Tuiketei stresses Miss Fiji Pageant does not tolerate bullying

Miss Pacific Islands Pageant Director, Ana Tuiketei has stressed that the Miss Fiji Pageant does not tolerate bullying.

Tuiketei stated this in response to allegations made by Miss Fiji, Dr Peggy Ravusiro, that she was bullied, racially profiled, as well as body-shamed by the Pageant Committee.

Tuiketei says taking part in a pageant requires physical and mental fortitude.

She says they welcome official complaints from Dr Peggy and her team.

She adds that the Committee is yet to receive any complaint on racial remarks, and body shaming issues.

The Pageant Director says Dr. Peggy qualified to represent Fiji when she entered the Miss Fiji pageant, as contestants had to be a Fijian citizen.

Insert: Tuiketei inclusivity Jan 14

She also wants to clarify that Dr Peggy won on merit, after an independent judging committee picked her and they were hoping that they would have her.

But Tuiketei says there is a contract that they need to enter, and they were looking out for the best interest of Fiji, and she also has a right not to enter that contract.

She says once Dr. Peggy disclosed that to the lawyers, they respected that, and she was informed that the same contract with the same terms up to the 15th of February, 2026, was being given to the first runner-up Ailava Samuels.