Despite making one of the most historic mistakes in Miss Universe history after crowning the wrong winner, executives still believe host Steve Harvey did a good enough job to be welcomed back next year. On Sunday night, Harvey read the cue card wrong and announced that runner-up Miss Colombia had won the 2015 Miss Universe pageant, when really Miss Philippines had won.
Up until this awkward moment, which he took full responsibility for and apologized for, Harvey did an incredible job hosting the show, which is why WME IMG chief content officer Mark Shapiro said they would "absolutely" have Harvey back on the show.
"He was funny, he was informative, he's high energy, he's got a great following," Shapiro said on the Jim Rome Show on Monday. "I definitely want him back, and I would hate to see him not come back. He's going to want a shot to redeem himself. Look, the world forgives, the world forgets. It could happen to the best of us. He was so well intended, and he's such a good guy, and it was really such a mistake that I hope people don't hold this over him other than for just a good laugh and let it pass."
"He felt terrible, he was humiliated, he felt he humiliated her," Shapiro continued. "It was just literally like he just read it wrong, and I was trying to remind him, it really takes a man to turn right around and go back up there in front of the audience and live television and say, 'You know, I didn't read this thing right.'"
He may have flubbed here, but Belize wants to give him a shot to redeem himself, too. The Belize Tourism Board was impressed with how well he handled himself after making the mistake, and how he took full responsibility for it, that they invited him to host their biggest beauty pageant next summer, according to New York Daily News. The International Costa Maya Festival runs from Aug. 6 to Aug. 9 and is the Caribbean country's biggest festival. They think he would be a great host, despite what happened on Sunday.
"Dear @IAMSteveHarvey, we all make mistakes," the board tweeted at the host on Monday. "You handled yours with class. Would you host our next pageant?"
Dear @IAMSteveHarvey, we all make mistakes. You handled yours with class. Would you host our next pageant? @CostaMayaFest #MissUniverse2015
— Belize Tourism Board (@belizevacation) December 21, 2015
