Was Bryoni Govender discriminated against because she did not win Miss SA.
Images via Facebook: Miss SA Official
‘Odds against her’: Is THIS why Bryoni’s Miss Universe journey ended early?
Was Miss SA runner-up Bryoni Govender discriminated against at Miss Universe? Pageant fans seem to think so…
Was Bryoni Govender discriminated against because she did not win Miss SA.
Images via Facebook: Miss SA Official
While South Africans are proud of Bryoni Govender’s Top 20 placement in Miss Universe, many believe she was given an unequal footing from the get-go.
That’s because the 26-year-old law graduate is NOT the title holder of the Miss SA pageant but the runner-up.
Bryoni was elected to represent the country after winner Natasha Joubert was ruled out after competing before in 2020.
According to the rules, no woman may compete in the pageant more than once.
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DID THIS FACTOR STOP BRYONI FROM WINNING MISS UNIVERSE
Ahead of the Miss Universe finals in El Salvador on Saturday night, Bryoni Govender was named a fan favourite to place in the Top 10.
But that dream shattered when the bronzed beauty bowed out after only making it to the Top 20.
For many, this was due to pageant CEO Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip’s preference for only national title holders to compete at the pageant.
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“I feel like the only reason Bryoni was excluded from that top 10 is because she is a Runner-up”, said one tweep.
Another added: “Don’t send a runner up anymore. That’s the unspoken rule at Miss Universe.”
A third added: “Odds were against Bry to be honest. She did everything right”.
A few days earlier, pageant expert Dani Walker, a former pageant queen, claimed that Bryoni’s non-title would overshadow her at Miss Universe.
ALSO READ: ‘Not the prototype’: Bryoni praised for representation at Miss Universe
She said in a video posted on YouTube: “Beauty is not enough. I just don’t feel like she [Bryoni] has come across with a really strong brand. She’s kind of hidden in the shadows. We’re not hearing as much from her. Unfortunately, because of how the competition worked out
“I feel like that when that happens when you don’t get your big crowning moment in your country. You just don’t get as much press. I feel like that is what happened to her.”
MISS SA CRITICISED FOR SENDING RUNNER-UP
Meanwhile, one tweep criticised the Miss SA pageant organisers for backing Bryoni Govender at Miss Universe, despite knowing the CEO’s stance.
The X user posted: “If you know the owners of this organization don’t like countries sending runner-ups to represent them, why do you continue to do it? Bryoni did her best and I’m proud of her. I’m annoyed at the Miss SA organisation.”
