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Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse has been removed from her title following a review of information that recently came to light, pageant organisers announced. A Blaize Productions, which runs the state pageant, said it had made the decision to end Boltinhouse’s reign after examining the circumstances. The organisers did not disclose the nature of the information that prompted the review. Miss USA organisation president Thom Brodeur said the organisation does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia or language that degrades or strips people of their dignity. Brodeur said the issue was not linked to a single incident. According to him, the information presented to the organisation pointed to conduct that had allegedly occurred over an extended period. He said Boltinhouse had apologised and was expected to issue a statement addressing the matter. She has not publicly provided details about the circumstances leading to her removal. Boltinhouse, 27, won the Miss North Carolina USA title in June. She had been preparing to represent the state at the 75th Miss USA competition in Miami later this month. Organisers said the decision was not taken lightly and followed a “thorough review” of recently surfaced information. They said the action was necessary to protect the integrity of the title and uphold the organisation’s standards. The state’s runner-up, Myla Hadley, will now take over the title and represent North Carolina at the Miss USA pageant. Hadley said she understood the significance and responsibility attached to the position and was prepared to take on the role despite the short notice. She said she had been preparing to represent North Carolina at the national competition since she first entered the organisation’s pageant system. The winner of the upcoming Miss USA competition will go on to represent the United States at the Miss Universe pageant in November.

The conversation sparked by Muhammad Ahmed’s recent remarks about the behaviour of junior actors on set has drawn a thoughtful and balanced response from veteran Pakistani actor Salman Shahid, who offered a perspective that many in the industry may have been thinking but had not yet said out loud. Shahid, who built his reputation through beloved comedy productions including Such Gup, Teen Bata Teen and Family Front before going on to appear in acclaimed dramas such as Seerhian, Aseer Zadi, Khuda Aur Mohabbat, Main Manto Nahi Hoon and Sher, appeared on Rise and Shine, hosted by Zohaib Hassan, where the conversation turned to Muhammad Ahmed’s complaints about junior actors on set. His response was measured, fair and grounded in his own experience of what set dynamics actually look like from the inside. “Listen, if juniors misbehave with seniors, there are also seniors who become unreasonable and behave the same way with younger actors,” he said. “It depends on a person’s nature. Sometimes, seniors also annoy juniors because they want to show their authority. They say things like, ‘You’re young, what do you know about acting? We’ve been doing this for so many years. You’re doing it wrong.’ So, this issue exists on both sides.” The point Shahid was making was not that Muhammad Ahmed’s concerns were invalid. It was that the problem is not generational but personal. Difficult behaviour on set is not exclusively a junior actor problem. It can come from anyone, regardless of how many years they have spent in the industry or how much respect they command. What made his remarks feel credible rather than defensive was the contrast he drew with his own approach to working life. He spoke with evident warmth about the aspects of set culture that he actively enjoys. “Personally, I love socialising,” he said. “I enjoy tea breaks and interacting with my co-stars on set. I really love it. It’s part of my social life, no matter what age my colleagues are. The image he painted was of someone who genuinely takes pleasure in the shared environment of a drama production, for whom the time between scenes is as much a part of the experience as the work itself. It was a reminder that sets are workplaces where people spend long hours together, and that the atmosphere on them is shaped by everyone present, senior and junior alike. Shahid is currently earning praise for his performance in the ongoing drama Bas Tera Saath Hu, which has resonated strongly with audiences. He is the son of legendary actress Begum Khursheed Shahid, is married to Tahira Ali, and has been a consistent and respected presence in Pakistani television for decades. His contribution to the current conversation about generational dynamics in the industry is characteristically grounded. He did not take sides. He simply told the truth.