Oscars 2017 Best Picture mix-up brings back memories of “Australia’s Next Top Model” Cycle 6 blunder

As the film industry tries to recover from the Oscars 2017 big shocker, some Aussies can't help but recall a similar incident seven years ago. The Best Picture gaffe strikes a chord with them since they witnessed a massive live blunder in a popular reality television show.

On Sunday, there was quite a mayhem during the 89^th Academy Awards when renowned actors Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced the wrong winner for the ceremony’s biggest award. The musical film “La La Land” was declared Best Picture but it was “Moonlight” that really won the award. After some moments of confusion, Beatty claimed that he was handed the wrong envelope. He said the card read Emma Stone, who won the Best Actress award for “La La Land.”

The act of announcing the wrong winner has been popularly associated with comedian and TV host Steve Harvey. Oscars 2017 host Jimmy Kimmel even mentioned his name, saying he blames Harvey for what happened. In 2015, Harvey earned the wrath of beauty pageant enthusiasts when he declared Miss Colombia as the Miss Universe, when it was actually Miss Philippines who won the title. Steve’s mix-up also stemmed from the card – the way the contestants’ names were written apparently caused the host’s confusion.

However, a similar blunder was already seen in an Australian TV show back in 2010. On “Australia’s Next Top Model” Cycle 6, British-born Australian model and TV presenter Sarah Murdoch crowned the wrong contestant during the reality show’s live finale. She called model contender Kelsey Martinovich, when it was her rival, Amanda Ware, who really won.

Both contestants were given a chance to deliver their speeches as the crowd cheered. However, the moment was interrupted when Murdoch muttered, “Oh my god,” as she appeared to be listening to her earpiece. “I'm feeling a bit sick about this. I'm so sorry about this. This was a complete accident.”

A hush fell across the venue as the 44-year-old model continued, “This is what happens when you have live TV, folks. This is insane, insane, insane.” Murdoch couldn’t apologise enough and was comforted by Martinovich, who gamely accepted what she said was an honest mistake. The host claimed that she was fed the wrong numbers. “It had been so close. The lead kept changing,” Murdoch explained. “It was literally down to a couple of votes. It kept going back and forwards... and we ended up with Amanda as a winner.”

For winning the competition, Ware earned $20,000 cash prize, a new car and a trip to New York, along with an eight-page spread in women's magazine Harpers Bazaar, a contract with Priscilla's modelling agency and a $25,000 Levi's campaign. Reports said that Martinovich, on the other hand, was given $25,000 and a free trip to the US as a form of an apology.

Speaking of apologies, PricewaterhouseCoopers, or PwC, has expressed its regret for the recent Oscars blunder. “We sincerely apologise to Moonlight, La La Land, Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Oscar viewers for the error that was made during the award announcement for best picture,” PwC said in a statement, according to the Guardian. The accountancy firm also vowed to investigate the incident to shed light on what happened.