Miss Universe Bahamas 2023 Melissa Ingraham, through her official social media, announced her resignation from the Miss Universe Bahamas 2023 title. Melissa quoted that she took the decision due to disappointing experiences and less than adequate support received during her reign.

Melissa took to her official social media as she wrote, “The support I expected, as outlined in my contractual agreement, in terms of training, wardrobe, event management, amongst other things, wasn’t provided, leading to an incredibly stressful time and many missed opportunities that unfortunately, took a lot of joy away from my once in a life time experience to represent my country on the global stage.”

With all the fundamental issues like wardrobe including an evening gown not being provided prior to her arrival in El Salvador, Melissa found herself primarily responsible for coordinating most of her public appearances and managing both hers and the Miss Bahamas Universe social media pages. She also reported that her issues were not taken seriously by the organization.

Melissa is grateful to have had the honor of representing her country at Miss Universe platform. However, she has now decided to redirect her focus toward her career, specifically in advocating for Climate Change—a cause close to her heart and one she aims to champion.

“Looking ahead, I hope for improvements in the pageantry scene in The Bahamas. I aspire for future queens to receive comprehensive training, adequate support, and the necessary resources to excel in their roles, fostering a more positive and empowering environment within the pageant community”, she wrote.

Miss Bahamas Universe organization, in turn, appointed Taja Hudson 1st Runner-up as the new Miss Universe Bahamas 2023 and will crown the new representative of Bahamas at 2024 Miss Bahamas Universe at the end of the event finale.