Crown under fire: Rocha hints at exit as Miss Universe turmoil grows

The Miss Universe Organization has weathered many storms in its seven-decade history, but few moments have shaken its leadership as profoundly as the controversies surrounding the 74th edition. Now, MUO president Raul Rocha says he’s ready to walk away.

In a candid interview with Mexican journalist Adela Micha — later picked up by People — Rocha revealed that he is actively looking to sell his stake in the organization. His frustration was unmistakable.

“This is like a test, like a relay race. Who do I pass the baton to?” he said in Spanish, signaling an exhaustion that has built up since he acquired 50% ownership of the pageant.

Pressed on why he was ready to let go so soon after stepping into the role, Rocha didn’t hold back.

“It’s just that I’m so fed up. I’m so fed up with all the talk. I don’t lend myself to that kind of thing.”

The MUO head described a work environment swamped by noise, criticism, and relentless speculation from all corners of the pageant world.

“They want to come and tell you what decisions you make, how you make them, why you hire people, why you take away people and why you add people,” he said.

For Rocha, the scrutiny isn’t just constant — it’s suffocating.

“Everyone wants to have an opinion” about his leadership, he lamented.

His remarks come on the heels of one of the most chaotic editions in Miss Universe history. The 2025 pageant became engulfed in allegations of rigging, resignations from judges, and public withdrawals from contestants. Rocha had already denied claims that results were fixed to favor Mexican candidate Fatima Bosch, but new backlash erupted after his widely criticized comments about fan favorite Olivia Yacé of Côte d’Ivoire.

What was meant to be a season celebrating global beauty, culture, and advocacy instead became a lightning rod for disputes — and Rocha found himself at the center of it all.

Now, his message is clear: he wants out.

His search for a successor — someone to pass the “baton” to — raises questions about the future direction of Miss Universe and whether the organization can steady itself under new leadership. What remains certain is that Rocha’s public expression of exhaustion marks a rare moment in pageant history: a leader openly acknowledging the toll of the crown’s weight, and the possibility that even the person at the helm may no longer want to carry it.

As the pageant world watches closely, the fate of Miss Universe stands at a crossroads — shaped not by a winning answer onstage, but by the turbulence unfolding behind it.