Steve Harvey commits Miss Universe gaffe: 5 things about the comedian and TV host

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The host of the Miss Universe pageant mistakenly announces Miss Colombia as the winner before correcting the mistake and announcing that the crown really goes to Miss Philippines.
Steve Harvey speaking to the audience after Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez was crowned Miss Universe on Dec 20, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

US comedian Steve Harvey found himself at the centre of a controversial storm on Sunday (Dec 20) when he announced the wrong winner while hosting the Miss Universe pageant in Las Vegas.

Harvey, 58, was involved in an embarrassing mix-up involving Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutierrez, and the actual winner, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach of the Philippines, which saw the former give up the crown after a few brief moments.

To compound his epic boo-boo, Harvey then misspelled both countries' names in his apology on Twitter, drawing further ire.

Here are five things to know about the well-known television host and author.

1. Three-time Daytime Emmy Award winner

Harvey has won the Outstanding Talk Show Informative award in the past two years (2014 and 2015) for the eponymous talk show Steve Harvey. He picked up the Outstanding Game Show Host accolade last year for the venerable game show Family Feud.

He is also known for hosting his own radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show.

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2. Third comedian to host Miss Universe

Harvey reportedly followed in the footsteps of Johnny Carson (1961) and Sinbad (2000) as the third comedian to helm the international beauty contest in its 63-year history.

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3. Written three self-help books

Specialising in topics such as dating, relationships and careers, Harvey has found success with his three titles - Act Like A Success, Think Like A Success: Discovering Your Gift And The Way To Life's Riches; Straight Talk, No Chaser: How To Find, Keep, And Understand a Man; and Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.

Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, a dating advice best-seller published in 2009, formed the basis of the 2012 romantic comedy film Think Like A Man.

4. Fancies himself as a dating guru

In September 2014, Harvey launched his own dating website - Delightful.com - to "help woman become more dateable" and boasts the tagline "Find love and keep it".

The website is a joint venture with media company IAC, which also owns other online matchmaking services such as Tinder, OkCupid and Match.com.

5. Thrice married and has seven children

Harvey has four children from his first two marriages - twin daughters and a son from the first, and another son from the second.

He married his current wife Marjorie Bridges in June 2007 and raises her three children - two daughters and a son - as his own.

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