After slamming Nikki de Moura, Miss Grand International founder Nawat Itsaragrisil criticizes another Filipina beauty queen: Miss Universe Philippines 2014 MJ Lastimosa.
In a now-viral clip from a recent TikTok live session, Nawat slammed MJ for criticizing the Miss Grand International pageant.
“Don’t come to Miss Grand anymore. Okay? We don’t know each other from now,” Nawat said. “We don’t know each other from now.
“I don’t want to meet the people like you. It’s below standard. It’s not sincere.”
What happened?
While Nawat did not specifically mention where MJ criticized the Thai-based pageant, Filipino pageant enthusiasts noted that the response may have stemmed from the Filipina beauty queen’s interview with transgender beauty queen Maki Gingoyon on her YouTube vlog.
In the interview, MJ asked Maki: “What’s the worst pageant in the Philippines.”
“Miss Grand,” Maki responded.
MJ further asked: “Ano, Philippines or International?” To this, Maki quipped, “Philippines. And International.”
MJ also asked Maki: “Bilang isang pageant enthusiast yourself, agree ka ba na dapat nang i-boycott ang mga international pageants na wala pang nananalong Pinay?Maki answered: “Yes. Big yes. Primarily because a lot of candidates are doing so much to get that crown… And the same thing with the organizers as well.”
“However, if we keep on pushing through and our efforts are not being seen, why do we have to pish through? So i-boboycott na lang natin. Let’s try to focus on organizations that are more than willing to see our efforts.”
Miss Grand International was founded by Nawat, a Thai television host and producer in 2013. The Philippines has been sending delegates to the pageant since its inception. In 2015, Binibining Pilipinas got the local franchise for the Miss Grand International crown and sent Binibining Pilipinas Tourism 2014 titleholder Parul Shah as a delegate.
In 2023, ALV Pageant Circle acquired the franchise for the pageant and held the local stand-alone Miss Grand Philippines competition — with model Nikki emerging as the winner.
Nikki ended her Miss Grand International 2023 journey unplaced, disappointing fans who thought her failure to enter the pageant’s semifinals is unjustified.
The Philippines has yet to win a Miss Grand International title, with Samantha Bernardo and Nicole Cordoves emerging as runners-up in 2021 and 2016, respectively.
Because of this, local fans have been calling pageant organizers to boycott Miss Grand International.
‘I don’t want to meet the people like you’
It seems the interview displeased Nawat, who said he had a good relationship with MJ up until the latest Miss Grand International pageant in Vietnam.
Nawat said he was “really friendly” with MJ, who in turned said “Miss Grand s number one and the huge production.”
He also said: “Even this year in Vietnam, she come to Ho Chi Minh, she came to Ho Chi Minh, she came to watch Miss Grand. Before she leave from the hotel Rex Hotel at the lobby. I meet her at the lobby before she leave.”
Mare @MJ_Lastimosa inelbow kana ni nawat. HAHAHA pic.twitter.com/oV7cZTdLcR
— ꜱᴇᴠᴇɴ 🌸 (@Sevenpeters) November 1, 2023
“A couple day after coronation night, we say, ‘Oh, I love you. I like Miss Grand. Miss Grand is okay, number one.'”
Nawat also noted that he was “sincere” in his friendly relationship with MJ.
“And after that, what you say, what is your question? What is your laughing? What is your joking?: Nawat said, perhaps in reference to his interview with Maki.
“If it true, I don’t. It’s not true. I got the prize. I got best beauty pageant of the year. I have a good production. But you do that like this. I think we are no more, any more relationship in between MJ and our organization and myself,” he added.
Nawat said he does not want to meet people like MJ.
This comes after a clip of Nawat criticizing Nikki for allegedly being unprofessional turned viral earlier this week.
