Miss Hong Kong unveils final 12 as early favorite withdraws

The 12 finalists of the Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2026 made their first official appearance before the media on Wednesday (Jun 17) at TVB City in Tseung Kwan O, with one early favorite notably absent after withdrawing from the competition.

The contestant, who had attracted attention during earlier makeover sessions and was widely regarded as a frontrunner, was replaced by Cecilia Chan, the third runner-up of the 2025 Miss Chinese Toronto Pageant, who was drafted into the final 12 at short notice.

TVB Assistant General Manager (Talent Management and Development) Virginia Lok Yee-ling said organizers had initially shortlisted 16 contestants before selecting the final 12. She said the withdrawn contestant had participated in training activities over the past two days but later informed organizers that family commitments would prevent her from joining the pageant’s intensive training camp.

Lok described her as a promising contestant and said organizers respected her decision to withdraw, adding that she would be welcome to return next year.

Lok also disclosed that another contestant, Shania Fu, withdrew from the competition due to academic commitments, as she was unable to miss compulsory university classes required for graduation.

The 12 finalists are: No. 1 Bernice, No. 2 Scarlett, No. 3 Chorie, No. 4 Tiffany, No. 5 Etherine, No. 6 Jasmine, No. 7 Vera, No. 8 Ada, No. 9 Gracia, No. 10 Cecilia, No. 11 Agnes and No. 12 Caris.

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The finalists took part in a catwalk presentation during the event, with several admitting they were nervous about their public debut. No. 9 Gracia briefly stumbled on stage but quickly recovered.

No. 12 Cecilia said she was surprised to learn she had secured a place in the competition after initially believing she had been eliminated. She said organizers were unable to reach her on her Hong Kong number and eventually contacted her through her Canadian line.

She said she was delighted by the unexpected opportunity and would work to catch up with the rest of the contestants after joining at short notice.

Several contestants, including No. 1 Bernice, No. 2 Scarlett and No. 8 Ada, said they were anxious but excited about their first media appearance.

Bernice, who recently placed third in a pageant in Malaysia, said she was inspired to join Miss Hong Kong after seeing the call for entries abroad and hoped to compete for the crown. Scarlett said she hoped the public would see her improvement, while Ada said she would work on improving her physique during the competition.

Other contestants, including Gracia and No. 5 Etherine, addressed their nervousness on stage and Cantonese proficiency, saying they had been working with coaches to improve pronunciation and confidence.

Despite a minor stumble during the catwalk, Gracia said she was not overly affected, while Etherine acknowledged feeling tired after returning from the United Kingdom shortly before the competition but said she remained confident in her physical condition.

Organizers said this year’s pageant will feature expanded live-streaming elements, including swimsuit interviews, talent showcases and overseas filming segments, aimed at giving audiences greater access to contestants throughout the competition. TVB executives also indicated plans to enhance audience engagement through live voting and interactive broadcasts ahead of the final.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓