Unprofessional — this was the accusation of Miss Grand International founder Nawat Itsaragrisil against Philippine delegate Nikki de Moura at the Miss Grand International 2023 pageant held last week.
Nawat claimed in a livestream that de Moura immediately went backstage and left the pageant venue after the competition’s Top 20 candidates were announced.
De Moura failed to make the pageant’s Top 20.
Nawat, however, said that the candidates who failed to enter the competition’s semifinal round were still instructed to stay as they were part of some of the pageant’s segments.
Nawat’s live stream was recorded by a TikTok user, who also provided a transcription of the Miss Grand International founder’s statement.
It also seems Nawat was responding to viewers’ questions as to why de Moura failed to enter the competition’s top 20.
READ: ‘I choose gratitude’: Nikki de Moura pens emotional message after Miss Grand International loss
“It’s not my fault & your candidate did not make it to Top 20. After announcing the Top 20 she decided to walkout even her National Director did not stop her. We invested a lot of money from day 1 to rehearsal up to finals and not showing up makes her very unprofessional,” Nawat was quoted as to saying.
A number of Pinoy pageant fans have long grown skeptical of the Thailand-based Miss Grand International after years of failing to win the crown in the competition.
Nicole Cordoves in 2016 and Samantha Bernardo in 2020 placed second in the pageant, the highest placement the country has gotten since joining Miss Grand International.
As the TikTok clip of Nawat turned viral on Monday, October 30, Nikki was busy strutting her stuff as a guest at the Shake, Rattle And Ball: The Alamat Exhibition Gala held at the Natural Museum of Anthropology
Not surprisingly, many comments on her most recent Instagram post retain to Nawat’s allegation. Some commenters ask de Moura to respond to the claim. Others, however, poke fun at the Miss Grand International pageant.
“When the owner said “you chose the wrong winner” but the Philippines replied “We chose the wrong pageant,” one commenter said.
De Moura has yet to respond to the allegation, although she has posted an emotional message on her Instagram account following her Miss Grand International loss.
“I poured my heart and soul into representing the Philippines and my heart aches with disappointment. But even in the face of this heartache, I choose gratitude,” she wrote.
“Life is a journey filled with ups and downs, and I’m determined to make the most of every moment. I understand I may still be young, but I will continue to work hard, learn, and grow because I believe that disappointment is only a stepping stone to future success,” the Cagayan de Oro model also said.