Steve Byrne shares thoughts on Miss Universe 2025, says he didn't read winners list backwards
Steve Byrne cleared the air after hosting the 74th Miss Universe.
In an Instagram Reel, the comedian-actor shared some of his thoughts after receiving "crazy DMs" regarding the recently concluded pageant, including who he thought was gonna win the coveted crown.
"I’ll be honest, when I was watching everything unfold, especially the final five, I thought maybe Miss Côte d'Ivoire was gonna win," he said. Nonetheless, he still congratulated Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, for winning the title.
For her part, Côte d'Ivoire's Olivia Yacé chimed in the post's comments section.
"'Don’t read the wrong name' was the last thing I said to you on stage ONE JOB STEVE (haha it’s a joke). But all jokes aside, I’m happy to say you were an amazing host and we all had a lot of fun with you at rehearsals. It was a pleasure meeting you," she wrote with praying and heart emojis.
He also clarified speculations online that he might have read the winners in the wrong order.
"No, I did not read the list upside down, I didn’t read it backwards, [and] I definitely did not make up my own winners. I wouldn't even know how to judge the criteria," he said. "Had I messed it up, the director, pageant officials, they would’ve been in my earpiece or probably storm the stage to be honest with you."
"After the incident with Steve Harvey, I knew how much pressure was on me to get it right," he said.
Byrne also shared that he did a catwalk on stage before the announcement of the top 12 because the list wasn't ready yet.
"Marcus, the director, told me you need to kill time, you need to stretch," the comedian shared, adding that he was suddenly cued in before he could ask how much time he had to improvise for, so he walked the runway instead.
"It was an honor, it was a privilege to get to do it."
Yacé was named fourth runner-up, with the Philippines' Ahtisa Manalo as third runner-up, and Venezuela's Stephany Abasali as second runner-up. Thailand's Praveenar Singh secured the title of first runner-up in the competition.
