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Former Miss World Yukta Mookhey has stirred buzz with her frank remarks about fellow Miss World winner Priyanka Chopra. In a new interview, Yukta claimed Priyanka sought her advice before winning the title in 2000, but added that there’s “nothing” she appreciates about the global superstar.

Speaking with Filmymantra Media, Yukta Mookhey didn’t hold back when asked if there was any trait in Priyanka Chopra she admired. “Nothing,” she said without hesitation. As the interviewer expressed surprise, Yukta continued, “No (smiles). Because she is junior to me. She was the one taking advice from me. Because she was in the following year after me.”

According to Yukta, even Priyanka’s parents reached out to hers during the preparation phase. “I personally feel that there were things that I guided her for, and her parents were sort of wanting to talk to my parents,” she said. However, Yukta stopped short of further elaboration, saying, “I don’t think she is the right person for you to ask me at this moment.”

Not All Queens Compete: Praise for Juhi Chawla

While she offered no praise for Priyanka, Yukta recalled a more supportive interaction with actor Juhi Chawla. “I remember Juhi Chawla spoke to me after I won and came back and she spoke to me very kindly. She said you are so beautiful and so tall, you carry yourself so well, think about going international,” she recalled.

She added, “So those are the kind of people I am talking about, who don’t look at you as competition. They don’t look at you as a threat. They look at you as someone who is a junior, or like ‘I might be able to teach them something’, and that requires a lot of greatness.”

Did Priyanka See Yukta as a Threat?

Yukta’s comments have sparked speculation about behind-the-scenes rivalry. Her tone and emphasis on how some people “look at you as competition” subtly imply that she didn’t feel the same warmth from Priyanka as she did from others in the industry.

While Priyanka Chopra continues to dominate international screens, Yukta’s candid take provides a rare peek into the competitive nature of the pageant world—where admiration, mentorship, and rivalry can all exist side by side.