Miss Nevada Brittany McGowan, Miss Maryland Mame Adjei, Miss Rhode Island Anea Garcia, Miss Texas Ylianna Guerra and Miss Oklahoma Olivia Jordan during the 2015 Miss USA pageant. Photo / AP
Miss Nevada Brittany McGowan, Miss Maryland Mame Adjei, Miss Rhode Island Anea Garcia, Miss Texas Ylianna Guerra and Miss Oklahoma Olivia Jordan during the 2015 Miss USA pageant. Photo / AP
Miss USA may have been crowned, but all eyes and ears were on the third and fourth place winners who gave some cringeworthy answers during the interview round.
The pageant was already steeped in controversy after the pageant's part owner, Donald Trump, criticised Mexican immigrants at his US presidential campaign launch, causing broadcasters NBC and Univision to cancel plans to air the pageant and judges and performers to pull out.
Reelz TV stepped in to broadcast the event instead, which took place in Louisiana on Sunday.
But just when it seemed Miss USA couldn't suffer any more embarrassment, two of the pageant's finalists gave some of the most cringeworthy answers in the history of the pageant.
First up was 20-year-old Anea Garcia, AKA Miss Rhode Island.
"Recently, comedian Jerry Seinfeld spoke out about political correctness in our culture. Do you think political correctness is hurting or helping this country and why?" a judge asked.
"That's a very good question. I think that it's a balance of both. We definitely need ... I'm sorry, may you please repeat the question once more?" Garcia replied, according to Hollywood Life.
Miss Rhode Island Anea Garcia participates in the swimsuit competition. Photo / AP
"I think that it's a balance of both. We need the people to remind us, especially politicians, to remind us what to do and when to do wrong," she is quoted saying.
Unfortunately for Garcia, she ran out of time after that garbled response.
Not to be outdone, Miss Nevada, 25-year-old Brittany McGowan, gave her own silly answer.
"What would you do to improve race relations in the US? Please be specific," McGowan was asked.
"What I would do to improve race relations in the US is get more races grouped together and be able to be with each other in a ... in a non ... let's see," McGowan started, according to Hollywood Life.
"I think what we need to do is bring ... ahh..." she continued.
But McGowan recovered somewhat to finish with a good answer: "We need to be more accepting of each other and we need to bring people together. That's what I think we need to do."
McGowan's recovery was all-but forgotten, though, when she later took to the stage in her evening gown and almost lost her footing.
The mis-step may have had something to do with the giant train she was dragging behind her, which apparently the beauty queen had only decided to wear at the last minute.
So while the title of Miss USA was taken home by Miss Oklahoma, Olivia Jordan, it is her third and fourth place runner-ups who will keep the world talking about the troubled pageant.
