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'Miss Universe' executive wants Steve Harvey to return in 2016

By Marilyn Malara
Host Steve Harvey apologizes before admitting he annouced the wrong winner during the Miss Universe Pageant on December 20. A Miss Universe executive believes Harvey would benefit from hosting the event again in 2016. Photo by James Atoa/UPI
1 of 4 | Host Steve Harvey apologizes before admitting he annouced the wrong winner during the Miss Universe Pageant on December 20. A Miss Universe executive believes Harvey would benefit from hosting the event again in 2016. Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Mark Shapiro, the chief content officer of WME IMG, which put on this year's Miss Universe pageant, believes Steve Harvey deserves a second chance.

Speaking on The Jim Rome Show Monday, Shapiro explained the context of host Steve Harvey's major blunder Sunday when he wrongfully named Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the pageant winner.

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"It was just a flat-out mistake," Shapiro said, explaining the format of the card from which Harvey was supposed to read the winning name. "It's the same card he rehearsed with all day long. We did a dress rehearsal at 8 a.m., so he knew the card, he'd seen it. He know how to read [the card]. It was very clear who was Miss Universe."

Despite the major misread that caused host Harvey to feel "terrible" and "humiliated," Shapiro is sure he'd like to see the Family Feud host back next year.

"He was funny, he was informative, he's high energy, he's got a great following," the executive said. "The man is wildly successful in all different walks of life, with books and radio and television and so on. 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."

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Miss Universe judge Perez Hilton, who initially felt the pageant had been rigged after Harvey's announcement of the winner, told Us Weekly event execs "need to bring Steve Harvey back again next year."

Hilton also asserted Miss Colombia "didn't deserve to win," due to insufficient answers to questions and an "arrogant vibe." "Miss Colombia has not been handling it well," he explained. "She's putting these Instagram posts up about how she's the real winner, but she's not! We didn't vote for her!...What she is doing on Instagram is indicative of who she is as a person."

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