Former Miss Hong Kong first runner-up Angela Stanton has been caught up in controversy after a Shenzhen-based makeup company claimed it provided backstage makeup services for her at the 2026 Miss Hong Kong final.
Stanton attended the pageant as a guest presenter and presented the first runner-up award to contestant No. 8 Ada Tang.
The mainland company posted on Chinese social media that it had provided makeup services for Stanton at the event, describing the experience as “working behind the scenes”.
The company also shared videos of Stanton getting her makeup done and other celebrities preparing for the final. Stanton thanked the company in a comment, saying it had helped “bring a perfect ending” to her Miss Hong Kong experience.
In replies to users, the company claimed it had been “hired separately.”
According to media reports, the company charges between 2,500 yuan and 26,880 yuan for makeup services in Hong Kong and said having a visa was preferable when working in the city.
The company also reportedly asked clients to help carry luggage through customs, prompting questions over whether mainland makeup artists were working illegally in Hong Kong.
In response, TVB said the makeup artist was a longtime friend of Stanton who accompanied her to the event and helped with her makeup as a favor. The broadcaster said there was no payment or commercial hiring involved.
The Immigration Department, however, said visitors are not allowed to take up employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establish or join a business in Hong Kong without prior approval from the Director of Immigration.
Those convicted can face a maximum fine of HK$50,000 and two years in prison, the department said, adding that it would take enforcement action against reports of illegal workers.
TVB faced a similar controversy last January after a mainland influencer claimed on social media that she had worked as a one-day extra on Come Home Love: Lo and Behold at TVB City in Tseung Kwan O.
She shared behind-the-scenes footage and said she was paid HK$380 for the day, prompting questions over whether she had been legally allowed to work in Hong Kong.
TVB said at the time that all external personnel were hired through professional temporary actor agencies in accordance with regulations, and that all actors involved held a Hong Kong identity card or valid work permit.
