The 65th Miss Universe pageant went off without a hitch with host Steve Harvey correctly announcing Miss France 2016 Iris Mittenaere as the winner. Viewers also saw a funny moment between Pia Wurtzbach and Harvey as the 2015 Miss Universe title holder helped the comedian to prevent another controversy from happening.
Harvey's stint as a host for the 64th Miss Universe pageant ended in a disaster when he incorrectly announced Miss Columbia as the winner when it should have been Miss Philippines. Held at Las Vegas' The Axis on Dec. 20, 2015, the "Family Feud" star immediately returned to the stage to own up to his mistake.
Fast-forward to 2017 where organizers tapped Harvey to handle the hosting duties for the international beauty pageant, the comedian was not hesitant to refer to his infamous 2015 Miss Universe gaffe. Viewers saw several moments where Harvey expressed his nervousness in being handed cards that contained the list of the events' finalists especially when Miss Columbia 2016 and Miss Philippines 2016 were included in the final 13.
Held on Jan. 30, Monday, at the Philippines' SM Mall of Asia Arena, the "Little Big Shots" host even joked that he might not be able to leave the said Asian country if he made a similar mistake again. One iconic moment in the said event was when Wurtzbach approached Harvey on stage to hand him a pair of reading glasses just as he was about to announce the winner.
Dressed in an elegant blue gown, the Filipina beauty even patted the comedian's arm several times as a sign of support and as a reminder to take extra care in announcing the winner. The gesture also helped to add a funny spiel to an otherwise tense moment as the pageant contestants and viewers laughed over the said scene.
Meanwhile, Wurtzbach previously gushed over Harvey and his hosting skills. In an earlier interview with Philippine news outlet GMA News, she stated how his energy and jokes injected "great comic relief to the whole competition."
The comedian also received a warm welcome when he arrived in Manila on Jan. 23. In a statement released by the said country's tourism department, as obtained by CNN Philippines, the government agency stated, "Filipinos welcome Steve Harvey with open arms and without any reservation."
Meanwhile, Mittenaere's win as the 2016 Miss Universe marked the second time that France won the international beauty pageant, having nabbed the crown in 1953. Watch Mittenaere's winning moment in the clip below: