Miss Universe S'pore 2025 'didn't expect' Miss Mexico to win, spills tea on Miss Universe experience

For 21 days in Bangkok, Thailand Miss Singapore Annika Xue Sager lived in high heels.

From dinner events, to visiting elephant sanctuaries, and even muddy fields, the 25-year-old was in her heels no matter where she went during the 74th Miss Universe competition.

"Dress code was high heels and evening gown. Girls were wearing evening gowns to go to the airport. Girls were wearing evening gowns to go to breakfast," she told Mothership, just days after the competition ended.

Through it all, Sager said contestants from around the world formed deep friendships and experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity together, even as they sought to outcompete one another.

This bond was probably most evident when several contestants walked out of an event together with Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch after Miss Universe Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil allegedly called her a "dumb head".

That incident was merely the tipping point of a pageant mired in controversies, which concluded with another dramatic moment when Bosch was eventually crowned the winner.

For context, Miss Universe Organisation (MUO) president Raul Rocha is a Mexican businessman who owns a 50 per cent stake in the brand and holds the Miss Universe Mexico copyright.

The Miss Universe organisation operates out of Mexico.

The incident, as played out in the media, showed there were two sides, or at least, contestants who walked out and those who did not.

But the reality was that the ladies banded together as they were not about to be spoken down to.

Sager sat down with Mothership to share what went on behind the scenes and her thoughts on the controversies.

Walkout controversy

On the walking out fiasco, the 25-year-old said she's happy Bosch stood up for herself, especially since Miss Universe is supposed to champion women’s empowerment.

But, Sager noted that there’s always two parts to the story.

Nawat was heard calling Bosch a "dumb head" at an event after criticising her for not participating in promotional materials for Thailand.

This occurred one day after allegations surfaced that a sponsor had encouraged contestants to promote an online gambling platform, which would violate Thailand’s strict gambling laws.

Sager said Nawat was understandably stressed, having organised countless dinners and activities for over 100 contestants.

"So I get that he was trying to get these girls or her to push his events, because a lot of money, a lot of manpower, a lot of hours went into this," she said.

Having said that, Sager said all of the girls "stood behind" Bosch: "If the organisers are talking to you rudely, good for you that you stand up, because many of us probably wouldn't have dared to."

Sager also pointed out that the girls come from different cultures and upbringings and as such, responded differently to different situations.

For her, with a Singaporean Chinese mother and German father, the incident felt like a "teacher was telling off a student".

"So in that type of situation, growing up, I sit down, I listen to my elders, I listen to what they have to say, comprehend before I respond," she said.

A few other contestants and herself who were seated further back also didn't fully comprehend and hear what Nawat said until after the walkout, she shared.

"Just because we were staying seated and didn't stand up and get out of the room, doesn't mean we fully agree with what happened," she said.

Judges quitting

As the finale approached, the scandal deepened when three judges resigned, with one accusing the competition of being rigged.

Sager said she was shocked — not only because such incidents were unusual, but also because of the seriousness of the allegations.

Did she think there was any merit to the allegations that results were pre-determined?

Sager said that even though she was a contestant and people perceive her to have an inside view of things, she was still an outsider because the scope of what was happening was beyond her.

Still, she chose to focus on what she could control: her performance, interview, and presence.

"I kept reminding myself that regardless of what might already be decided, giving my best and staying true to myself is what really matters," she said.

Unexpected finale

The top five contestants subsequently announced were Miss Mexico, Miss Thailand, Miss Venezuela, Miss Philippines, and Miss Cote d'Ivoire.

While she expected Miss Thailand to place, Sager candidly shared that Miss Mexico was not in her "personal pick for top five".

This assessment was based solely on pageant performance, she clarified, emphasising that Bosch was a "nice girl" who had "always been friendly" to her.

She also said she did not expect Bosch to win based on both the finals and the preliminary rounds, as she felt Miss Cote d’Ivoire and Miss Philippines had performed "extremely well".

Sager added that many girls deserved spots in the top 30, including Miss Indonesia, whose national costume performance gave her goosebumps.

Similarly, she said Miss Argentina was a "standout since the beginning", and yet did not get a spot in top 30.

"There were many girls, that we did not necessarily expect to get into top 30. I'm happy they did. Some of them were friends of mine, but based on performance, I was expecting other people to get in," she added.

Behind the scenes

Beyond the highly publicised drama, Sager shared glimpses of what went on behind the scenes during the three-week journey.

Contestants were constantly being filmed — whether while eating, stepping out of elevators, or boarding buses.

She often had to pass through 20 to 30 pageant media outlets, many livestreaming or interviewing contestants, before making it back to the hotel.

Still, Sager said she was always happy to speak to them as it allowed her to share her story.

She also revealed that many contestants fell sick at some point, with several suffering food poisoning because food was often left out for long periods due to the large number of people on-site and long waiting times for people to congregate.

Meanwhile, Miss Jamaica, who fell off the stage, remained in the intensive care unit (ICU) at a hospital in Thailand after the pageant ended.

As for herself, her ankles and knees hurt from the long hours spent in high heels.

"I think many of us are, permanently, if not temporarily, damaged in many ways," she said.

Insane opportunity

Despite all that, would she do it again?

Sager said she's glad she can say she can't legally do it again, but reiterated that this was still an "insane opportunity" for her.

Not many people can say that they were Miss Universe contestants, after all.

"As much as I'm talking about the negatives of this, most of my content that I've been sharing has been positive," she said.

There were many lighthearted moments, such as when contestants were required to shout their country names, which then become viral and widely imitated online.

"We would be scrolling through like hoping to see our countries being featured because it's kind of funny. Actually, I think you have to laugh about it, because what else are you going to do? It's either you laugh or you cry about being a meme," Sager said.

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She also formed enduring friendships, including with Miss Indonesia, whom she is visiting in Bali in a few weeks.

Sager said: "So for all the girls who want to apply next year, please do. I can give you tips on how to deal with this. It teaches you a lot as a person. It teaches you resilience. It teaches you how to be strong."

Top photos by Ilyda Chua/Mothership