English Model Quits Miss World in India for Being Treated Like a Sex Worker

The Miss World 2025 pageant in India is under fire after Miss England, Milla Magee, made a dramatic exit, exposing a deeply troubling culture behind the glitz and glamour.

Magee, who returned to the UK on May 16, didn’t mince words: she claims contestants were pressured to act like “escorts” for wealthy businessmen, rather than being celebrated for their achievements or social causes.

At a promotional event in Hyderabad on May 7, she says the Miss World organizers in India expected her to “keep company” with sponsors—essentially using contestants as entertainment for men with money. “This is not why I joined the Miss World competition,” Magee said. “I felt like a performer, not a participant. When I tried to speak about my social causes, they ignored me.” Her experience, she says, was the antithesis of the values Miss World claims to uphold.

What’s even more disturbing is the apparent effort to bury the story. Indian media, usually quick to cover pageant news, stayed silent for days. Only after UK outlets broke the story did the controversy come to light, raising serious questions about transparency and accountability within the Miss World organization.

The official response has been predictably evasive. Miss England pageant director Angie Beasley tried to downplay the scandal, citing “personal reasons” for Magee’s departure. Meanwhile, Miss World CEO Julia Morley flatly denied the allegations, blaming Magee’s exit on her mother’s health. These dismissals do little to address the real issue: the exploitation and objectification of women under the guise of empowerment.

This is the first time in Miss World’s 74-year history that a Miss England has walked out mid-event—a damning indictment of the current state of the competition. The pageant’s reputation, already under scrutiny for its outdated standards, now faces even more criticism for its treatment of contestants.

With Magee gone, Charlotte Grant, the current Miss Liverpool and Miss England runner-up, will step in for the May 31 final in Hyderabad. But the damage is done.