Miss Universe judge Perez Hilton: ‘I don’t think Miss Colombia deserved to win’

In a candid podcast posted on December 21, Miss Universe 2015 judge and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton shared his two cents on the controversial coronation night...and possibly created more controversy.

Speaking to his co-host Chris Booker, Perez (whose real name is Mario Lavandeira) explained that by the time the top three were done answering, he had become certain that Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach deserved the crown. He explained that the judges were told to consider everything about the candidates—including personality and how they could represent Miss Universe as an organization.

Although she was an early favorite, Perez said that the way Miss Colombia Ariadna María Gutiérrez Arévalo acted while answering the second question ("Why do you think you deserve to win the Miss Universe crown?") was a "major turn-off" for him.

"I don't know if the people at home could see this, but Miss Colombia was being straight-up diva b*tch rude to her translator. She was giving the most awful side-eye, throwing major shade," he said and further observed that "Miss Colombia was not happy with the pace or the way that the translator was translating."

Perez added that Wurtzbach did so well with her second question that for him, this sealed Miss Colombia's fate as first runner-up.

"It wasn't just that [Gutierrez] came across—not just to me but several of the other judges—bitchy and arrogant. It was that Miss Philippines gave a better answer. It was the second time she [Wurtzbach] gave a great answer, actually a better answer," Perez said animatedly, "I was like whoa, [Wurtzbach] really brought her A-game and was super competitve but also...she just deserved it. To me, there was a real beauty and grace and elegance [in her]. She was Miss Universe."

The Miss Universe judge boldly stated, "I will go on the record now and state: Miss Colombia was the most beautiful contestant. But I don't think she deserved to win the title—and she didn't win the title." — Aya Tantiangco/BM, GMA News