Miss Universe Crowning Fiasco in Photos

Philippine pride Pia Wurtzbach who brought home our third Miss Universe crown has finally come home for her victory parade and thanksgiving.

 Pia Wurtzbach's official Miss Universe 2015 glamshot 

Later today, Pia will face the press to fill them in on her new life as Miss Universe and answer questions that are related to her responsibilities as spokesperson for the Miss Universe Org. Tomorrow,   Pia will be onboard her float for the ticker tape parade that will start at 9 am from Quezon City then City of Manila and finally to Makati City.

As Pia basks in the limelight and offers her victory to an adoring Philippines, let’s take a look back at the crowning moments of Miss Universe 2015 where first- time pageant host Steve Harvey wrongly announced Miss Colombia as the winner.

""It’s better to have been crowned and lost

Than not being crowned at all""

 from 80 to the final five

 the Top Three

 the lights continue to shine for Pia & Ariadna

 the last two girls standing

 it's Miss Colombia! 

 Ariadna cries for joy while Pia is led to her spot

it's a back- to- back for Colombia

 Ariadna proudly waves the Colombian flag

 a forlorn- looking Steve Harvey goes back 

 Steve Harvey apologizes to the crowd & to Ariadna

 a surprised Pia is patted on the back by Olivia 

 a bewildered & unbelieving Pia goes to centerstage 

 awkward & confusing moment

 Paulina's shining moment as reigning Miss Universe

 the Vanquished & the Victor

 Ariadna bravely smiles through the ordeal

 the gracious & well- bred ladies who congratulated Pia

 Pia  was the epitome of grace & humility during those
tense moments and came out the big winner

On hindsight, when I reviewed the Final Look segment in Miss Universe where pop supertar Seal serenades Pia with his hit song “Crazy”, I realized that the title of the song has unwittingly become the defining word for what the pageant has undergone last year from transfer of ownership to the crowning fiasco and the ensuing aftermath.

But one thing is for sure though; there is no sign that the Philippines’ crazy fascination with the Miss Universe pageant will show signs of abating. 

Long live Pia!

Why Steve Harvey Shouldn't Be Blamed for Miss Universe 2015 Crowning Fiasco

So much has been written and said about how Steve Harvey messed up big- time with the Miss Universe 2015 crowning fiasco but little has been said on the whys and the hows.

Ariadna is not choking Pia after she makes the Final Three

As far as I can remember, the announcement of winners in Miss Universe has always been in reverse order meaning they start with the 4^th RU up to the moment when there are two girls left onstage and the emcee announces that he will call the 1^st RU ahead of the winner and the girl whose name is not called is the new Miss Universe.

 

 Harvey exposes his mistake

 Paulina removes the crown from Ariadna

 Miss Universe crown is placed on Pia's head

 Paulina gives reassuring pat & comforting words to her
compatriot Ariadna while Pia beams with joy

All would have been okay had they not changed the usual way of announcing the results which began in 2011. When Miss Ukraine and Miss Angola were the only girls left onstage, the emcee said “We will announce the name of the new Miss Universe ahead of the 1^st RU so that means that the girl whose name isn’t called will be 1^st RU” I told myself that it was a disaster in the making and it did happen last Monday.

Add to the mix the fact that Steve Harvey was a first- time pageant emcee and the perfect recipe for the fiasco was created.

 

 Miss Universe 2015 results card: Recipe for Disaster

When a photo of the cue card that had the winners’ names was posted on the Internet, my suspicions and nagging feelings were validated.  The pageant emcee was given a card where the names are listed in a different order than he has to announce them.  The card could have been scripted so Steve Harvey just had to read from it. "The second runner-up is USA. Our new Miss Universe is Philippines."  

If the name of the winner was going to be announced from the final two, the name of the first runner-up shouldn't be on the card at all, unless it can be said after the winner is named "this means Colombia is the first runner-up" just like how Guilliana Rancic said “congratulations to Janine Tugonon of the Philippines the 1^st RU” after Miss USA Olivia Culpo was proclaimed Miss Universe 2015 

 Pia's roommate Miss Myanmar leads well- wishers

Oh well, all’s well that end well. If it’s any consolation for Miss Colombia, she is now the most famous Miss Universe 1^st RU in the pageant’s 64 year history.

As for Steve Harvey, well, ha has the last laugh. You see, it has been confirmed that he will be hosting Miss Universe 2016 in the beautiful Caribbean island of Belize next year

Merry Christmas everyone!