It was one of the most embarrassing moments. A moment of confusion spoiled what should have been a joyful celebration for one beauty queen when her fellow contestant accidentally stole her spotlight in a viral and awkward incident.
Isamar Herrera stood tall among 76 contestants on stage at the Miss Grand International pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, eagerly waiting to hear her country's name announced among the 22 finalists. The 31-year-old Panamanian beauty covered her face in disbelief and began walking forward, thinking she had made it, as the audience and other contestants watched in stunned silence. However, that was not to happen as she left others shocked.
Moment of Embarrassment
Reaching the front of the stage, Herrera confidently struck a pose, holding it for about ten seconds as she savored what she believed was her big moment. However, Miss Grand Panama's moment was abruptly cut short when host Matthew Deane stepped in to correct the obvious mistake.
"Aaah, I beg your pardon, I announced Miss Grand Paraguay," Deane said, drawing out the long, awkward silence.
"There is a lot of noise in this hall, packed full of fans from all over the world," he added.
Herrera had to step back as Paraguay's representative, Cecilia Romero, was called forward to take her place.
Some contestants looked around awkwardly, unsure how to react, while others offered encouraging applause to help Romero salvage the moment.
Ten more contestants were then announced to complete the list of 22 finalists, leaving Herrera out of the running.
Social Media Reacts
The onstage mix-up struck a chord with viewers, many of whom expressed sympathy for both Herrera and Romero. "Panama, Canada, Paraguay, sound the same, don't condemn her," one person wrote.
"Maybe she didn't really understand because of language barrier," wrote another.
Fans rallied behind Herrera, encouraging her to brush off the mishap and continue competing with confidence. "You were a good candidate, impeccable every time you came out, and you deserved the classification. I'm sure better things will happen in your life," another comment read.
The 22 finalists represented countries across the globe, including Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Martinique, Mexico, Paraguay, Spain, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Kingdom, the United States, Venezuela, and Zambia.
After the multi-week competition, Emma Tiglao of the Philippines was crowned Miss Grand International, marking the second consecutive year that the Southeast Asian nation took home the title.
The 30-year-old news anchor won over first runner-up Sarunrat Puagpipat of Thailand, second runner-up Aitana Jiménez of Spain, third runner-up Faith Porter of Ghana, and fourth runner-up Nariman Battikha of Venezuela.
