Beyond awkward! Steve Harvey made a stunning mistake at the end of the 2015 Miss Universe broadcast on Sunday, December 20 — he declared the wrong pageant contestant the winner.
Harvey accidentally told Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez, that she had won the competition, and there were cheers from the crowd and tears as she was crowned and given her sash and bouquet of flowers.
But as a smiling Gutierrez walked to the edge of the stage, Harvey returned with a solemn look on his face and explained that there had been a “horrible mistake.”
Miss Colombia was in fact the first runner-up and the real winner was Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.
To say she was shocked was an understatement.
Wurtzbach walked up to Miss Colombia, who bent down so that Miss Universe 2014 could remove her crown and place it on Wurtzbach’s head.
Harvey later took to Twitter, writing, “I’d like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible.”
Then he added, “Secondly, I’d like to apologize to the viewers at that I disappointed as well. Again it was an honest mistake. I don’t want to take away from this amazing night and pageant. As well as the wonderful contestants. They were all amazing.”
I’d like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible.
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) December 21, 2015
Secondly, I’d like to apologize to the viewers at that I disappointed as well. Again it was an honest mistake.
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) December 21, 2015
I don’t want to take away from this amazing night and pageant. As well as the wonderful contestants. They were all amazing.
— Steve Harvey (@IAmSteveHarvey) December 21, 2015
