Miss Universe crowns wrong beauty queen in live TV gaffe

Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach waves after being crowned Miss Universe at the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada Dec 20, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Wurtzbach appeared to take the blunder in her stride.

"It's a very non-traditional crowning moment," she said backstage afterward in a video clip of a conversation with Miss USA posted by the Miss Universe pageant on its Twitter feed. "It is very 2015."

Earlier, when asked why she wanted to be Miss Universe, Wurtzbach said: "I will use my voice to influence the youth and I would raise awareness to certain causes like HIV awareness, that is timely and relevant to my country."

It was the first Miss Universe title for a contestant from the Philippines in more than 40 years.