June 1, 200421 yr A JUDGE in the Miss Universe pageant selected because of his role in Donald Trump's US television reality show The Apprentice has been sacked from the competition panel. Kwame Jackson, a contestant for the reality show's April 15 final prize - a year-long, US$250,000 ($350,000) job with the billionaire developer - was disqualified by pageant organizers for waving at beauty queens he bumped into in their hotel lobby. "Kwame is intelligent, charming and we were really looking forward to him judging on our panel," pageant president Paula Shugart said in a statement. "But his interaction with the delegates, albeit unintentional, is strictly prohibited." The pageant statement quoted Jackson saying he was "disappointed and disheartened" and "honestly had no idea that (the hotel) was off limits." "I was meeting up with some friends who had flown in to support me, when I was recognized by some of the delegates," the 29-year-old New Yorker and Harvard University graduate said. "As a natural human response, I extended my hand to greet them." The sacking came just hours before the final kicks off in Quito, Ecuador. Shugart said the pageant has offered Jackson a spot on next year's panel of judges. His replacement for Tuesday night's Miss Universe final was not immediately named. The Miss Universe competition, co-owned by Trump and US television company NBC, draws women from more than 80 nations worldwide and has been around for 53 years. NBC also airs The Apprentice.
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