Television host Steve Harvey is apparently not welcome in the Philippines, as far as President Duterte is concerned.
Still annoyed by Harvey’s infamous Miss Universe flub, the President is seeking a replacement for the American host in the beauty pageant slated in the Philippines early next year.
Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo revealed that the President has opposed the selection of Harvey and plans to ask the organizers to assign a new host.
The world’s biggest beauty pageant will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan. 30, 2017.
“When I told the President about that, negative agad ang sabi niya: ‘Hindi pwede.’ That was what he said. And he said: I’m going to talk to the Miss Universe because I don’t want him to be the host of Miss Universe’ so that’s my problem,” Teo said in a Palace press briefing.
Harvey drew widespread criticisms after he crowned the wrong winner in the Miss Universe pageant in December 2015.
The jaw-dropping mistake forced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez to give up the crown to its rightful owner Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach. Harvey has apologized for the incident. (Genalyn Kabiling)