Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Phillips ‘entitled to do whatever she pleases’ — Hamm on former Miss BVI vying for USVI crown

Chairperson of Miss British Virgin Islands Pageant Alicia Hamm appears to be unbothered that former Miss BVI A’yana Keshelle Phillips is now contending for the Miss World US Virgin Islands crown.

When BVI News sought her feedback on Thursday, Hamm said: “That has nothing to do with me. Miss Phillips is entitled to do whatever it is she chooses to. If she has multiple nationalities, that’s on her.”

I’m not into the nitty-gritty

In the meantime, Chair of the Virgin Islands Festival & Fairs Committee, Carnel Clyne who was also invited to comment, said he was not involved in the fine details of pageantry.

He said: “I’ll be honest with you, this is how it works: Festival & Fairs Committee puts on the Miss BVI Show every year. Once that queen is crowned, it is kind of out of our hands. I don’t get involved in the nitty-gritty as to what is going on with the queens after they are crowned.”

“I’m just happy that Miss BVI 2019 is out of the way. We gave them their prizes, and I am just trying to get ready for 2020,” Clyne further said.

He said the committee is already seeking young ladies to contend for the next show.

But while commenting in Phillip’s specific circumstances, Clyne said: “What I think happened in her case — just like the cases of many other BV Islanders and in my case as well — she was maybe born in St Thomas [in the USV] but grew up in Tortola. But, my whole thing is you should be from here if you are going to compete in the Miss BVI pageant. I am pretty sure they submit passports, birth paper with the application.”

Phillips will be one of two contestants contending for the Crown in St Croix’s Island Center on Sunday, October 6. Her vying in that pageant comes just one year after serving as Miss BVI 2018.

If successful in her campaign to become Miss USVI, Phillips will go up against Rikkiya Brathwaite in the international Miss World competition later this year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
×