Miss Universe Australia Lexie Brant Joins Walkout After Pageant President’s Remarks

Miss Universe Australia Lexie Brant showed a remarkable display of female solidarity on Wednesday as she joined a mass walkout of pageant queens in Bangkok, Thailand.

The shock incident occurred when Nawat Itsaragrisil, Vice President for Asia and Oceania within the Miss Universe Organisation, publicly berated Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch in front of dozens of other beauty queens.

Shock footage from the incident, shows dozens of beauty queens – including Lexie – standing up and exiting the venue in a show of support, after the VP told Bosch to leave and publicly reprimanded her for showing ‘no respect’.

Lexie was among the first to rise in solidarity, her face resolute as she joined the exodus. 

The Australian model is a 22-year-old occupational therapy student from Brisbane and in August officially took out the title of Miss Universe Australia 2025 in a glamorous ceremony held in Perth. 

Victoria Theilvig, the first Dane to win the top title, also stormed out of the sashing ceremony at the Miss Universe delegates’ hotel in Bangkok and later justified her protest against pageant authority, saying: ‘This is about women’s rights.’

Miss Universe Australia Lexie Brant showed a remarkable display of female solidarity on Wednesday as she joined a mass walkout of pageant queens in Bangkok, Thailand  

The shock incident occurred when Nawat Itsaragrisil, Vice President for Asia and Oceania within the Miss Universe Organisation, publicly berated Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch in front of dozens of other beauty queens

‘To trash another girl – it’s beyond disrespectful and it’s nothing I’ve ever done. That’s why I’m taking my coat and I’m going,’ she said.

The unprecedented incident took place during a live-streamed ceremony of the event, where Itsaragrisil confronted 25-year-old Bosch about her absence from a sponsor shoot earlier that day.

In footage broadcast on the official Miss Universe Thailand Facebook page, Nawat asked Bosch to stand and ‘explain herself’, before instructing security personnel to escort her out of the hotel after she insisted on ‘using my voice’.

In a mass revolt in support of the beauty queen, several of her fellow contestants proceeded to stand up from their seats ready to storm out of the room.

A distressed Nawat could be heard shouting ‘Stop, stop!’ as the models began making their way out of the ceremony, demanding that they ‘Sit down’.

When the visibly uncomfortable Bosch responded to the president that she did not want to be publicly reprimanded before her peers, he took to the microphone to interrupt, telling her: ‘I didn’t give you the opportunity to talk… I’m still talking, listen!’

‘I have a voice,’ Bosch replied, accusing Nawat of ‘not respecting me as a woman’.

The argument continued, with the president saying: ‘My question is: Can you can work to promote Thailand or not – yes or no?’

Shock footage from the incident shows dozens of beauty queens – including Lexie – standing up and exiting the venue

The Australian model is a 22-year-old occupational therapy student and model from Brisbane 

Nawat then instructed security to escort Bosch out of the hotel. 

Theilvig, who beat out Miss Nigeria at the 73rd edition of the pageant in Mexico City last year, was later seen in footage announcing she would not remain in the venue.

‘We have respect for everyone, but this is not how things can be handled,’ she said. 

The clip was shared to social media and quickly gained traction online, as well as praise from other women and delegates. 

Fans and former contestants hailed the walkout as an act of integrity and courage, while influencers described the moment as ‘the most empowering act in Miss Universe history.’

The Miss Universe Organisation, now owned by Thailand-based JKN Global Group, has faced increasing criticism over transparency and contestant treatment. 

The Bangkok walkout has reignited those concerns, with critics saying it highlights ‘a toxic culture of public shaming’ within the organisation.