Miss World Philippines has issued a clarificatory statement on September 12 addressing accusations of judging bias at the Miss World 2026 coronation night, where the country’s Asia Rose Simpson lost the lone Asia and Oceania slot in the Top 6 to host delegate Lê Nguyễn Bảo Ngọc of Vietnam.
The statement, signed by national director Arnold Vegafria, responds to a narrower claim than the Top 6 result itself — one that had spread online in the days after the September 5 finale: that Vietnamese judges outnumbered what fans believed was appropriate for a coronation night held on Vietnamese soil. After what the organization describes as “a more thorough review,” Vegafria confirmed three Vietnamese nationals sat on the judging panel — Cao Thi Hoan, CEO of Shinhan Beauty Center; Hà Kiều Anh, Miss World Vietnam 1992; and Phạm Kim Dung, national director of Miss World Vietnam.
Fan accounts had circulated video clips appearing to show Phạm — in her capacity as a sitting judge — visibly cheering for Bảo Ngọc during the broadcast, a detail that hardened suspicions of a conflict of interest once Simpson was edged out of the Top 6 despite a performance many Filipino viewers considered stronger. The Top 12 announcement for the Asia and Oceania bloc added to the unease: it came from the judges’ table itself rather than the usual onstage reveal, after the tally wasn’t ready in time, as the hosts explained live on the broadcast.
Vegafria’s statement doesn’t address the cheering footage or the judges’-table announcement directly. It closes by expressing hope that identifying the three judges “puts an end to the misunderstanding,” while extending respect to the organizers, the winning queens, and the pageant media present at the event.
The crown itself went to Joheirry Mola of the Dominican Republic, whose winning night is covered in full here. Simpson’s own Miss World 2026 run — from her Top 40 qualification through her Top 12 finish — is covered in full here.
