Chaos at Miss Universe Fiji: Manshika Prasad Reinstated as Official Representative

In a dramatic turn of events, Manshika Prasad has been reinstated as the official representative of Fiji in the upcoming Miss Universe competition in Mexico.

This announcement comes after chaos engulfed the Miss Universe Fiji 2024 pageant, following a controversial decision that initially saw Prasad’s title taken away.

The drama began on Friday, August 30, 2024, when Manshika Prasad, a 24-year-old MBA student in Australia, was crowned Miss Universe Fiji 2024 at a glamorous event held at the Pearl Resort & Spa.

The win was a historic moment for Fiji, marking the nation’s return to the global Miss Universe stage after a 43-year hiatus.

However, celebrations were short-lived.

Just two days after the crowning, it was revealed that a mistake had been made during the event. A statement from Miss Universe Fiji announced that Nadine Roberts, who had been named runner-up, would instead represent Fiji in the Miss Universe competition.

The organization cited an error by the judges on the night of the event, stating that the wrong winner had been announced due to a miscalculation.

The statement from Miss Universe Fiji explained that the judging error occurred because the contracted organizer failed to count the licensee vote and did not consult them in the event of a tie.

According to the organization, the vote count revealed that both Prasad and Roberts received four votes each from the seven judges, plus one vote from the licensee holder, resulting in a tie.

Despite concerns raised by the local licensee representative about the transparency of the voting process, the contracted organizer reportedly rushed the announcement, leading to the confusion.

The controversy caused significant heartbreak among the finalists, with Miss Universe Fiji acknowledging the distress the situation had caused.

However, just today, another twist in the saga emerged.

In a media statement dated September 2, 2024, Grant Dwyer, the official organizer of the Miss Universe Fiji 2024 pageant, asserted that Manshika Prasad had indeed been judged fairly as the winner.

The statement clarified that Prasad was the majority winner among the nine finalists, as voted by the seven official judges, including a representative from Lux Property Bali, the license holder of Miss Universe Fiji.

Dwyer’s statement reaffirmed that Manshika Prasad is the rightful winner of Miss Universe Fiji 2024, putting to rest the confusion and controversy that had plagued the event.

With this clarification, Prasad will now represent Fiji at the Miss Universe competition later this year in Mexico.