On Monday, a Filipino pageant expert called for an explanation from Miss Universe El Salvador, the host of the 72nd edition of the beauty pageant, regarding a now-deleted post featuring a graphic showing Philippine contestant Michelle Dee in the Top 5 list.
The organization faced criticism after posting, and subsequently removing, a graphic on its Instagram account that initially displayed Michelle Dee in the Top 5. The post was later replaced with a graphic featuring Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild, who ultimately won first runner-up.
The incident has raised questions and concerns, prompting calls for clarification from the host organization about the sequence of events and the reasons behind the modification in the posted results.
“I would really love for them to come out with an official statement, an apology, or some sort of explanation to address this issue because it is really confusing everyone… Is this another ‘Steve Harvey moment’ again back in 2015?” remarked pageant expert Adam Genato during an interview with ‘The Source’.
Miss Universe 2023: Honest Mistake or Something More?
Genato was alluding to the infamous crowning moment in 2015 when Steve Harvey mistakenly announced Colombia’s Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner instead of then-Philippine representative Pia Wurtzbach. The comparison highlights the need for clarity and transparency in pageant proceedings to avoid confusion and maintain the integrity of the competition.
Genato, who is in El Salvador to closely follow the Miss Universe events, offered a perspective on the situation. He suggested that during the finals night, the aim might have been to provide real-time updates on how the pageant was unfolding, and an honest mistake may have been made in the process. While acknowledging that the post was taken down shortly afterward, he noted that the incident had already gained widespread attention by then.
In an effort to seek clarification about the graphic mix-up, Genato personally reached out to the press team of the Miss Universe organization after the coronation, but as of his statement, he had not received a response. He cautiously assumed, “For the meantime, I would assume that it was an honest mistake on their part.”
As of now, the Miss Universe organization has not issued an official statement addressing the issue. Meanwhile, Nicaragua’s Sheynnis Palacios made history by being crowned Miss Universe 2023, becoming the first representative from her country to win the title.
