Marie Esther Bangura is a Sierra Leonean beauty pageant titleholder, known for winning the title of Miss Universe Sierra Leone 2018. Unfortunately, she could not participate in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant due to her late arrival in Thailand, the host nation. Instead, she represented Sierra Leone in the Miss Universe 2019 pageant but did not place.
![Marie Esther Bangura](https://i0.wp.com/salonemessengers.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Marie-Esther-Bangura.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1)
Marie was crowned Miss Universe Sierra Leone 2018 during the final gala of the pageant on October 19, 2018. She also won the title of Miss Elegance during the competition.
As the national representative, Marie intended to participate in the Miss Universe 2018 pageant. However, her journey from Sierra Leone to Thailand was delayed. She traveled from Sierra Leone via Ghana to Nigeria, where she had to apply for a visa at the Royal Thai Embassy. Afterward, she flew from Ethiopia to Bangkok, arriving almost six days after the registration procedures had concluded. Nonetheless, she attended the event as a member of the audience.