The story appears on

Page A8

December 22, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeWorld

Oops! Filipino beauty takes the crown

THE Colombian contestant was already wearing this year’s Miss Universe crown when host Steve Harvey returned to announce on live television that he had mistakenly read from a cue card, and that the contestant from the Philippines was actually this year’s winner.

In the following moments, the crown was removed and placed on the head of a mystified Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines, other contestants rushed to console Ariadna Gutierrez of Colombia and a sheepish Harvey felt compelled to apologize on Twitter and to reporters assembled backstage. “I feel horrible for this young woman,” he said.

Harvey said it was his mistake and that he would take responsibility for not correctly reading the card, which said that Wurtzbach was this year’s winner and Colombia was actually the first runner-up.

He held up the card for Fox network cameras to see up close. Talking with reporters later, Harvey and an executive for pageant owner WME-IMG called it human error.

Wurtzbach appeared stunned as she walked to the front of the stage alongside the crown-wearing Gutierrez before last year’s Miss Universe from Colombia removed the crown and placed it on Wurtzbach’s head.

Wurtzbach later said she felt conflicting emotions as the mistake happened: joy when she was told she had indeed won, concern for Gutierrez and confusion at the situation.

Wurtzbach said she tried to approach Gutierrez onstage afterward, but the Colombian was crying and surrounded by people. She said she realized it was, “probably bad timing.”

It’s the third time a contestant from the Philippines has won the title. Miss United States Olivia Jordan was named second runner-up.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend