Victoria Kjaer Theilvig of Denmark won Miss Universe 2024 last night, making history as the first Danish winner of the competition.

However, angry beauty pageant fans flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, accusing Miss Thailand Suchata Chuangsri of stealing her victory at the 73rd Miss Universe final in Mexico City on Saturday evening.

The 21-year-old Phuket native, who studies international relations at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Political Science, wowed the audience with her responses during the question round.

When asked what attributes a really successful leader must have, Suchata, the third runner-up, replied, ‘Empathy, because no matter how excellent you are, no matter what sort of education you have, in the end, you need empathy to care about your people.’

After Miss Denmark won the crown, people took to social media to declare, “Miss Thailand was robbed,” with one person saying, “Her responses to both questions were on point and struck the spot!”

Another remarked, ‘Miss Thailand was robbed. I completely agree with you on that one. Omnye loo hayi chaaa bandla—the pity party did not work for her this time.

Someone else commented, ‘Miss Thailand was snatched from the crown.’ Someone else made the comment, ‘Miss Thailand suffered a robbery; the best response was the first one.’

Another individual said, ‘Miss Nigeria and Miss Thailand were robbed.’

Suchata decided to compete in beauty pageants to raise awareness about breast cancer after undergoing surgery to remove a 10 cm breast tumor at the age of 16.

The beauty, who speaks Thai, English, and Chinese, was born on September 20, 2003. Her family owns a hotel on the southernmost island province.

Prior to competing in the 2021 Miss Rattanakosin contest, Suchata worked as a model. She was the youngest contender in Miss Universe Thailand 2022, finishing third runner-up with a special award, Miss Natural Beauty.

Miss Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, a fan favorite, became the first Nigerian to place first runner-up in the Miss Universe competition.

The beauty’s route to Miss Universe has not been without controversy; she previously competed in the Miss South Africa pageant but withdrew due to criticism of her nationality and charges from South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs over her mother’s paperwork.

Later, Miss Universe Nigeria invited her to compete, and she defeated 24 other contestants.

Chidimma was asked during the question round, ‘Which is more essential—being liked or respected, and why?’

She responded: “We live in a society where we often don’t feel respected because of who we are, and I believe that when you respect yourself, you respect those around you,” the beauty queen stated.

Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark became the 2024 Miss Universe, making history.

The stunning competitive dancer and aspiring lawyer outperformed more than 120 other candidates before accepting the tiara from reigning titleholder Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua.

The 21-year-old commanded attention in a floor-length, pink, shimmering strapless gown that accentuated her curves. Exquisite sequins adorned the sparkling costume throughout, complemented by beaded off-shoulder details.

As American announcer Mario Lopez and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo called Victoria’s name, she burst into tears.

After narrowing down the contenders to a shortlist of 30, the pageant asked five of them questions on a range of topics, including leadership and resilience.

When asked how she would live differently if no one judged her, Victoria said that she would not alter anything, adding, ‘I live by myself each day.’

When challenged by the judging panel, the Danish beauty advised fans to “keep battling,” no matter where they came from.

‘I stand here today because I want a change; I want to make history, and that’s what I’m doing tonight,’ she stated.

Victoria dressed up as a Viking goddess for the preliminary national costume round, wearing glittering clothes that represented what each participant loved about their home countries.

On Instagram, she said, “This costume tells the story of those remarkable figures—women who navigated the seas, led their clans, and celebrated the beauty of life through their courage.”

Mexico’s María Fernanda Beltrán was the first runner-up, followed by Nigeria’s Cnidimma Adetshina in second place. Contestants from Thailand, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Russia, Chile, Canada, and Peru also made the top 12.

The pageant this year aims to be more inclusive, welcoming married women and mothers for the first time, including Miss Universe UAE Emilia Dobreva.

Meanwhile, age and body type were no longer restrictions; last year’s final 20 featured Jane Dipika Garrett, the first plus-size competitor to win the Miss Universe Nepal crown.