Actor Ralph de Leon is currently trending online following an unexpected moment during his guest hosting stint at the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 on Saturday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
As de Leon stepped on stage, he began delivering his line for the final walk of Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo, but suddenly paused mid-sentence.
“Tonight, we have witnessed Filipinas who have stepped into their power and owned their own story…”
He attempted to restart his line multiple times, which left online viewers confused. Some even speculated that he had forgotten his script.
“Tonight we have witnessed Filip— [long pause]”
“Tonight we have witnessed Filipinas who have stepped into their power and owned their story—”
“Tonight — we— [pause]. Tonight — [long pause]”
Despite the moment, de Leon remained composed and smiling throughout. The live audience, meanwhile, showed support by cheering him on.
Videos from attendees later revealed what was not seen in the live broadcast—de Leon had switched microphones with the floor director. After testing the new mic, he successfully delivered his line on his fourth attempt.
“Fourth time’s the charm!” de Leon joked before completing his spiel.
According to audience members at the venue, the incident was caused by a technical microphone issue. While his voice was audible in the online broadcast, those inside the arena reportedly couldn’t hear him at first—leading to differing experiences between viewers online and those watching live.
Many netizens were amused by how de Leon handled the situation professionally. Others, however, criticized the Miss Universe Philippines production over the incident.
In a social media post on Sunday morning, de Leon responded on a post by Senyora, who wrote, “I think hindi kaya tonight… tomorrow na lang.” In the comment section, de Leon replied, “‘Di naman tayo umabot ng tomorrow,” followed by a crying emoji.
As of this writing, the Miss Universe Philippines Organization has yet to release a statement regarding the matter.
