Olivia Yacé Crowned 'People's Miss Universe' in Omar Harfouch's Alternative Contest After Rigging Allegations

Olivia Yacé of Ivory Coast has been proclaimed the 'real winner' of Miss Universe 2025 after securing a sweeping victory in a new public election organised on Instagram by former Miss Universe jury member Omar Harfouch.

The alternative contest, which Harfouch described as 'democratic and transparent', comes just days after he denounced the official Miss Universe results as rigged in favour of Mexican contestant Fátima Bosch.

Harfouch, who has become the central whistle-blower in the widening scandal, said he launched the public vote to 'give the people the voice that Miss Universe denied them'. His online poll invited audiences to choose between Miss Ivory Coast, Miss Philippines, Miss Venezuela and Miss Thailand. These are the candidates, he believes, were wronged by what he called a 'biased' and 'illegitimate' selection process.

A Social Media Election With Massive Reach

The Instagram-based vote drew extraordinary engagement. Over the past several days, Harfouch's posts accumulated more than 50 million views, with 5.2 million unique visitors accessing his page specifically to participate in the new competition. A total of 323,000 votes were cast — numbers that Harfouch argued provide overwhelming legitimacy.

On announcing the results, Harfouch declared: 'The race is over.' He added: 'As the only legitimate judge of the Miss Universe 2025 competition, I am honoured to officially announce the winner of this democratic and transparent vote: Miss Côte d'Ivoire, Olivia Yacé.'

Yacé won 56 per cent of the vote, far ahead of Miss Philippines at 36 per cent, while Miss Venezuela and Miss Thailand trailed with 6 per cent and 1 per cent respectively. According to Harfouch, the result 'reflects the will of the people' and contradicts the official Miss Universe verdict, which crowned Mexico's Bosch in a decision now heavily contested by fans, national committees, and industry insiders.

He reiterated that he does not acknowledge this year's Miss Universe outcome, stating: 'I do not recognise the final five contestants selected for the Miss Universe 2025 final as fully legitimate — since 106 countries were unjustly and secretly eliminated three days before the competition began.'

Who Is Olivia Yacé?

Olivia Yacé is no stranger to the international pageant spotlight. Crowned Miss Côte d'Ivoire in 2021, she quickly became one of Africa's most prominent beauty queens, finishing as 2nd Runner-Up and Miss Universe Africa at Miss Universe 2021. Her strong advocacy for cultural dignity, women's empowerment and education earned her global admiration, while her polished communication skills and runway presence made her a consistent favourite among fans.

A graduate of the Catholic University of America with a degree in marketing, Yacé has combined pageantry with entrepreneurship, public speaking, and social impact work. Her supporters have long argued she is among the most accomplished and well-rounded contestants to emerge from Africa in recent years.

The Miss Ivory Coast Committee publicly backed Harfouch's alternative election and confirmed that Yacé has withdrawn from all Miss Universe-related commitments. In a statement, the organisation said the decision reflects her desire to honour her values of dignity, fairness, and integrity.

Yacé's Response and the Fallout

Yacé, who has maintained grace despite being thrust into a global controversy, has not issued a lengthy public comment but has signalled agreement with Harfouch's stance. She previously resigned from the Miss Universe organisation's titles — including 'Miss Universe Africa & Oceania' — citing a personal commitment to dignity, equal opportunity, respect and integrity.

Fans across Africa, Asia and Latin America have celebrated her online victory, arguing that her overwhelming margin in the public vote illustrates what the official competition failed to recognise.

A Deepening Crisis for Miss Universe

The scandal has ignited some of the biggest questions the pageant industry has faced in years. Harfouch's accusations, now supported by millions of fan votes, have placed Miss Universe organisers under mounting scrutiny. National committees from multiple countries have demanded transparency, while social media continues to amplify calls for an independent investigation.

For now, Harfouch insists his election is the only result that reflects genuine global opinion. 'It is a clear international plebiscite,' he said. 'Justice has been done.'