Steve Harvey talks Miss Universe flub: Leaving it like it was would have been ‘dishonourable’
Miss Universe 2015 has been a dramatic and awkward event, with host Steve Harvey mistakenly announcing the winner. However, the comedian and TV host shared that not admitting to his mistake at that moment and leaving things as it is would have been “dishonourable.”
Following Harvey’s Miss Universe mistake, the comedian has received backlash from fans and critics online. In a press conference held after the beauty pageant, Harvey once again stated that he made a mistake when he announced Miss Colombia’s Ariadna Gutierrez-Arevalo as the winner when it should have been Miss Philippines, according to People magazine. He shared that he feels “horrible” towards the fans and for the countries of the two contestants.
“The dishonourable thing would be to just leave it like it was,” he added. “It didn't deserve to happen that way, but it happened from an honest mistake."
Harvey also explained that he misread his cue card which led to the Miss Universe flub. He stated, “It said first runner-up and I went, 'Oh my goodness.' I didn't remember it from rehearsal because nobody knew the winner during the rehearsal."
However, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Harvey was not able to attend the crucial part of the show’s rehearsals where the winners would have been announced. “Steve went at the beginning of rehearsals, but missed the last hour, at least. He did not practice the ending,” the source explained.
“The name of the winner is not in the prompter, they don’t want the girls to see it,” the source added. When Entertainment Tonight asked whether the Miss Universe flub was a publicity stunt, the source denied it. “No way,” the source stated. “Nobody would believe it.”
Meanwhile, Harvey has apologised to fans and also to this year’s winner, Miss Philippines’ Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, for his mistake. He took to Twitter following the incident to post an apology message and even met with Miss Philippines after the event to convey his personal apologies. He also shared a photo of himself with Wurtzbach on Instagram.
He captioned the image, “I had the chance to apologize to Miss Philippines and I'm thankful. #godisgood #iloveyou I apologised to Miss Colombia as well.”
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