--- title: "Miss Universe S’pore 2025 queen ‘saddened’ after being left out of 2026 crowning ceremony: ‘I watched that chapter close without me’" url: "/trending-now/miss-universe-spore-2025-queen-saddened-after-being-left-out-2026-crowning-ceremony-i-watched" published: "2026-10-17T05:54:41.000Z" updated: "2026-10-17T07:46:31.000Z" section: "Trending Now" authors: ["Ethel Tseng"] tags: ["Miss Universe Singapore","beauty queen","pageant","crown","ceremony","TNP News"] --- # Miss Universe S’pore 2025 queen ‘saddened’ after being left out of 2026 crowning ceremony: ‘I watched that chapter close without me’ *Annika Xue Sager, who was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2025, has spoken out after she was not invited to the 2026 crowning ceremony, stressing that honoring the outgoing queen was a fundamental tradition.* Annika Xue Sager, who was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2025, has spoken out after she was not invited to the Miss Universe Singapore 2026 crowning ceremony, stressing that honouring the outgoing queen was a fundamental tradition. HyperLive Entertainment, the organisers of this year’s competition, told Stomp that they took over the franchise under a new national agreement and had a month to pull the event together. Inviting Sager would have required additional discussions with her management, they said. The 26-year-old fitness instructor and model was crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2025 on Oct 5, 2025, and went on to represent Singapore at the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, Thailand. On Oct 14, Sager shared in an Instagram post that she was not invited to the Miss Universe Singapore 2026 crowning ceremony, which was held the day before. “Yesterday should’ve been the day that I passed on my crown at the Miss Universe Singapore finals. Instead, I watched that chapter close without me,” she says. She adds that this “saddened” her, although she wished the newly crowned queen well. “I never got the chance to stand on that stage one final time and officially pass on my crown,” she explains, highlighting the work, commitments, and sacrifices that went into representing Singapore on an international stage in the past year. > I never imagined that I wouldn’t even get the chance to say goodbye properly or express my sincere gratitude for this. While acknowledging that different organisations might operate differently, Sager stresses that “honouring the outgoing queen is a fundamental tradition”. She also addressed promotional posters posted on the official Miss Universe Singapore 2026 Instagram account in August and September, which appeared to feature AI-generated images. Sager adds that any concerns about image rights could have been discussed. ![miss universe singapore 2025 not invited to crowning ceremony 2026](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/e4ae5a7579872ec9ede5ec9b9521b9572ccedaaaa2e1ee08990454241731a905) She emphasised that her disappointment was not directed at the new queen and expressed gratitude for the opportunities she was given throughout the year. In an interview with 8days, she added that she had even prepared her speech, walk, and dress months in advance for the crowning ceremony. ## Absence not meant to diminish her achievements: Director In response to Stomp’s queries, Sean Wong, national director of Miss Universe Singapore, said that his team took over the competition under a new national franchise agreement. Since Sager was crowned under the previous franchise holder and is represented by existing management, her participation would have required separate discussions with her management. “With only one month to assemble our team and organise the competition, we were unable to undertake the separate discussions and coordination required for Annika’s participation,” Wong said. He added that her absence was not intended to diminish her contribution in representing Singapore. Addressing the promotional posters, Wong said the team did not have permission to use images of titleholders crowned under the previous franchise holder. It therefore used AI-generated images to promote the competition, he explained. “We thank Annika for raising this matter and giving us the opportunity to explain the circumstances,” he added. ## Disappointed over lack of communciation Speaking to Stomp, Sager said she understood that there may have been limitations under the new franchise agreement, but expressed disappointment over the lack of communication. “Even a brief message explaining the circumstances would have meant a lot,” she said. Sager added that she had considered reaching out to the new organisers, but felt it was “their responsiblity to communicate with (her) regarding (her) involvement as the outgoing queen.” “I didn’t want to assume I was entitled to an invitation, but I also didn’t expect there to be complete silence,” she said. While the competition had a short timeline, she stressed that her agency was prompt in responding, and there would have been an opportunity to initiate a discussion. “Even if arrangements for my final walk and passing on the crown weren’t possible, I could still have been invited to attend the event as a guest,” she added.