New Delhi: Last month comedian Steve Harvey made a mammoth mistake when he announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as Miss Universe, when in reality Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was the winner.
Weeks after this major goof-up Ariadna, has broken her silence on the matter saying it was humiliating for the entire nation.
“It was very humiliating for me, but also for the whole country and for all the people not only from Colombia but the other Latinos that were in the auditorium,” Gutierrez, 21, said.
Harvey's gaffe lead to the crown being taken away from Ariadna four minutes after it was placed on her head and handed to the correct winner in front of millions of viewers.
The "Family Feud" host, 58, cleared up his mistake after Gutierrez had already waved to the crowd and received flowers.
The real victor, Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach, was just as shocked by the mix-up.
When Harvey took the stage to reveal he'd made a mistake, Gutierrez said she laughed. “I thought it was a joke,” she said. “In the rehearsals, he did things like that.”
Having to stand before the cameras while the hard-fought crown was removed wasn't fair, she said.
“There are a thousand ways to do things,” she said. “They could have done it, I don't know, the next day in a press conference or a press release. … They did not do things the right way.”
However, an optimistic Ariadna also added that she has created history and this is what matters.
With inputs from agencies
