Omar Harfouch sparks outrage after repeatedly giving Miss Laos a ‘1’ in MGI All Star judging

Pageant fans react as the Lebanese-French judge’s low scores go viral, prompting debate over fairness and criteria in Miss Grand International All Stars.

Lebanese-French musician Omar Harfouch once again created a buzz on social media because of his fierce verdict as one of the judges of the inaugural edition of Miss Grand International All Stars.

The discussion erupted after the release of his preliminary live scores for some of the candidates during the first round of preliminaries, which included the evening gown competition and the much-talked-about “bare face” challenge, where candidates appeared on stage without makeup.

Pageant fans also noticed that Harfouch seemed unimpressed with several candidates, as he was seen giving a score of 1, with 10 being the highest. 

Among them was Laos candidate Minnie Miranda Aengmany, a former Miss International Queen 2022 finalist, who received a consistent score of 1 from Omar in both the evening gown and bare face rounds.

As criticism over his judging style surfaced online, Harfouch released a statement on Instagram explaining his side. “I understand the public’s frustration with the scores I gave today. However, for me, judging is not just about tonight. This is a preselection process that continues tomorrow and on the 30th,” he explained.

Meanwhile, the five Filipina candidates received fair scores from Harfouch. 

Representing the Philippines are Miss Universe Philippines 2019 Gazini Ganados, former Miss Philippines Earth Imelda Schweighart, Miss International Queen 2022 Fuschia Anne Ravena, Manila-based Brazilian beauty queen Alexia Nuñez, and Universal Woman Arabia 2025 Keylyn Trajano.

The second part of the preliminaries will take place today, May 28, where the candidates will compete in the swimsuit and runway challenges.

The Miss Grand International All Stars coronation night will be held on May 30 in Thailand.