Miss Panama takes wrong spot in Miss Grand Bangkok blunder (video)
Emotional mix-up sparks flashbacks to infamous pageant slip-ups
During an international beauty pageant in Bangkok, a contestant mistakenly stepped forward after mishearing the announcement of the Top 20 finalists.
The glitzy event, held in Thailand’s capital on October 18, took an unexpected turn when Isamar Herrera, Miss Grand Panama, mistakenly stepped forward after believing her name had been called for the Top 20 finalists.
In fact, it was Miss Grand Paraguay, Cecilia Romero, who had earned the spot.
As Herrera confidently made her way to the front of the stage, host Matthew Deane paused before gently correcting the blunder.
“I beg your pardon. I announced Miss Grand Paraguay.”
Realising the mistake, Miss Panama graciously turned and returned to her place, passing Miss Paraguay on her way forward.
“There is a lot of noise in this hall,” Deane added, referencing the raucous crowd packed with fans from around the world.
Despite the mix-up, Herrera took the moment in stride.
“These things happen,” she said, according to the Daily Mail. “It was a mistake, and this is a competition. You have to know how to lose and recognise the triumph of others.”
The slip-up drew comparisons to the infamous 2015 Miss Universe mishap, when host Steve Harvey mistakenly crowned Miss Colombia as the winner, only to retract it and announce Miss Philippines as the actual titleholder, according to E News.
The title eventually went to Miss Grand Philippines, Emma Tiglao, who was crowned by fellow Filipina Christine Opiaza, marking the pageant’s first back-to-back win for one country.
Harvey later recounted the moment as the most difficult of his showbiz career.
“When I woke up the next morning, it was everywhere,” he told Kevin Hart on SiriusXM in 2021. “It was the worst week of my life, man, in show business.”
While Herrera’s blunder didn’t reach those viral levels, the graceful way she handled it has earned her praise, proving that dignity and poise matter just as much as a crown.
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