men all evening — it was humiliating. I didn’t come here to be farmed out for people’s entertainment.”

Magee arrived in India on May 7 and officially exited the pageant on May 16. Following her departure, Charlotte Grant, first runner-up of Miss England, stepped in to represent the UK. Charlotte arrived in India on Wednesday and has since been warmly welcomed into the Miss World sisterhood.

Quoting The Sun, Magee expressed profound disappointment, calling the pageant "outdated" and "stuck in the past," adding, "Morally I couldn't be a part of it."

She spoke out after being "paraded before affluent male sponsors" and revealed that contestants were instructed to wear heavy makeup and evening gowns from morning until night "to charm the wealthy patrons who backed the pageant."

"I went out to make a difference, to help create a different future, perhaps inspire young people. Never in a million years did I expect to find myself in that situation," Magee told The Sun.

 She described feeling used for entertainment and dismissed when she tried to discuss her social causes, instead being subjected to “weird small-talk that left me feeling uncomfortable.”

In response to Magee's withdrawal, Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, said, "We regret to announce that Milla Magee has returned home to the UK due to personal reasons. We stand fully by her decision – health must always come first."

Miss England runner-up Charlotte Grant, 25, and current Miss Liverpool, has replaced Magee in the pageant. Magee’s withdrawal on May 16 marks the first time in the pageant’s 74-year history that a Miss England titleholder has exited mid-competition.

The Miss World final is scheduled to air on May 31 in over 180 countries.

Earlier this month, Magee requested to leave the competition due to a reported family emergency involving her mother’s health.

Julia Morley CBE, Chairwoman of Miss World and a mother and grandmother herself, responded with compassion by arranging Magee’s return to England, prioritising the contestant’s and her family’s well-being, according to I&PR Telangana. 

However, certain UK media outlets published false claims about Magee’s experience in India, which I&PR Telangana says are unfounded and inconsistent with her actual time at the pageant.

In response, the Miss World Organisation released unedited videos showing Magee expressing gratitude and appreciation during her stay, directly contradicting the false narratives.

With inputs from Agencies