Miss World 2000 was rigged in favour of Priyanka, alleges co-competitor

After two decade, former Miss Barbados 2000  Leilani McConney has alleged that  Miss World pageant of 2000 was rigged and Leilani detailed all the ways that Priyanka Chopra was ‘favoured' at the pageant and  was declared winner. Leilani said that she was reminded of what happened with her when she read about similar allegations being made about the Miss USA 2022 pageant.  Contestants at the recent Miss USA pageant alleged that there was a conflict of interest between the show’s sponsor and the eventual winner, Miss Texas R’Bonney Gabriel. Contestants claimed that the same sponsor was also involved with the Miss Texas pageant, and was noticed to be supporting Miss Texas from the sidelines. Further suspicions arose when photos of the winner were shared on social media the very next day, but seemed like they’d been shot weeks before the pageant, in anticipation of her win. I literally went through the same thing at Miss World. Me, I went through that,Leilani said in a video posted on her YouTube channel. She said that Miss World 1999 was from India, Miss World 2000 was also from India and it all happened when India's Zee TV was one of the sponsors of the show in those years.

She also mentioned that while a contestant cannot be blamed for getting special treatment, she also personally found Priyanka ‘unlikeable’. “My only problem with Priyanka is that getting to know her in the pageant, she was just unlikeable. And she is Meghan Markle best friend so go figure," she said.Citing other examples, Leilani said, “Priyanka Chopra didn’t even go to rehearsals, and she didn’t go to morning meals. It was brought to her in her bed… Priyanka Chopra had absolute press calls by herself, that nobody else went to… Nobody else in the Asian region, nobody else was ever called for these press calls… During the contest, before she won, she had these pictures of her walking on the beach. Meanwhile, we’re all grouped together in this sand pit… The designer who designed her gown, also designed all of our gowns. Our gowns were basically mini bride gowns of her gown. And the gowns fit like crap, by the way. Her gown was immaculate.”