When this year’s Miss Universe became the talk of the town as the US comedian host Steve Harvey first announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez-Arevalo, 21, as the new Miss Universe. She received her crown and was drenching in the applause.
Harvey then later recognised his gaffe and stated the actual winner was Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, 26. Because of the fiasco, there has been conspiracy theories, wild accusations and even death threats. According to Miss Universe Singapore Lisa Marie White, 22, Miss Philippines and Miss Colombia weren't exactly Miss Popular.
In a telephone interview with a renowned e-paper, she stated: “When the top three were announced, some contestants were unhappy and there was quite an uproar.
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“My vote went to Miss Philippines because I felt she did well in her Q&A, but at least seven girls forfeited their votes.”
This year, votes from the contestants themselves and fans around the world were also taken into consideration. Miss White said that during the competition, the majority of the 78 contestants took time to get to know each other, but Miss Gutierrez-Arevalo and Miss Wurtzbach kept to themselves. Some girls, she said, felt that Miss Wurtzbach was “guarded” while Miss Gutierrez-Arevalo appeared “stuck-up and arrogant”.
“Pia seemed nice and I’m sure if I had the chance to get to know her, I would like her. She seemed really nice to her friends and fans,” said Miss White, a freelance model and an aspiring actress who is of Malay and New Zealander parentage.
One of the four juries, US celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, 37, didn’t mince his words.He maintained that Miss Wurtzbach was deserving of the coveted crown, in a podcast released soon after the pageant. He also slammed Miss Gutierrez-Arevalo for being a “straight-up diva bitch… (who was) rude to her translator” and “giving the most awful side-eye, throwing major shade” during the Q&A segment.
“It was that Miss Philippines gave a better answer. She deserves it,” he further added.
Miss White also stated many of the contestants were stunned when the pair, together with Miss USA Olivia Jordan, made it into the top three. The general consent, she said, was that they were rooting for Miss France and Miss Australia. Another upshot from the Miss Universe crowning debacle– other contestants have also been thrown into the Miss Shunned pool.Miss Germany Sarah-Lorraine Riek was criticised worldwide over her comments about Miss Wurtzbach’s win.
Miss USA, too, was thrown into the skirmish. Miss Olivia Jordan, 27, faced death threats for reportedly laughing at the mistakenly-crowned Miss Gutierrez-Arevalo on stage.
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She later said she was “deeply saddened at how many people choose to be negative and hateful on social media” and clarified that she did not laugh at anyone and had “reacted to an uncomfortable and bizarre situation by seeing the positive”.
Miss Singapore Lisa Marie White on host Steve Harvey - In her interview with a popular e-paper, Lisa took pains to restore, well, world peace. “So many crazy stories have surfaced from people who weren't even there. I was there, I knew what happened,” she said.
She also talked abut the Video footage that circulated misleading viewers into thinking that Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was snubbed by Miss Columbia Ariadna Gutierrez-Arevalo’s friends.
Miss Wurtzbach had walked towards Miss Gutierrez-Arevalo after her surprise crowning to console her and was reportedly told to “step back” by contestants who sided with Miss Gutierrez-Arevalo.
But Miss White said the contestants had flocked to both women at the same time and offered consolations and congratulations amid the confusion. She felt that both women handled the situation well. “I saw in an another video that Piaeven tried to return the crown. As for Ariadna, she was very brave through it all. We all felt bad for her, it’s the worst thing to happen to a contestant. If that had happened to me, I wouldn't know what I would have done,” she said.