WATCH: Teleprompter said PH won

MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe Australia Monika Radulovic spoke to Australian morning show Sunrise about what happened on stage during the night Pia Wurtzbach was crowned Miss Universe.

In a video posted on Tuesday, December 22, Monika, who made it to the Top 5 of the competition, said: “The scandal has really overridden everything, it was unbelievable. I still really can’t believe that it happened.”

The scandal that Monika was talking about was host Steve Harvey’s blunder during the pageant’s coronation night. After initially announcing that Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez was Miss Universe, he went back onstage and corrected himself – it was actually Miss Philippines who won the crown.

Monika recounted that the other contestants who weren’t in the Top 3 knew about the mistake before Steve corrected himself. “The girls, the rest of us, the 77 other contestants were on the sidelines, on the stage, and we actually saw on the teleprompter, it said ‘Philippines, please take your first walk as Miss Universe’ after Colombia was crowned.”

The girls were confused until they saw the host making his way towards Miss Colombia. “And then Steve Harvey made the walk down the runway, we could all see the worried look on his face, and we knew what happened.”

“It was horrible, my heart goes out to both girls,” Monika added. “I mean, for Colombia, that feeling of winning – and you could see she was crying of joy – and then getting that taken away.

“But at the same time, for Philippines, she didn’t really have that amazing victory. I mean the girls, we ran to Colombia first to console her, so she didn’t have that congratulatory walk that the Miss Universe usually gets.”

Monika agreed with the Sunrise hosts that Ariadna was very gracious. “You know I’m so happy for Colombia for the way that she handled herself, she really did handle herself with such poise and grace.”

Backstage, Ariadna spoke to the other contestants, and Monika said that she was still proud of herself in spite of what happened. “I think it was just all the emotions of it, you know, of it all happening so fast. Of course she was in tears, the poor thing.”

Monika said she hasn’t spoken to Pia since the incident because of Pia’s schedule, but the Australian wished her luck. “I’m sure she’ll be a great Miss Universe,” said Monika.

Meanwhile, a video of Miss Germany Sarah-Lorraine Riek surfaced after the pageant, saying that the girls rushed to Ariadna after the incident because they didn’t support the Philippines’ win.

“None of us voted for Philippines. I’m so sorry to say that,” said Sarah-Lorraine in the video posted on December 21 on the pageant website Missosology’s Facebook page. (WATCH: Miss Universe Germany upset over PH win)

The coronation night of Miss Universe 2015 took place on December 20 (December 21 in Manila) at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Pia is the 3rd Miss Philippines to win the Miss Universe pageant. Others who won in the past were Margie Moran in 1973 and Gloria Diaz in 1969. – Rappler.com

More Miss Universe on Rappler:

Coronation night:

WATCH: Teleprompter said PH won – Miss Universe AU

Add a comment

Related Topics

Recommended Stories

{{ item.sitename }}

{{ item.title }}