Steve Harvey is sorry, the Internet isn’t

“I felt sorry for both candidates… and for all the Filipinos… who were watching live. Please don’t hold it against the ladies”, said Steve Harvey, an American comedian and television host.

The Miss Universe crown went this year to the contestant from the Philippines, but only after the runner-up from Colombia was accidentally crowned.

Of course, publicly, Harvey accepted the blame – and the damning snippet was quickly deleted.

After this incident, #MissUniverse2015 also became Twitter’s biggest trend as thousands of social media users began to express disbelief using jokes and memes. It’s only Miss Universe, not an National Football League game.

Good job, Miss USA!

As host of the Miss Universe pageant Sunday night in Las Vegas, Harvey named Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez Areval, the victor of the pageant.

Steve quickly apologized on stage: “Listen, folks”. But I hope this blows over or isn’t taken too seriously.

Others are complaining that the deletion smacks of a conspiracy. “Censorship much?” tweeted @AriMarie101.

The host of the Miss Universe contest has issued a grovelling apology after he read out the wrong victor, who was then forced to remove the crown.

It was an awkward moment for the businessman because a campaign controversy had imperiled the pageant organization.

Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images Miss Germany Sarah-Lorraine Riek said Miss Colombia “was robbed as the real victor”.

I can say from personal experience of being in the producer’s seat during live TV broadcasts, that moments like this just make you want to bang your head against the wall.

“I feel awful for this young woman”, he said.

“I’d like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines for my huge mistake”, Harvey said on Twitter.

Mr Trump, the former star of the Celebrity Apprentice reality show sued both companies, settling with NBC in September, which included buying the network’s stake in the pageants. “It took away from the experience”, said the country’s last Miss Universe, 1973 victor Margie Moran.