Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Associated Press
NEW YORK
The Miss Universe pageant and host Steve Harvey doubled down on the apologies Monday after an excruciating live television moment – announcing incorrectly that Miss Colombia had won and then taking the crown from her head to give to a rival from the Philippines.
The fallout from Sunday’s show made Harvey an online symbol of “oops” moments, drew a reaction from Colombia’s president and even a gloating tweet from Donald Trump, the pageant’s former owner.
As televised on Fox, the contest was down to Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo of Colombia and Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines when Harvey, a first-time Miss Universe host, proclaimed Gutierrez the winner after a long, dramatic pause.
Music swelled, Gutierrez was fitted for a sash, given flowers and a crown was placed on her head. That made it two-straight Miss Universe winners for Colombia, where the pageants are taken seriously. She basked in applause for nearly two minutes before Harvey slowly made his way back onto the stage.
“I have to apologize,” he said. “The first runner-up is Colombia.”
The camera switched to a bewildered-looking Wurtzbach, who came back on the stage to get the crown as the same celebratory music repeated. Harvey said she’d be taking her first walk as Miss Universe, but mostly she stood immobile. A woman stood in between the two contestants, trying to comfort Gutierrez by rubbing her back.