Anna Marie Lukban

Steve Byrne says Nawat Itsaragrisil attempted to host Miss Universe 2025

Article (news)

Alyana De Guzman

Push Team

<p>Steve Byrne claims that Nawat Itsaragrisil tried to fire him and make himself as the Miss Universe 2025 host. Miss Universe 2025 took an unexpected turn when host Steve Byrne announced on November 24 that he was resigning as the “reigning Miss Universe 2025 host” amid the series of withdrawals, controversies, and disputes surrounding this year’s pageant. </p><p>What began as an abrupt statement on Facebook quickly escalated when Steve released a video on November 28 revealing his own experience behind the scenes, an account that centered on an alleged attempt by Thai Miss Universe vice president for Asiana, Nawat Itsaragrisil, to remove him from the show and position himself as host. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/events/2025/11/25/steve-byrne-on-hosting-miss-universe-2025-i-thought-miss-c-te-d-ivoire-was-going-to-win-0937"><strong>READ: Steve Byrne on hosting Miss Universe 2025: &#x27;I thought Miss Côte d&#x27;Ivoire was going to win&#x27;</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>In the video, Steve began admitting he never intended to share his story. “I’ll let you know, I personally had my own scandal and I wasn’t gonna share it, but due to the overwhelming amount of everything going on, I thought I’d share my own personal story with you,” he said.</p><p>He explained that in the weeks leading up to the coronation, he had worked extensively on his hosting material. “I wrote a ton of jokes and I took it very seriously. I wrote a ton of jokes for it. I was very proud of the jokes I wrote.” </p><p>According to Steve, things took a sharp turn during the final rehearsals. He rehearsed onstage from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the day before taping, coordinating cues, pacing, and placements with the candidates. Towards the end of the rehearsal, he said Nawat approached him and commented, “You need more energy.” He responded politely, telling him, “Yes, yes, absolutely, I’ll do that, I’ll do that. But we’re at rehearsal, you’re learning your script, I’m learning my script, I’m learning where to put the jokes in, I’m learning coordination with these fantastic women. So yes, I will give you my all, I promise to do a good job.” After that, Steve said Nawat walked away “not too pleased.” </p><p>What happened next, Steve claimed, unfolded just an hour after he had left rehearsal. “Now this is 7 p.m., we’re taping at 8 p.m... He goes into production and he wants me fired. He wants me out of there. He never wanted me, is what I learned, but he certainly didn’t want me because I wasn’t giving the energy at rehearsal.” He said the production team refused, arguing that replacing the host only twelve hours before taping was impossible. But Steve added that Nawat was consistent, saying, “I want him gone.”  </p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2279438649207284%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>&quot;So they say ‘absolutely not, you&#x27;re not firing him, he&#x27;s staying on.’ They win, okay. Nawat then goes through the entire script and takes out every one of my jokes, takes them all out. Production fights, they get maybe two jokes back in, but otherwise Nawat took everything out. So that was a bit devastating, but that&#x27;s not even the worst part.&quot;</p><p>Steve then revealed the part that stunned him as well as pageant fans: “And you know who should replace [me]? Take a guess – Nawat Itsaragrisil, he wants to replace, he wants to host it, okay?” Steve said production rejected the proposal, insisting he remain as host.</p><p>He described the experience as “devastating,” but said it wasn’t the worst part. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2025/11/25/steve-byrne-resigns-as-reigning-miss-universe-2025-host-2216"><strong>READ: Amid Miss Universe controversies, Steve Byrne jokingly resigns as &#x27;reigning host&#x27;</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>“Nawat added two lines, okay?” Steve said. The first required him to give public praise to the Thai executive during the live show: “I had to thank Nawat for bringing us all to Thailand. So I had to make sure the audience applauded for him.” The second line, Steve said, shocked him even more: “And then, and then, he added this line, he wrote this himself. I had to say, ‘Nawat, you truly are amazing.’ So the audience had to applaud, I had to say that.”  </p><p>Steve said the situation left him stunned, adding, “And I’ll tell you, in the aftermath of all this, almost getting fired, having to say those things. Who would do that? Only a true dumb head.” </p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1889499368666207%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Steve’s narration of his personal scandal comes after he made his formal resignation public on November 24, which he shared in a joking tone to mirror the chaotic events surrounding the pageant. “There have been so many resignations from judges, from delegates. Controversies swirling… I thought it was only fair to publicly state that I, too, feel it’s high time I resign as reigning host of the 2025 Miss Universe,” he said on Facebook. </p><div><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/celebrities/2025/11/21/meet-miss-universe-2025-fatima-bosch-1713"><strong>READ: Meet Miss Universe 2025 Fatima Bosch</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><p>The controversy involving Steve and Nawat adds to the already tense atmosphere surrounding Miss Universe 2025. Nawat himself has been the subject of criticism early on the pageant after his confrontation with Miss Mexico and now Miss Universe 2025 Fatima Bosch. He called out the Fatima for allegedly refusing to join a social-media photo shoot, even labeling her a “dumbhead” during the exchange.  </p><p>After the coronation, even more fuel was added to the fire as resigned Miss Universe judge Omar Harfouch claimed that the Miss Universe 2025 results were rigged and called Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch a “fake winner”.</p>

<p>Steve Byrne shares his own Miss Universe experience when Nawat Itsaragrisil tried to fire him and appoint himself as host.</p>

Steve Byrne shares his own Miss Universe experience when Nawat Itsaragrisil tried to fire him and appoint himself as host.