Pia Wurtzbach doubts viral ‘score sheet’ of Miss Universe 2023 evening gown competition

Pia Wurtzbach. Image: Instagram/@piawurtzbach

Pia Wurtzbach is confident that the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) wouldn’t put its “credibility” on the line, days after a supposed score sheet of the pageant’s evening gown competition made the rounds of social media.

During the Miss Universe finals in El Salvador last Nov. 18 (Nov. 19 in Manila), the Top 10 delegates — including the Philippines’ own Michelle Dee — competed at the evening gown portion. Reigning titleholder Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua, Thailand’s Anntonia Porsild, Australia’s Moraya Wilson, Puerto Rico’s Karla Guilfu, and Colombia’s Camila Avella then advanced to the Top 5.

Dee didn’t make the cut and was ushered backstage with the remaining delegates.

Following the coronation, a supposed score sheet of the judges went around social media platforms where Dee appeared to have tied with Porsild with the score of 89. Palacios (105), Guilfu (96), and Wilson (91) likewise posted the highest scores to make the Top 5.

It also showed this year’s judges, Miss Universe 2021 first runner-up Nadia Ferreira, Puerto Rican actress Giselle Blondet, and TV host Carson Kressley giving Dee a score of six. The source of the score sheet, however, is yet to be determined.

On her Instagram broadcast channel last week, Wurtzbach speculated the score sheet to be fake as it contained details that were apparently different based on her past “experience as a judge” in 2017.

“Una, bakit may nationalities ng judges? Second, when I judged in 2017, we all agreed to score between 8 to 9.9. Walang 10. I don’t think may 10 rin sa keypad namin noon but I don’t know how it looks now,” she said, noting it’s meant to not “tip the average to one side too much.”

(First, why does the score sheet have the nationalities of the judges? Second, when I judged in 2017 we all agreed to score between 8 to 9.9. There’s no such thing as 10. I don’t think there was a 10 in our keypad back then, but I don’t know how it looks now)

Image: Screengrab from Instagram Broadcast Channel/@piawurtzbach

The former titleholder stressed that the MUO wouldn’t “leak this kind of information” as “data privacy” is a priority, noting that the organization wouldn’t sacrifice their credibility.

“But then again, I judged years ago and things might have totally changed already. Who knows? Ibang era ‘yun. Ibang era na ngayon (It was a different era back then. It’s a different era now),” she added.

Image: Screengrab from Instagram Broadcast Channel/@piawurtzbach

Wurtzbach also noted that the pageant’s judges would usually judge candidates with a “decimal point,” before quipping that she would reach out to former MUO president Paula Shugart.

“Charot, ginugulo ko lang kayo (Just kidding, I just want to mess with you all),” she added.

Aside from Ferreira, Blondet, and Kressley, also included in the judging panel were Miss Universe 2016 Iris Mittenaere, Miss Universe 1977 Janelle Commissiong, Halima Aden (Somali-American model), Mario Bautista (Mexican singer), Avani Gregg (US social media personality), Connie Mariano (Filipino-American physician), Sweta Patel (Roku executive), and Denise White (Miss Oregon USA 1994).

Mittenaere recently made waves after admitting that Dee was among her chosen bets to advance to the Top 5.

The MUO is currently on the subject of controversy after pageant watchers asserted Dee’s alleged removal from the Top 5, citing an art card on Miss Universo El Salvador’s Instagram page which claimed that Dee advanced to the next round. The account’s handler, however, apologized for the mishap days later.

The MUO has yet to make a statement about the alleged score sheet, as of this writing.