Confusion Over the Status of Mr Gay World Contest

There’s confusion on social media about the status of the longstanding Mr Gay World event after a series of seemingly conflicting posts.

On Tuesday, the South African-based Mr Gay World (Pty) Ltd, which previously oversaw the event, issued a short statement announcing the “formal notice of the dissolution of Mr Gay World® and all associated companies.”

It added: “We deeply appreciate the support of our community and remain committed to the values and ethics that Mr Gay World® once represented.”

Hours later, a message was posted on the Mr Gay World Facebook page in apparent response to the statement: “The Mr. Gay World Organization acknowledges the recent announcement from Mr Gay World (Pty) Ltd regarding its formal dissolution.”

“We reiterate that this entity and its associated individuals have had no connection to the new Mr. Gay World Organization since our leadership transition.”

This follows a change of ownership of Mr Gay World after the August 2024 Mr Gay World event in the UK.

Leadership Changes

In September 2024, reports surfaced that Wayne Renzo II, Director of Mr Gay World Philippines, had taken over the Mr Gay World organisation, including its Facebook page with more than 55,000 followers.

In November, Renzo posted on the Facebook page that the organisation distanced itself from the South African owners of Mr Gay World (Pty) Ltd, Johann van Niekerk and John-Louis O’Neil, asserting that the organisation was under new management.

Mr Gay World (Pty) Ltd soon after took Meta to the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg in a bid to regain control of their Facebook page. The matter was, however, struck off the roll as not being urgent.

South African Affiliation

Renzo on Wednesday also announced that “Mr Gay World is proud to welcome Mr Gay World South Africa as the newest addition to our global family” which he said will be “under fresh leadership”. It is, as yet, unclear who is planning to host the local event.

Mr Gay World (Pty) Ltd declined to comment further on the matter when approached by MambaOnline.

According to their statement, “Our priority is now to recover outstanding dues for the benefit of our shareholders and suppliers.”

Mr Gay World was founded in 2009 as a contest aimed at promoting a positive image of gay men and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. Countries with franchise rights typically host local events to select a national representative, who then competes in the annual international event.

The global event was held in South Africa several times with three South Africans who took the international title. The current Mr Gay World is Paul Carruthers, a father of two from Great Britain.