Miss Universe 2025 Host Steve Byrne Responds to Backlash Over the 2025 Winners
STEVE BYRNE – The host of Miss Universe 2025 addressed questions and criticisms from pageant fans following the controversial outcome of this year’s competition. In a Facebook video posted on November 22, 2025, Byrne clarified several issues surrounding the event, which took place the previous day in Thailand and sparked heated reactions online.
The results crowned Mexico’s Fátima Bosch as Miss Universe 2025. Thailand’s Praveenar Singh placed first runner-up, Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali finished second runner-up, the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo came in third runner-up, and Côte d’Ivoire’s Olivia Yacé secured the fourth runner-up position. Shortly after the announcement, allegations of cheating surfaced. Lebanese-French composer Omar Harfouch even claimed he resigned from the judging panel prior to the finals due to alleged irregularities.
In an effort to be transparent, Byrne shared a photo of himself holding the official results. However, instead of easing the backlash, some online comments suggested he might have read the list backward, fueling further confusion. Byrne firmly denied this in his video message. He explained that he did not misread the results or fabricate any placements, emphasizing that he would not even know how to judge based on the pageant’s criteria. He added that pageant officials would have immediately corrected him through his earpiece or even intervened onstage had he made a mistake.
Byrne also extended his congratulations to Miss Mexico but admitted that his personal favorite was Miss Côte d’Ivoire. He shared that, based on how the final moments unfolded, he genuinely believed Olivia Yacé would win the crown.
“I’ll be honest, when I was watching everything unfold, especially in the final five, I thought Miss Cote d’Ivoire was going to win. That’s who I thought was going to win. Miss Mexico won, so congratulations to her,” he explained.