In a dramatic mix-up in front of a global television audience of millions on Sunday, first runner-up Miss Colombia was wrongly crowned as Miss Universe, before the rightful winner Miss Philippines was finally handed the glittering crown.
India’s representative, Urvashi Rautela, who was watching this horrible mistake backstage also had a similar experience in 2012.
The Uttarakhand girl was initially declared as Miss India Universe in 2012 in the third edition of the ‘I AM She’ beauty pageant beating twenty semi-finalists. She was then chosen to represent India in Miss Universe 2012.
But the model-turned-actor was later dethroned as she was underage at that time of competing in the Miss Universe beauty pageant.
Miss Universe contestants must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by February 1st in the year they hope to compete in the Miss Universe or Miss USA competition. Rautela was born on February 25, 1994 and so had to relinquish the title to Miss India Universe 2012 first runner-up Shilpa Singh who later competed in that year’s pageant.
{{/usCountry}}Miss Universe contestants must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by February 1st in the year they hope to compete in the Miss Universe or Miss USA competition. Rautela was born on February 25, 1994 and so had to relinquish the title to Miss India Universe 2012 first runner-up Shilpa Singh who later competed in that year’s pageant.
{{/usCountry}}Also, there were contract violations as Rautela had also won Miss Tourism Queen of the Year in 2011.
Urvashi may have crashed out of this year’s competition by not even making it to the final 15, but, she made a stellar comeback from a disastrous 2012 pageant by winning Miss Diva 2015 based on which she was selected as Indian representative this year.
It’s been 15 years since an Indian won the Miss Universe title. Lara Dutta, now an actress, was the last person to be crowned back in 2000.
In pics: Moment by moment, Miss Universe 2015 host’s ‘horrible mistake’
Watch: Runner-up Miss Colombia wrongly crowned for 15 seconds