Miss Universe mistake crowns Colombia before Philippines
KIMBERLY PIERCEALL, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Miss Universe contestant from the Philippines is this year's winner but for one brief moment Sunday evening, it appeared as if it might be a repeat win for Colombia.

Colombia contestant Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo was already wearing the crown as this year's Miss Universe winner when host Steve Harvey returned to apologize.

Harvey says it was his mistake and that he would take responsibility for not reading the card correctly that named contestant Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach this year's winner and Colombia the first runner-up.

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

The competition started with women representing 80 countries between the ages of 19 and 27. For the first time, viewers at home weighed in, with their votes being tallied in addition to four in-person celebrity judges.

NBCUniversal and Donald Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization until earlier this year. The real-estate developer offended Hispanics in June when he made anti-immigrant remarks in announcing his Republican presidential run.

That led Spanish-language network Univision to pull out of the broadcast for what would have been the first of five years airing the pageants and NBC to cut business ties with Trump.

The former star of the "Celebrity Apprentice" reality show sued both companies, settling with NBC in September, which included buying the network's stake in the pageants.

That same month, Trump sold the organization that includes the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to entertainment company WME-IMG.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-12-21

RELATED:

Tuk-Tuk Wins Best Costume at Miss Universe
By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee
Staff Reporter


Miss Universe Thailand Aniporn Chalermburanawong poses in the tuk-tuk themed dress at the pageant Dec. 20. Photo: Miss Universe Thailand fanpage / Facebook

LAS VEGAS — Thailand’s Tuk-Tuk won the Best National Costume today at Miss Universe 2015 in Las Vegas.

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/880353-tuk-tuk-wins-best-costume-at-miss-universe/

I was absolutely chattered. Such a heart breaker , oh wow what can I say, that will change the course of humanity.

It is always good to hear every girl say. " I hope for world peace "

Steve Harvey will call this years Superbowl.

" It's a pass, sorry it is a run. Wait, they will kick, I mean throw."

"And Columbia wins the Superbowl " " I mean New England "

What a Joke ! I bet Trump is Laughing !

it's all a fix anyway, only earthlings took part

I was watching live this morning when the idiot host made that hugh cock-up. Very cruel couple of minutes on both Colombian and Filipino, particularly the Colombian

About to dethrone the Colombian

How could the idiot have got it so wrong?

The winner

The real winner, Thailand's finest (in my eyes)

Hope this will not be repeated while announcing the TV Poster of the Year results...

Hope this will not be repeated while announcing the TV Poster of the Year results...

Bloody Nora do they have to parade in a Bikini as well

The Thai bird is a stunner....but the others, ive seen better in Central Mall.

The Thai bird is a stunner....but the others, ive seen better in Central Mall.

Sleepwalking is an unfortunate thing, but treatable.

The Thai bird is a stunner....but the others, ive seen better in Central Mall.

Sleepwalking is an unfortunate thing, but treatable.

You should see a doctor about that then.

Im not the one seeing girls better looking than miss universe finalists in the skank capital of the world.

And the next president of the USA is.....

Donald Trump!

Ooh wait, apologies, 555

Unbelievable, inexcusable, and unforgivable....playing on the tube over and over...painful to watch...destroys the moment for both contestants...sad ending...tarnishes the image of the contest and the MC...

One theory is it was done deliberately to create a viral buzz around the event….to get people to talk about a show that has pretty much lost its lustre.

If so, mission accomplished….but no one's saying anything flattering.