Pham Huong on announcement of wrong Miss Universe winner

“The stage was a little chaotic at the moment,” the Vietnamese belle told Tuoi Tre a few days before the New Year.

“The contestants were shocked because the host read out the wrong result although the text on the teleprompter said Miss Universe was Miss Philippines, not Miss Colombia,” the 24-year-old beauty recalled. “It’s obviously the host’s mistake.”

“People became confused and started discussing with one another,” she added. “Then many contenders surrounded Miss Colombia to appease her.”

The mix-up, considered a disaster in the pageant’s history, was caused by host Steve Harvey, who incorrectly announced that Miss Colombia had won the 64th edition of the contest, which was broadcast live on the Fox television network from Las Vegas on December 22.

But then Harvey apologized to the live audience, admitting he had made a gaffe.

Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez Arévalo was then dethroned and the crown was given to Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach.

Speaking of her participation in the contest, Huong said her initial difficulty was getting accustomed to the cold weather and the biggest advantage she enjoyed was support from designers, coaches and those people who accompanied her during the pageant.

The woman who was Vietnam’s biggest hope at the world’s top beauty pageants then also talked about her controversial ‘cobra catwalk’ moves while performing in the swimsuit category.

After the performance, she received mixed opinions from those who said they were impressed by her runway skills and others who believed the way she strutted was awkward.

“International beauty contests require you to be extremely confident and you have to show that vibe to the jury and audience,” Huong explained. “I walked after two strong rivals from the U.S. and Venezuela so I had to try to be different and leave a strong impression.”

The beauty added she thought she made a reasonable choice in terms of the way she performed at Miss Universe 2015, noting she wore 15cm-high heels onstage then.

When asked if she felt disappointed after being eliminated from the contest’s Top 15, the Vietnamese beauty from the northern city of Haiphong said she was satisfied with what she did at the pageant.

“Being in the Top 15 would be an honor, great happiness, and a big achievement for me and for those who love me,” Huong said. “However, even when fate was not kind to me, I still have nothing to regret.”

“I believe in myself and respect what I have got after the contest, that’s enough,” she added. “The love from fans, colleagues, family and the media is a remarkable motivation that has kept urging me to perfect myself.”

Meanwhile, the most valuable lesson she learned from the global contest was putting in effort in whatever she does, the winner of Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 confided.

Besides, Huong also gave advice to beauties who will compete in future international pageants, saying they should prepare to be in good physical and mental health for such stressful competitions which last for many days.

“You’ll have to suffer huge pressure,” she said. “Moreover, being outgoing and friendly to other contestants is a must.”