Miss Universe pageant tainted by another embarrassing Steve Harvey blunder

International News By Mirror 

Miss Malaysia Shweta Sekhon corrects Steve Harvey's mistake [Image: Getty Images]

This year's Miss Universe pageant was tainted by another embarrassing blunder as host Steve Harvey again named the wrong winner - this time for the national costume category.

Hosting the show at the Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta on Sunday night, he announced Miss Philippines as winner for best national costume when it was in fact Miss Malaysia.

Determined to set things right, Malaysia's Shweta Sekhon - who was stood next to Harvey - grabbed the mic and corrected the 62-year-old host.

"It's not Philippines, it's Malaysia," she said.

Steve Harvey was left red-faced again as he wrong named the winner of the national costume category [Image: Getty Images]

Harvey quickly blamed the teleprompter, saying: "Let me explain something to you. I just read that in the teleprompter.”

"Ya'll got to quit doing this to me. I can read. Now, they are trying to fix it now. See? This is what they did to me back in 2015, played me short like that.”

"That's crazy."

Zozibini Tunza, Miss South Africa, is named winner of the Miss Universe competition 2019 [Image: Frank Micelotta/Fox/Picturegroup/REX]

Miss Malaysia's costume was colourful and adorned with food while Miss Philippine's costume appeared to be grey in colour.

The awkward moment drew attention away from the winner of the 2019 pageant Zozibini Tunza, Miss South Africa.

Tunza said: "I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me - with my kind of skin and my kind of hair - was never considered to be beautiful.

"I think it is time that that stops today. I want children to look at me and see my face and I want them to see their faces reflected in mine."

Miss Malaysia Shweta Sekhon walks in her swimsuit during the Miss Universe 2019 preliminary round in Atlanta, Georgia [Image: BRANDEN CAMP/EPA-EFE/REX

Harvey made a similar blunder in 2015, when he wrongly named Miss Colombia the winner of the pageant when it was actually Miss Philippines.

At the time, Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez wiped away tears of joy and waved to her fans as the crown was placed on her head.

But the crown was taken away minutes later on live television and placed on Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtsbach's head.