The crown is then removed from the head of Miss Colombia and placed on Miss Philippines.
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Mark Shapiro, of the pageant’s new owner WME-IMG, said Harvey corrected the mistake on his own when he realised the error on air.
Harvey spoke to reporters assembled at the Planet Hollywood hotel-casino where the pageant concluded with him awarding the crown to the wrong person. It’s my mistake, still a great night. The next few minutes were met with awkward tension as Ms. Colombia waved to a cheering crowd but was not prompted to enjoy her win.
To make matters even worse, the apology issued by Harvey on Twitter further enraged the internet as he managed to misspell both Colombia and Philippines.
The producers of the Miss Universe pageant showed the card with the voting results – which clearly showed that Miss Philippines was the new Miss Universe, with Miss Colombia and Miss USA as first and second runners-up. In the end his mistake gave a the Miss Universe pageant a much needed publicity push.
According actress and pageant judge Niecy Nash, the moment was “intense” at the judges’ table.
The pageant got attention in June when co-owner Donald Trump made anti-immigrant remarks while announcing his bid to run for the Republican presidential nomination.
The TV host said that he made a “horrible mistake”, adding Wurtzbach was the rightful victor.
A visibly-stunned Wurtzbach walked to the front of the stage, her eyes wide in disbelief.
Shortly after Sunday night’s confusion, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos tweeted a message on his official account to Ariadna Gutierrez. “For us, you will continue being miss universe!” In back is finalist Miss USA Olivia Jordan. “We are very proud!”
It was also the first time viewers had a chance to vote on the victor, rating contestants in the swimwear, evening gown and interview competitions.
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The 26-year-old Cagayan de Oro beauty is the third Filipina to take home the crown, after a 42-year title drought. She had earlier been named the runner-up.
