Donyelle Hodge Reflects on Miss BVI Reign
Donyelle D. Hodge, appointed Miss BVI 2025 after low registration forced organisers to name a titleholder, described her year as "special" during an appearance on Crown and Conversations in early June 2026, and joined the three women vying for Miss BVI 2026. New reporting from Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) adds that contestant Asha A.S. Hyndman said she was "saddened" by the small turnout and reminded young women of the scholarships, transportation and ambassadorial opportunities the pageant offers; the August 2, 2026 contest will go ahead with just three entrants after last year’s cancellation when only two applications were received.
Hodge, who finished first runner-up in the 2024 Miss BVI pageant, has been reflecting on her time as Miss British Virgin Islands after organisers coronated her Miss BVI 2025 following a year of low contestant registration. The executive decision to appoint Hodge came when registration numbers were insufficient to hold a competitive contest, and her visible support for the programme has been part of organisers' efforts to keep the event strong despite participation challenges.
Hodge returned to the spotlight on the Crown and Conversations programme, appearing on June 5, 2026 alongside the three young women who will compete for the Miss BVI 2026 crown on August 2. Ward, Hodge called her reign "special," saying she had many opportunities to "be in so many rooms" and to share what life with the crown is like.
She described herself as "a socially anxious social butterfly" and said part of her journey involved confronting expectations and pushing beyond her comfort zone. Hodge highlighted tangible benefits of the title, including ambassadorial duties, scholarship opportunities and increased exposure — all reasons she urged young women to view the pageant as a platform for personal growth and public service.
Her comments, and her support for the current contestants, were reported by Virgin Islands News Online (VINO). VINO also reported on a Crown and Conversations segment on June 4, 2026 in which contestant Asha A.S. Hyndman — a former Miss Teen BVI and Miss University of the Virgin Islands, and first runner-up at the Haynes Smith Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant in December 2024 — expressed disappointment at the small field. "It would mean the world to me to be crowned the next Miss British Virgin Islands, and I’m quite saddened that many more young women in our territory didn’t come out and take the leap of faith," Hyndman said, noting that despite the lucrative prizes, only three contestants will compete this August.
VINO reminded readers that the pageant was cancelled last year after only two applications were received. Hyndman urged other young women to pursue the opportunities the pageant can bring — scholarships, transportation and ambassadorial roles — saying, "It is something coming from a small territory; you should be running towards these things." Fellow contestants Angelique Lettsome and Kala Penn also spoke about the low turnout and their preparation.
Lettsome said she would have loved to see "ten different young women" competing but recognised fear can hold people back; she asked the public to continue supporting the contestants and to "remember that we are human beings. We do have feelings." Penn encouraged others to "do it scared," saying stepping into unknown challenges helps you discover who you are.
As attention turns to the August 2, 2026 contest, Hodge’s reflections and the contestants’ candid comments serve as both a recap of the recent year and a call to the next generation of applicants to embrace the opportunities the Miss BVI title can provide. The interviews and reporting cited here were published by Virgin Islands News Online.
Primary source: VINO