Miss Costa Rica hilariously roasted Steve Harvey for announcing the wrong winner during 2015’s Miss Universe pageant.
Before last’s years monumental Oscars debacle – which saw Warren Beatty announce La La Land as the winner of Best Picture, only to have the cast and crew’s dreams crushed moments later when it was revealed Moonlight was the real winner – there was the great mistake of Steve Harvey.
In 2015, the Miss Universe host announced Miss Colombia as the pageant’s winner and let her relish in the moment for a good couple of minutes before returning to the stage and ripping it all away again.
The cringeworthy moment saw Harvey walk back on stage, no doubt feeling the most regret anyone has ever felt, and admit ‘okay folks… I have to apologise.’
If you’ve never seen Miss Universe, even if you’re not interested in it at all, you need to see this:
I always wonder how this kind of mistake happens. If the winner is written on the envelope, why does the host say the wrong name?
In this case, I believe the countries and their representatives’ positions were written in quite small print, causing Harvey to mix up the first runner up and the winner.
But when the stakes are that high, you’d think they’d make the writing a little bigger – or at least make sure Harvey knew how the layout of the results worked.
Anyway, it happened, and what followed was a scene horrendous enough to make anyone’s toes curl. Apart from the real winner – Miss Philippines – of course, she was overjoyed with the news.
Three years later, and Harvey’s mistake is still haunting him
During this year’s contest, Harvey announced Natalia Carvajal – who was representing Costa Rica – had made it into the top 20.
He asked the contestant if she had any advice to give as a fellow television personality, and her response was outstanding.
Take a look here:
Making clear reference to the host’s mistake, Natalia replied:
Well, I think you’re doing good, the outfit is fine, the smile is always great, but I have to give you one advice. Just for the future, just in case. Come closer because I don’t want everyone to hear.
If they ever give you a really, really, really important envelope, try to read carefully, okay?
I can only describe Harvey’s face as ‘shook’:
He stared off in to the distance before turning slowly to the audience, saying:
So you all thought that was that damn funny? Ya’ll just won’t let it go, huh?
With a mistake like that made on a worldwide, televised event, I don’t think it’ll ever be forgotten.
Although the La La Land Oscars tragedy might have overshadowed it for a bit, the power of the internet will ensure people can go back and re-watch Harvey admit he’d read the wrong name over, and over, and over again.
I think he’ll be kicking himself for that one for a long time to come!
Hilarious.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.