“Our Mistake!”: Miss Universe Apologizes for Including Michelle Dee in Top 5 Post
"This was a simple error of moving too fast."
(SPOT.ph) #DeePaTapos? You might have seen a screenshot of a deleted Instagram post by Miss Universe El Salvador floating around the Internet, causing a stir about the Top 5 finalists. However, the fight might actually be over this time—sorry to say, as the Miss Universe account has issued an apology.
The Miss Universe El Salvador account gave us reason to believe Philippine bet Michelle Dee should have made it when it posted to Instagram a now-deleted graphic of the Top 5 with Dee in it, while the competition was still ongoing on November 19. People were already saying the 72nd Miss Universe was “rigged” when our candidate did not make it to the Top 5 (in that beautiful evening gown inspired by Apo Whang-Od, no less) so this post was no help.
Miss Universe El Salvador finally issued an apology for the graphic mix-up in another Instagram post today, November 22, attributing the mistake to "moving too fast."
“Our mistake! In the rush to get our posts up during Saturday’s live broadcast, we accidentally mixed up the names of two finalists. This was a simple error of moving too fast - we heard the same results live at the same time that you all did, no special access over here! We’re sorry to both finalists.”
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In the reuploaded graphic, Dee was replaced by Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild, who ended up winning first runner-up in the competition. The other four contestants—Australia, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and Columbia—remained in Miss Universe El Salvador's reuploaded post.
Also read: OPINION: Miss Universe Wanted a 'Transformational Woman.' So Why Didn't It Want Michelle Dee?
Michelle Dee reacts to Top 5 mix-up in Miss Universe 2023
While the screenshot was rapidly circulating on social media, pageant fans were quick to point fingers at Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, who was one of the judges on coronation night, for the suspicious results. She says that she had “no idea about a deleted post.”
“As judges, everything was fair and legal. But to be honest Michelle was in my Top 5. I loved her style in evening gown and I love her style since I saw her in the Philippines almost 3 years ago," Mittenaere replied to a comment on her Instagram post. “She didn't do any mistakes, so the Philippines should be very proud of her. When you see the girls who didn't make it to the Top 5, there is a lot of amazing contestants ... I know that Michelle is very sweet and please give her a lot of love because she deserves it.”
As for Dee? She’s just soaking in every moment of her post-Miss Universe journey. Everything happens for a reason, she said, so it's a matter of seeing the incident as a lesson or a blessing. Either way, she's happy to put the country back in the semifinal round with her Top 10 placement.
“There should be no room for error but the reality is that we live in an imperfect world,” Dee said in a message to her broadcast channel on Instagram. “My request is not just to be respectful to the delegates but to the supporters that are so passionate about this platform as well.”
It might not be the closure Filipinos want, but it's a closure nonetheless.
Also read: Philippines vs. Filipinas: Why Did Michelle Dee Use the Latter in Miss Universe 2023?