Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico was crowned Miss Universe 2025 Friday.

It's a dramatic victory for a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant in Bangkok who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts.

The first runner-up was 29-year old Praveenar Singh of Thailand and 25-year-old Stephany Adriana Abasali Nasser of Venezuela placed third.

Rounding up the finishers were Ahtisa Manalo, 28, of the Philippines, and 27-year-old Olivia Yacé of Ivory Coast who came fifth.

The contestants were whittled down throughout the final, from over a hundred down to just five finalists. The rounds included a swimwear parade, evening gown parade and then for the last five - two questions each from the panel of judges.

When Bosch was announced as the winner, large cheers and screams erupted from the audience, with Mexico flags waved by elated supporters.

Speaking to the media after the final, the new Miss Universe Bosch said that she would like to be remembered as "a person that changed a little bit the prototype of what is a Miss Universe and a real person that gives the heart."

She also paid tribute to the Miss Universe competition, describing it as "a platform that is strong because they have the space that women are searching to have a voice."

The bad vibes at this year’s event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of the Mexican contestant, Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity and a teary melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.

At the livestreamed sashing ceremony for virtually all 130 contestants on Nov. 4, Thai national director Nawat Itsaragrisil hectored Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines for taking part in local promotional activities. He called security when she spoke up to defend herself.

Bosch walked out of the room, joined by several others in a show of solidarity, including Miss Universe 2024, Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark.

“What your director did is not respectful: he called me dumb,” Bosch told Thai reporters. “If it takes away your dignity, you need to go.”

The Miss Universe Organization president, Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, released a statement condemning Nawat’s conduct as “public aggression” and “serious abuse.”

Even Mexico’s first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, piled on, saying at a news conference in her country’s capital that she wanted to give “recognition” to Miss Mexico for voicing her disagreement in a “dignified” way.

Nawat later made apologized.

But he was all smiles after the final, offering his congratulations to Fernández, pointing out he hadn't been able to speak to her directly since her crowning moment.

Bosch's official Miss Universe biography says she studied fashion in Mexico and Italy and has focused on creating sustainable designs and working with discarded materials. It says she has volunteered with sick children, promoted environmental awareness, and engaged in supported migrants and mental health issues.

Mishaps and controversies are not rare for the pageant. The 2021 event attracted criticism because it was held in Israel, to the dismay of supporters of the Palestinian cause.

An example of a minor misstep — literally — occurred Wednesday when Miss Universe Jamaica, Gabrielle Henry, fell off the stage during the evening gown competition. She was not badly hurt.

AP video shot by Tian Macleod Ji