Miss Universe host Steve Harvey spoke for the first time in details about the controversial ending of the Miss Universe 2015 pageant last December 20 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Where Harvey first proclaimed Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as Miss Universe, only to return on stage to say that Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach is the real titleholder during the coronation night.
As reported by ABS-CBN website, on his famous show “Steve Harvey Morning Show, he said, that when he saw the “confusion” backstage he then realised his mistake. He heard people saying he announced the wrong name. Then, a guy approached him and told him that the people back stage are saying he announced the wrong winner.
He said “There was really a lot of confusion backstage. I was standing in the wing, so what I did was I said I’ll go fix it. I took it upon myself and walked out there to do something. All I could think of was, here’s a problem – the lady who won, Miss Philippines, is standing there as a loser. She got all the votes and the points. So I’m going out there and I will say I made a mistake. Did I make a mistake? Yes, I did, wholeheartedly,” he added.
Steve Harvey could just easily let the pageant organizers handle the mix up, and just stayed back and let them deal with it and resolve the issue, but instead he decided to correct the mistake on live television , owned and admit that it was his fault. He said it is the right thing to do.
Harvey said, “So why would I wait and whine in my head that we got to do something? We got to do it while we’re on TV. I did what I was trained to do by my father. I did what I did and be the man I’m supposed to be – you make a mistake, own up to it. I went out there and said I made a mistake. I tried to fix it, I tried to fix it right there”.
He strongly denied that the mix up was part of a publicity stunt for the pageant, and he expressed that he never really wanted it to happen and its not intentional .
During his show, Harvey also said that he is not happy with what kind of attention he is getting now, and that he do not participate in any wrong doing just to be recognized.
“That’s stupid. Why the hell would I do that? What I do not participate in is a bunch of BS… I’m already famous. Do you really think I wanted to be famous like this? In my wildest dreams you could not have told me this, not in a million years. I had to walk back out there and do what I thought was the right thing for Miss Philippines,” he added.
Harvey admitted that he still feels bad for Miss Colombia, he explained to the audience and the viewers what he really felt about it, until now.
This is what he said: “It was horrible for Miss Colombia. She was the one I haven’t had the chance to talk to. I’ve had the chance to talk to Miss Philippines, I’ve talked to all the pageant people, I’ve talked to the people backstage. Even me and the director had a long conversation. I haven’t been able to reach out and talk to Miss Colombia. Have I tried? Yes, but I haven’t gotten a response.”
“The only regret I have is how this must have made the woman from Colombia feel. That’s my only regret. I don’t feel sorry for me… I don’t feel sorry for the pageant… My only regret is how this woman must have felt, and none of us know what that is. I felt for her more than me.”
Harvey maintained that Wurtzbach deserves the crown.
“I mean, look, I’m just a man here, I haven’t been waiting all my life for this moment. So I felt for that. But at the same time, how can I not let Miss Philippines, who actually won the event and be crowned? She got the most points. She’s the real winner,” he proudly said.
The Miss Universe 2015 event was undeniably the pageant we will not forget for the rest of our life. A huge mistake was done, but it was unintentional, an honest one. We will all feel the same way if it is the other way around.
Mr. Harvey is a true gentleman. Only a few would have the guts to do and owned up to it. I even can’t imagine how would it feel to hide the real truth, and live your life in a lie.
Despite his ceremony ending mistake, Steve Harvey will be back to host the 2016 Miss Universe pageant. Mark Shapiro, chief content officer for WME | IMG who was backstage at the pageant, made the comments on Jim Rome’s CBS Sports Radio show Tuesday.
Mr. Shapiro maintained that Harvey did a great job, and he said, “He was funny, he was informative, he’s high energy, he’s got a great following… I definitely want him back, and I would hate to see him not come back. He’s going to want a shot to redeem himself.”
