Miss Panama’s onstage blunder goes viral, leaving fans cringing: ‘Beg your pardon?’

What began as a moment of triumph swiftly turned into confusion and disbelief. Amid the noise and excitement of the Miss Grand International 2025 pageant, a major blunder unfolded when the wrong contestant was mistakenly announced as the winner.

It soon became evident what had gone wrong. In the midst of the commotion, the event’s announcer hurried to his microphone to rectify the error, saying, “Aaah, I beg your pardon, I announced Miss Grand Paraguay. There is a lot of noise in this hall, packed full of fans from all over the world.”

The contestant, caught in the misunderstanding, was forced to return to her place as the true winner — Paraguay’s Cecilia Romero — took her rightful walk across the stage in celebration.

The incident quickly went viral online, triggering an outpouring of sympathy and support. A TikTok clip of the mishap garnered nearly five million views, with users rushing to defend the contestant.

“Panama, Canada, Paraguay, sound the same, don’t condemn her,” one user commented. Another added, “Maybe she didn’t really understand because of the language barrier.” A viewer from Paraguay remarked, “I’m from Paraguay and I felt very sorry about what happened.”

Others described the moment as “painful to watch,” while one comment read, “Hope she gets over it.” Another user expressed, “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.” One more sympathized, “Poor girl, wish someone had told her before she reached the front.”

Despite the public embarrassment, the contestant remained composed and gracious. “These things happen. It was a mistake and this is a competition,” she said afterward. “You have to know how to lose and recognise the triumph of others.”

Ultimately, Emma Tiglao, 30, from Pampanga, emerged as the crowned Miss Grand International 2025. The runners-up included Thailand’s Sarunrat Puagpipat (first runner-up), Spain’s Aitana Jiménez (second runner-up), Ghana’s Faith Porter (third runner-up), and Venezuela’s Nariman Battikha (fourth runner-up).

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