For one beauty queen, what should have been a defining moment turned into a painfully awkward scene that left the audience, judges, and fellow contestants stunned.
At the glittering Miss Grand International pageant in Bangkok, Thailand, Isamar Herrera, representing Panama, was among 76 radiant contestants waiting for her fate. On October 18, the moment every contestant dreams of happened: Herrera’s country was called, or so she thought.
In a heartbeat, she covered her face in disbelief, her emotions raw and real, before striding forward toward the stage lights. Her fellow contestants clapped, some cheering, others looking confused. She reached the front, posed confidently for a full ten seconds, basking in the applause and spotlight.
The Mistake That Changed Everything
Then came the words that froze the entire hall. “Aaah, I beg your pardon, I announced Miss Grand Paraguay announced,” host Matthew Deane said, his voice cutting through the music and cheers.
What followed was a silence that could be felt. Herrera stood frozen, her celebration abruptly stolen. Deane tried to recover with, “There is a lot of noise in this hall, packed full of fans from all over the world.” But the damage was done.
Herrera turned, gracefully retreating from the stage as Paraguay’s Cecilia Romero stepped forward to take her rightful place. The audience was split between applause and gasps. Cameras captured contestants exchanging uneasy glances.
The Internet Reacts with Compassion
The viral clip spread fast, pulling in millions of views and a flood of sympathy online. Many blamed the mix-up on sound confusion or language barriers. “Panama, Canada, Paraguay, sound the same, don’t condemn her,” one user wrote.
Others praised Herrera for handling the moment with such grace under pressure. “She didn’t lash out, she didn’t cry on stage, that’s class,” one fan commented.
While Herrera didn’t make it into the final 22 after the blunder, her poise became a story of quiet strength. Fans across Latin America rallied behind her, sending messages of support. One viral comment summed it up best: “You were impeccable every time. You deserved the spotlight. Better things are coming your way.”
The Crown Still Shines
After the dust settled, the pageant crowned its winner. The Philippines’ Emma Tiglao, a 30-year-old news anchor, was crowned Miss Grand International 2025. Her victory marked a stunning back-to-back win for the Philippines, solidifying its powerhouse status in the beauty pageant world.
Tiglao triumphed over Thailand’s Sarunrat Puagpipat, Spain’s Aitana Jiménez, Ghana’s Faith Porter, and Venezuela’s Nariman Battikha, who rounded out the top five.
For Herrera, the mix-up might have ended her Miss Grand International journey, but it arguably made her unforgettable. In the world of pageantry, this is not the first time a contestant has had to show grace under fire.
History Repeats Itself
The painful confusion instantly drew comparisons to another pageant moment that lives rent-free in the internet’s memory, the 2015 Miss Universe fiasco.
That year, host Steve Harvey made a now-legendary mistake when he announced Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, as the winner — only to correct himself moments later, revealing that Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, was the actual Miss Universe.
Millions watched as a tearful Gutiérrez had the crown removed from her head on live television. The images became instant history, turning the pageant world upside down.
Like Herrera, Gutiérrez handled the humiliation with incredible grace, even comforting her supporters afterward. The eerie resemblance between the two incidents shows how even the most glamorous moments can unravel in seconds.