Destiny Wagner Breaks Silence on Pageant Controversy
Destiny Wagner is breaking her silence on the Miss Universe Belize controversy. The national director says production errors, not manipulation, caused the confusion that overshadowed Caleigh-Rose West’s victory on Saturday night. Wagner apologized for the mistakes but rejected claims of sabotage or altered scores. She also said West rightfully earned her title, while coordination challenges with the franchise’s El Salvador-based operators affected the show’s execution. Speaking with co-host Chealsea Munoz, she supported the claim that West legitimately earned her title but noted that organizational errors hindered the production.
On the Phone: Chelsea Munoz, Co-Host, Miss Universe Belize
“There was miscommunication and thing that happened in the moment that we did not prepare for but I did believe that it could have gone a lot better. When it comes to the situation when we were given a list that was not the list I believe that it was just in the moment, it was just a lot going on. But I don’t want that to take away from the eight delegates. They did an amazing job they did tremendous work on stage. It’s just unfortunate that it played out this way but I do believe that they should be the focus of the conversation and not a few moments that didn’t go perfectly. Caleigh-Rose West, she earned her place in the top five. And unfortunately, the mistake, which is an honest mistake, reading out the six delegates, it just so happened that Caleigh was supposed to be on the top five. I’m just grateful that it played out that way. Unfortunately, that’s the focus but it’s easy for people to look and judge what’s happening without being in that position.”
The pageant also garnered criticism for displaying the Guatemalan Mayan Structure “Tikal” during a cultural heritage moment in the show. According to a statement from the Miss Universe Belize Franchise, all art was selected by a local Belizean team, who have since acknowledged the mistake.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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