The pageant was ‘secretly’ held at Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) campus in Paraquita Bay. The media was not informed of the event.

Three contestants vied for the crown and it was Miss Xaria Penn, centre, who came out the winner. The other contestants were Lia Claxton, right, and Kasaddi Chalwell.

Xaria Penn is Miss Universe BVI

Three contestants vied for the crown and it was Miss Xaria Penn who came out the winner.

In a social media post, the organisors said Xaria Penn was crowned Miss Universe British Virgin Islands 2021 and is poised to represent the Virgin Islands at Miss Universe.

It said Xaria won Best Swimwear, Best Evening Wear and Best Interview.

The other contestants were Lia and Kasaddi Chalwell.

With former Chairperson of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&FC) Alicia Hamm refusing to give up the Miss Universe Pageant franchise and denying the Miss BVI Queen the opportunity to represent the VI at Miss Universe as has been the tradition, Hamm staged her own pageant last night, September 25, 2021.

Controversy

There has been controversy surrounding the Miss Universe franchise.

According to reports reaching our newsroom, Miss Hamm was removed as Chairperson of Miss BVI Pageant Committee; however, she did not relinquish the franchise for Miss Universe BVI.

This was confirmed by former Director of Culture Luce D. Hodge-Smith, who spoke to JTV News in her personal capacity on September 25, 2021.

Hodge-Smith said Hamm actually decided on her own that she was going to proceed with being the franchise holder and that would have begun this year when she selected miss Sabree Frett to represent the Territory at Miss Universe some months ago.

She explained that the person representing the Festival and Fairs Committee on the Miss BVI Pageant Committee usually leave everything, including the Miss Universe Pageant franchise when they exit the committee and this has been done in the past with all the former pageant committee chairpersons.

“When they left they turned over everything.”

Hodge-Smith said when the former Chairperson had left Ms Hamm took over the Miss Universe franchise and added that even though the agreement with Miss Universe would not be in the VIF&FC’s name, “it is understood, it is agreed and it has happened over the years, it is traditional, that the Festival Committee would organize the pageant and it has always been the prize or given that Miss BVI would represent the territory at Miss Universe and it has happened over the years.”

Due to the actions of Miss Hamm, the Miss BVI Pageant Queen who will be crowned on October 17, 2021, will not be heading to Miss Universe as has been the tradition for years.