In a tucked-away nook of paradise, overlooking the clear waters of the South Pacific, a cyclone of controversy was about to descend on Fiji’s Pearl Resort & Spa.
Standing on stage clutching a bouquet of flowers, 24-year-old MBA scholar Manshika Prasad had simply been topped Miss Fiji.
However quickly after, in response to one of many judges, issues on the magnificence pageant “turned actually ugly”.
Ugly is doubtlessly an understatement: what unfolded over the following few days would see magnificence queens topped and unseated, wild allegations thrown round and finally the emergence of a shadowy determine with a really private connection to one of many contestants.
Ms Prasad first came upon one thing was unsuitable two days after her win, when Miss Universe Fiji (MUF) issued a press launch. It mentioned a “critical breach of rules” had occurred, and “revised outcomes” could be made public shortly.
A few hours later, Ms Prasad was informed she wouldn’t be travelling to Mexico to compete for the Miss Universe title in November.
As a substitute, runner-up Nadine Roberts, a 30-year-old mannequin and property developer from Sydney, whose mom is Fijian, would take her place.
The press launch alleged the “right procedures” had not been adopted, and that Ms Prasad had been chosen in a rigged vote which favoured a “Fiji Indian” contestant to win as a result of it could carry monetary advantages to the occasion’s supervisor.
A distraught Ms Prasad issued a press release saying she could be taking a break from social media, however warned that there was “a lot the general public didn’t learn about”.
The brand new queen, in the meantime, supplied a message of help. “We’re all impacted by this,” Ms Roberts wrote on Instagram, earlier than thanking Miss Universe Fiji for its “swift motion”.
However those that took half within the contest weren’t glad: there have been too many issues that didn’t add up.
“Every part had been working so easily,” says Melissa White, one in every of seven judges on the panel.
A marine biologist by commerce, she had been flown in from New Zealand to weigh in on the charity and environmental features of the competition.
“It was such an incredible evening, such a profitable present. So many individuals have been saying they’d by no means seen pageant ladies get alongside so effectively,” Ms White tells the BBC.
Because the competitors drew to a climax on Friday evening, the judges have been requested to jot down down the identify of who they thought must be the following Miss Fiji.
“By this stage, Manshika [Prasad] was the clear winner,” says Jennifer Chan, one other decide, who’s a US-based TV host and elegance and wonder professional.
“Not solely primarily based on what she introduced on stage but additionally how she interacted with the opposite ladies, how she photographed, how she modelled.”
Ms Chan says she was “100% assured” that Ms Prasad was the strongest candidate to signify Fiji.
Sufficient of her fellow judges agreed and Ms Prasad was declared the winner – receiving 4 of the seven votes.
However because the newly-crowned Miss Universe Fiji stood on stage, beaming in her glowing tiara, the judges sensed one thing was unsuitable.
To her proper, Nadine Roberts – carrying her runners-up sash – was “seething”, alleges Ms Chan.
“I bear in mind going to mattress pondering, how might somebody really feel so entitled to win?
“You win some, you lose some. She’s a seasoned magnificence pageant contestant – absolutely she knew that?”
The following day, Ms Prasad took a celebratory boat journey with the judges.
“She was simply in awe, saying: my life will probably be modified now,” says Ms Chan.
“She’s the embodiment of that good-hearted one who deserves it – it simply affirmed to me that I’d picked the appropriate lady.”
However there had nonetheless been no official affirmation of Ms Prasad’s victory.
Not solely this – one of many judges was conspicuously absent from the journey: Riri Febriani, who was representing Lux Tasks, the corporate that purchased the licence to carry Miss Universe in Fiji.
“I bear in mind pondering that was odd,” says Ms White, who shared a room with Ms Febriani. “However she simply mentioned she had numerous work to do and she or he wanted to speak to her boss.”
Ms Febriani says she didn’t go on the boat journey as she wanted to relaxation – and there’s no means the others would know who she was messaging on her cellphone.
However Ms White says she labored out her roommate was fielding calls and texts from a person referred to as “Jamie”.
JENNIFER CHANMiss Universe is a multi-million-dollar enterprise which operates like a franchise – you could purchase a licence which lets you use the model and promote tickets for the occasion.
These licences are costly and in small international locations it’s laborious to seek out anybody keen to fund a nationwide pageant – which is why Fiji hasn’t entered a contestant since 1981.
However this yr, one organisation was keen to purchase the licence: property growth agency Lux Tasks.
Ms Febriani was its consultant on the judging panel, but additionally sorted media communications.
“I’d received on so effectively along with her, she appeared a really candy particular person,” says Ms White.
“However that day when she didn’t come on the boat, her manner form of modified. She simply saved saying she was tremendous busy with work, at all times on the cellphone with this ‘Jamie’ man.”
It turned out that, regardless of having Ms Febriani on the panel, Lux Tasks was not proud of the result of the vote.
Its press launch on Sunday mentioned the licensee itself must also get a vote – one which the contracted organiser, Grant Dwyer, had “didn’t depend”.
Lux Tasks would have voted for Ms Roberts, bringing the outcomes to a 4-4 tie.
What’s extra, it mentioned, the licensee additionally had the “figuring out vote” – making Ms Roberts the winner.
“By no means at any level have been we informed about an eighth decide or any form of absentee decide,” says Ms Chan.
“It wasn’t on the web site, it wasn’t wherever. Apart from, how will you vote on a contest for those who’re not even there?”
Ms White was additionally suspicious.
“I did some digging and it seems that Lux Tasks was intently related to an Australian businessman referred to as Jamie McIntyre,” says Ms White.
“And Jamie McIntyre,” she informed the BBC, “is married to Nadine Roberts.”
The person on the cellphone
Mr McIntyre describes himself as an entrepreneur, investor and “world-leading educator”, who has – in response to data out there on-line – been married to Ms Roberts since 2022.
He was additionally banned from doing enterprise in Australia for a decade in 2016 because of his involvement in a property funding scheme that misplaced traders greater than A$7m ($4.7m; £3.6m). The decide within the case mentioned there was “no proof to counsel that profitable reform is probably going”.
A senator who questioned him as a part of a parliamentary committee listening to later described him as “essentially the most evasive witness I’ve needed to take care of – and that’s saying one thing”, in response to the Sydney Morning Herald.
However what was he doing right here?
“[Mr McIntyre] isn’t a director or shareholder of the MUF licensee firm, however has acted as an adviser, as he’s a shareholder in related firms,” Jamie McIntyre’s representatives informed the BBC.
Nevertheless, the corporate’s Instagram web page does function a video of Mr McIntyre giving property funding recommendation, in addition to a hyperlink to twenty first Century College, a Bali-based property firm owned by Mr McIntyre.
The BBC additionally understands {that a} “Jamie” was on the road throughout cellphone calls between Ms Roberts and the occasion organiser, Grant Dwyer.
Mr McIntyre’s representatives insist that allegations that he was concerned within the judging controversy are a “conspiracy concept” – though they did concede that he had “offered recommendation to the licence holder”.
Moreover, the press launch’s allegation that Mr Dwyer had pressured the panel to decide on Ms Prasad due to her race is undermined by the truth that Mr Dwyer is known to have voted for Ms Roberts.
Getty Photographs“It’s simply gross to even carry up race,” says Ms Chan. “It was by no means, ever as soon as uttered amongst any of the judges,” she provides.
The BBC has sought remark from each Ms Roberts and Ms Prasad, however neither has responded.
A number of of these concerned – together with some judges and contestants – have been despatched “stop and desist” emails by Lux Tasks, the BBC understands, which have been taken as tantamount to gagging orders by the recipients.
Status, glory – and cash
This scandal in Fiji is certainly not the primary to hit the world of magnificence pageants, which traditionally has seen its justifiable share of controversies.
“Pageants are filled with drama, of controversies, of individuals saying the competition was a repair,” says Prof Hilary Levey Friedman, writer of ‘Right here She Is: The Difficult Reign of the Magnificence Pageant in America.’
“However I’ll say that in more moderen years, these points have change into way more pronounced because of social media,” she provides.
Aside from a voting scandal on the Miss America contest in 2022, current controversies have tended to be in much less developed components of the world.
That is in all probability as a result of they are typically non-profit affairs in lots of Western international locations, in response to Prof Friedman, whereas pageants elsewhere have change into extra standard and extra profitable than ever.
“Traditionally, magnificence pageants have been an incredible device for social mobility for girls,” says Prof Friedman.
“Aside from the status and the glory, it provides you a platform to draw followers and sponsorships. When there’s cash concerned, the stakes are increased.”
For Ms Prasad although, it seems there’s a glad ending.
On Friday, she posted on one in every of her social media accounts that she had certainly been re-crowned as Miss Fiji 2024.
“What an unbelievable journey this has been,” she wrote on Instagram.
Miss Universe Group (MUO) has not responded to a request for remark, however the BBC understands this can be very sad with the occasions in Fiji and, after having established the information, labored laborious to reinstate Ms Prasad because the island’s queen.
For Ms Prasad there’s elation. For the judges, aid.
As for Ms Roberts, she is looking herself the “actual Miss Universe Fiji 2024” on Instagram.
Decide Ms White says she’s “so happy with how Manshika [Prasad] has performed herself all through this journey. She’s an excellent, compassionate, and exquisite younger lady, who didn’t deserve this.
“We simply needed the reality to return out and now it has.”