A glittering night for Belize’s newest Miss Universe titleholder quickly turned into a public relations headache for pageant organizers. Caleigh-Rose West was crowned in San Pedro over the weekend, but her victory has been overshadowed by confusion, criticism, and questions about how the event was managed. First, a mix-up during the announcement of the Top Five finalists left some viewers wondering whether Rose-West was always the intended winner. Then came another blunder: a digital backdrop meant to celebrate Belizean heritage featured Guatemala’s iconic Tikal monument. The mistakes have fueled concerns about quality control, especially under the franchise’s new foreign ownership and with limited preparation time. Tonight, News Five’s Britney Gordon takes a closer look at what went wrong on pageant night.
“The new Miss Universe Belize is 2026 is no other than Caleigh Rose West.”
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Caleigh-Rose West was crowned Miss Universe Belize on Saturday night, but the celebration quickly turned into controversy. Online, viewers questioned whether she was the intended winner after she was first called as the sixth delegate during the Top Five announcement, then brought back into the group because of what organizers described as an error on the announcement sheet. Host Chelsea Munoz, who made the call on stage, explains what happened.
On the Phone: Chelsea Munoz, Co-Host, Miss Universe Belize
“It was the same sheet, the tabulation sheet that was used. It was folded. So it honestly was an honest mistake. It was an honest mistake but the communication part, being on a live TV production is just really hard I believe for the committee members in the moment. Honest mistakes like that happen when we were given results and tabulation scores, we weren’t told that the actual list was on the paper folded inside.”
The mix-up was only one of several missteps that night, including a late start and the use of an image of Tikal, a Mayan landmark located in Guatemala. Susie Sibrian, a member of Caleigh-Rose West’s team, says that shortly after the error, they were informed the pageant would proceed with a Top Six to avoid further confusion.
Susie Sibrian, Delegate Support
“Someone from the organization approached us, came to us, to both Kali and I, and explained. That yes, indeed, there was an error, that there was definitely a top five and not a top six, and that a person was called up by error, but that person was not Callie Rose West. It was another delegate. We will not get into disclosing who that was because this is not about it. So they informed us about that information. And then that was very important for Caleigh to hear because she needed that. She needed to know that she deserved to be in that top five place because she did.”
The pageant’s new foreign ownership also drew criticism. The franchise was sold to an El Salvador-based company in late June, raising concerns about Belize’s role and whether there is enough time to prepare for November. Director Destiny Wagner says the delegates will be properly supported.
Destiny Wagner
Destiny Wagner, National Director, Miss Universe Belize
“Whoever decides to take on this challenge, that why you’re doing to has to be greater than how you’re going to do it. Why you’re doing it, is because of Belize, because you want to put us on the map, because you want to represent us to the best of your ability, showcase our culture. That is your why. How you’re going to do it, in terms of your preparation and training matters but that why is what is going to give you the drive. And I also want to point out that when I won Miss Earth, I only had two weeks to prepare. So if you want it and you’re hungry for it. It doesn’t matter if you have one day or five, what’s meant for you is gonna be meant for you.”
Munoz acknowledges a lack of clear communication during the event; however, she maintains that the attention should remain on the winner and encourages all Belizeans as she prepares to represent Belize on the international stage.
Chelsea Munoz
“To put on a show of this magnitude, it taes a lot of work. It takes a lot of preparation and I do believe they did the best they could with the limited time they had. Can things go smoothly? Like a little bit better? Yes, they could have gone a lot better. Was there time for preparation when it comes to MC, the script that was given to us. Things could have gone smoothly but they’re just learning lessons.”
We reached out to National Director Destiny Wagner for a comment; however, she has not responded at this time. Isani Cayetano for News Five.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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