Hamilton educator Litara Loma Leilani Ieremia-Allan has been named the new Miss Pacific Islands, extending Sāmoa’s winning streak in the prestigious regional pageant.
The 24-year-old Sāmoan beauty queen outshone seven other contestants from American Sāmoa, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Tonga to claim the title.
Ieremia-Allan is the 11th Sāmoan woman to win the Miss Pacific Islands pageant since it began 36 years ago, taking over from last year’s winner, Moemoana Safa’atoa Schwenke, who is also from Sāmoa. The crowning event, held in Honiara on Saturday, attracted a large crowd eager to celebrate the grand finale of a weeklong festival.
However, the night was not without controversy, as several mishaps during the ceremony frustrated pageant fans.
One of the main issues was the delayed announcement of the Miss Tourism winner, which eventually went to Miss American Sāmoa, Pauliana Felise-Vitale. During the live broadcast, the host and Master of Ceremonies (MC) caused further confusion by interrupting the announcement of the first runner-up and overall winner to name Felise-Vitale as Miss Tourism.
The situation worsened when the MC forgot to declare the first runner-up before moving on to the overall winner. Audience members quickly pointed out the mistake, leading to the overdue announcement of Miss Tonga, Racheal Guttenbeil, as the first runner-up.
The lengthy six-hour ceremony wrapped up at midnight, with many viewers venting their frustrations on social media.
Despite the disorganization, the night belonged to Ieremia-Allan, who not only won the Miss Pacific Islands title but also took home awards for Best Interview and Miss Photogenic. Along with her crown, she received a prize of US$5000 (NZ$8833.92), which was presented to her by the outgoing Miss Pacific Islands, Schwenke.
After her victory, Ieremia-Allan shared her gratitude, calling the experience surreal. She also praised her fellow contestants for their dedication throughout the competition in Honiara.
Her father hails from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and Raasay, Scotland, while her mother has roots in several villages across Sāmoa, including Sapapalii, Fusi Safotulafai, Saoluafata, Lalomanu, Matautu Falealili, Vaie’e, and Sinamoga.
A former head girl at Hamilton Girls’ High School, Ieremia-Allan holds a Bachelor of Pacific Studies and has taught English and Pacific Literature at Manurewa High School in Auckland.
Other winners from the competition included:
