'I will take responsibility for this, it was my mistake,' he continued.

'I can show it to your right here, the first runner up is Colombia,' it's my mistake, still a great night. Please don't hold it against the ladies.'

And then came for the heartbreaking moment when Miss Colombia had to bend down, allowing Vega to remove the crown and place it on Miss Philippines head instead.

The telecast then came to an abrupt stop, cutting without credits or allowing Miss Philippines to take her first walk as Miss Universe.

'I'd like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia & Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible,' Harvey wrote in a tweet following the broadcast.

'Secondly, I'd like to apologize to the viewers at that I disappointed as well. Again it was an honest mistake.'

‘This was a terribly honest human mistake and I am so regretful.’

'I don't want to take away from this amazing night and pageant. As well as the wonderful contestants. They were all amazing,' he continued to tweet, before once again 'emphatically' apologizing to Gutierrez and Wurtzbach.

Just an hour ago the two women had been sharing a happy embrace as they were both named, along with Jordan, into the top three