Who are Omar Harfouch and Claude Makélélé, why have they resigned as Miss Universe judges before pageant?

Omar Harfouch has taken to his Instagram to explain the reason why he decided to resign as a judge from the Miss Universe panel. Omar Harfouch has 1.1 million followers on Instagram and is a Lebanese-French composer and businessman.

Following Omar Harfouch decision to resign, French football manager and former professional player Claude Makélélé has also decided to withdraw from being a judge.

Claude Makélélé shared a statement on his Instagram and wrote: “It is with regret that I must announce that I won’t be able to attend the Miss Universe 2025 event due to unforeseen personal reasons.

“This was a difficult decision, as I hold Miss Universe in the highest regard. The platform represents empowerment, diversity, and excellence — values I have always championed throughout my career.

“I sincerely apologise to the organisation, the contestants, and everyone involved, and I hope to be able to contribute in the future under better circumstances.

“Thank you for your understanding and support.”

In response, one fan wrote: “Yes! 👏🏽 We support your decision, this organization is not what it once was!,” whilst another said: “But what's going on? You were one of those I was waiting to see among the panel. And you were the only black and African too. how sad it is. this contest is already sold out to Latinas/European…”

An hour ago, Omar Harfouch also shared a statement on his Instagram account to tell his fans that he has consulted a top legal firm in New York. Before posting his latest statement, Omar Harfouch posted Instagram stories where he alleged that an "impromptu jury" had pre-selected finalists ahead of the competition.

Carole Trilokekar responded to Omar Harfouch’s latest post and wrote: “I participated this year in Miss Universe Canada, and I know a lot of pain what you see behind the scenes. Your attitude to withdraw and honestly speaking requires courage, integrity and conscience of the few who do it.

“I used to admire your art, but today I have the greatest respect for you after this brave step. All appreciation to you for standing with truth and justice.”

This is not the first time that the Miss Universe pageant has been hit by controversy in recent weeks. Nawat Itsaragrisil, the Miss Universe Thailand director berated Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch for reportedly failing to post promotional content. He subsequently apologised for his actions.

At a press conference, Nawat Itsaragrisil said: "I am human. I didn’t want to do anything like that.”

He also said: "I want to take this opportunity to say something about something that's happened. Because I am a human,"I think you must understand the pressure is a lot, I am a human sometimes. I cannot control. By the way, I have not intend to hurt anyone."