Miss South Africa Mia le Roux withdraws from Miss Supranational 2025
Le Roux follows in the footsteps of her predecessor, Natasha Joubert, who also opted out of representing the country at international pageants.
Last year, Le Roux withdrew from the 73rd Miss Universe pageant due to health concerns.
As the countdown to this year's iteration of Miss Supranational got underway, the Miss South Africa organisation announced that its reigning titleholder Mia le Roux will not represent the country at the international pageant when it takes place next month in Poland.
Slated for Friday, 27 June, Miss Supranational 2025 will see Indonesia's Harashta Haifa Zahra crown her successor when the finale takes place in Poland.
'With heartfelt gratitude to our incredible fans, we share that Miss South Africa will not participate in the Miss Supranational 2025 competition, set for June in Poland,' the Miss South Africa organisation said.
'We deeply value the memories and connections of this event.'
'We wish the Supranational Organisation a spectacular event,' the Miss South Africa organisation continued.
Earlier in the year, Miss Suprational Organisation president Gerhard Parzutka von Lipinski said they were delighted to return to Poland, where the pageant has been hosted for the past four years.
'We look forward to showcasing the beauty, culture and vibrant soul of Malopska as the candidates form new friendships during what we hope will be their most memorable summer ever.'
Previously, Miss South Africa runner-up Bryoni Govender represented the country at the pageant after former titleholder Natasha Joubert opted out of representing the country internationally.
Govender reached the top 12, winning the People's Choice Award and Miss Supranational Africa 2023 title.
Former Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, represented the country in 2021 and brought home the title in 2021.
In November last year Le Roux withdrew from the 73rd Miss Universe pageant due to health concerns.
Speaking about her decision to withdraw from the pageant, the 29-year-old told YOU Magazine at the time: 'I wanted to walk on that stage because I wanted to make my country and myself proud. But even though I experienced a disappointment, I also had peace in my heart. I truly gave my all.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Costumes of ‘The Gilded Age' Are a Part of Real Life History
LONDON — Costume designer Kasia Walicka Maimone grew up with Leo Tolstoy's 'Anna Karenina' in her native Poland. The Russian classic is part of her 'cellular structure' and she recently reread the novel set in the late 19th century. The period has had a lasting impact on her and it's also the time frame of the HBO series 'The Gilded Age,' about New York City's elite as they shuffle from opera houses to fancy luncheons and beyond. More from WWD From Runway to Silver Screen: Sara Sampaio on Embracing Chaos, Comedy and Her 'Superman' Debut Dominique Thorne: Bringing Ironheart to Life and Inspiring a New Generation of Heroes Anne Hathaway Revives Andy Sachs in Jean Paul Gaultier Look on 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Set Maimone has been working on the historical drama for over five years and nothing is short of grandeur as she costumes characters based on New York's famous families: the Astors, the Goelets, the Livingstons, the Van Rensselaers and the Vanderbilts. 'I live in New York and it's such a celebration of the city and getting to know the history of New York intimately,' she said in an interview, detailing that she works on 5,000 to 7,000 costumes a season with her team, which on a regular day is made up of 65 people and can go up to 200 on a big shoot day. Now for the third season, Maimone has had to look beyond the fashions and parameters of the city, as Gladys Russell, played by Taissa Farmiga, marries into British aristocracy and becomes a duchess. Her character takes inspiration from Consuelo Vanderbilt's marriage to Charles Richard John Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough. Gladys clashes with the duke's sister, Lady Sarah, played by Hattie Morahan, as she teaches her a new way of life in England and living in a country house. 'My obligation is to make sure that each character is different and that they are defined by what they are wearing. It was very obvious what to do with Lady Sarah, she needs to be zipped up and conservative. She continuously [wears] a riding outfit with classic lines, which clashes with Gladys' newest fashions,' Maimone said. Lady Sarah is costumed up to the neck in dull tones and sharp collars, while Gladys arrives at Sidmouth Castle wearing dresses made from red and turquoise lace, yellow jacquard and baby blue tartan. Gladys is a mirror of her mother, Bertha Russell, a fictionalized version of Alva Vanderbilt, a newcomer in New York City society who is clawing her way to the top with extravagance and somewhat bad taste to the old guards of the city. The Russell family's costumes are daring and years ahead of their time. 'The old guard famously bought the same dresses from the House of Worth and then kept them in the closets for two years until the seasonalism quietened, but Bertha has no problem with that kind of bad taste as she's happy to manifest it,' Maimone said. It's what Gladys does when she arrives in England — in one scene, she wears diamond stars in her hair — that Lady Sarah frowns upon. Maimone also understands that not everything is historically accurate — there's always going to be an element of entertainment. 'We crank it up a bit more than what it would have been in real life and that's my job. There's a playfulness with the material,' she explained. Her research into 19th-century New York fashion is as detailed as any history degree and spans across texts, books, magazines and art. Many of Gladys' costumes take their cues from the paintings of the American artist John Singer Sargent, who painted Consuelo Vanderbilt a few times during his lifetime. Maimone's attention to detail is precise — even to the secondary or one-off characters, such as Madame Dashkova, a spiritual medium, or Monica O'Brien, Bertha's sister. 'She communicates with animals and she's wearing a fox paw on her chest that she talks to. It was just a really fabulous exploration of what to do with a fortune teller,' she said, adding that in the case of O'Brien's arrival in her old rags, it was about instantly letting viewers know that there was a history and disconnect between the sisters before they even came into contact with each other. Nothing is put to waste on the expansive set of 'The Gilded Age,' not even the costumes. Maimone reuses all the pieces for the house staff and with the menswear she makes additional tweaks every season to move the costumes forward with the time period. This season, Agnes van Rhijn, played by Christine Baranski, rewears many of her old dresses since losing her fortune and being dependent on her sister, Ada Forte, played by Cynthia Nixon, who has come into wealth but doesn't change her costumes that much as she's still in mourning. The costumes of the show are a reflection of the storyline — many of the pieces are made in New York, but some are specially designed in Europe for the main characters. But New York seems to hold a special place in Maimone's résumé. She costumed the 2005 film 'Capote,' based on Truman Capote, and the crime drama 'A Most Violent Year,' depicting '80s New York. 'I studied English in Warsaw and when I graduated, I was quite lost and ended up living in New York City surrounded by this community of artists, who were extremely passionate about what they were doing. It was an awakening moment and I had been making clothes since I was a kid, so I ended up going to FIT, where I realized that [fashion] was the most natural language that I had and it was the first time that school ever made sense in my life,' she said. Maimone had a hand working in theater and with dance companies and operas at that time and found her calling. 'I quickly noticed that I belong so much more in storytelling than in fashion because I'm very passionate about stories and discovering new worlds,' she said, remembering 'Life Situations: Daydreams on 'Giselle,'' a production she worked on with the modern dance choreographer Donald Byrd in 1995. All roads lead back to the opera or stage for Maimone, who is costuming the upcoming biopic 'Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,' starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. Best of WWD Fashion Meets Cinema: Jaws 50th Anniversary and Calvin Klein Spring 2019 RTW Show Retro Glamour: Giorgio Di Sant'Angelo's Summer 1973 Chic Straw Hat Statement The Story Behind Jackie Kennedy's Cartier Watch: A Royal Gift With 'Traces and Clues of Her Life' Revealed Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Miss Universe Canada faces heat after announcing its 'best body' finalists: 'This category is why people have a problem with pageants'
Some on social media questioned what the category's title meant, wondering if it was judged based on being skinny, muscular or something else. The Miss Universe Canada organization is facing some heat for a category some are saying shouldn't exist in today's world. Ahead of Saturday night's competition, the official Instagram account for the Canadian beauty pageant shared which top three delegates were finalists in its "best body" category. "Celebrating the dedication, discipline and confidence it takes to embody true physical excellence! Congratulations to our top three finalists for the 'Best Body' award," the organization wrote in a post featuring three delegates on the stage wearing swimwear. The caption added the category winner would "advance into the top 26" during the final event on Aug. 9. The three finalists included Malayika Kwizera of Ottawa, Jaime VandenBerg of Lethbridge, Alta., and Valeriia Kalmykova of North York, Ont. However, people on social media weren't too happy to hear that delegates were seemingly being judged on the appearance of their bodies. "These women are beautiful, however 'best body' should absolutely not be a category in 2025," one person commented, to which another replied saying," Biggg time agree. That title felt very '90s." "Best body? WTF does that even mean? Skinniest? Strongest? Healthiest? Bone density? This has nothing to do with women empowerment rn," one person added. "As a former MUC contestant, I have to say this category is why people have a problem with pageants," someone chimed in. "The fact the top three had the smallest frames is so concerning to me. I understand why Siera Bearchell felt let down and 'plus sized' by the organization," one person penned. Some people in the comments showed their support for the category and its finalists. "If these girls work hard to get their physique, then absolutely they should be celebrated. It's not an easy thing to achieve," someone shared. Kalmykova took to her social media account to share her perspective in a video, adding she was happy she was a finalist and understood "it's part of the competition." "But I want to remind you that the best body is the body you feel the best in," she continued. "The body that helps you to enjoy life. All changes happen from inside out. ... Once you learn how to feel your body, what your body needs, you will get your best body and you will feel confident in it." VandenBerg was the eventual winner of the entire Canadian pageant. She was crowned in Windsor, Ont., and will compete in the Miss Universe pageant later on Nov. 21 in Thailand against women from around the world. It's not the first time the Miss Universe Canada pageant has faced backlash regarding a stance that's not entirely body positive. Former Miss Universe Canada Siera Bearchell has been open about being bullied for her weight, especially when she arrived at the Miss Universe pageant in 2017 held in Manila. She recently recalled how "the world called me fat" at the time, expressing how her excitement over being on the world beauty pageant stage was tainted by hurtful comments from people who'd called her things like "Miss Piggy Universe" and "whale." "I was labelled the plus-sized contestant," she wrote in an Instagram post on July 28. "People even accused me of gaining weight on purpose to 'stand out.'" At the time, she said she had "minimal support" from the national team. "I could feel they didn't believe in me, and I started to lose confidence in myself," she added. "Until I remembered that I got to this point because I wasn't afraid to show up as me. I came this far because I knew that beauty and confidence was beyond size. My dream of standing on the Miss Universe stage was achieved because I had more to offer to the world than a number on a scale." Bearchell eventually placed ninth in the global pageant that year. However, she said she spent the days before the event working to repair her confidence so that she could "stand tall" and "proud" on stage. "I quite literally coached myself into having the confidence to step on that stage … even when the world was making memes of me that were making fun of me for not being as thin as the other contestants,' she continued. "I have realized people will doubt you and it's up to you to show up anyways."
News24
9 hours ago
- News24
‘I chose uNelisa': Married at First Sight star reflects on customary marriage discovery
Married at First Sight: Mzansi stars Nelisa Ntabeni and Palesa Mphaki face unexpected marriage dilemmas. Nelisa is grappling with revelations about her husband's previous customary marriage, while Palesa struggles with mismatched expectations and challenges like polygamy talks. Despite setbacks, both women explore love, boundaries, self-worth, and the rollercoaster of being thrust into the spotlight. What would you do if you found out your new husband was previously customarily married to someone else, and it's unclear whether they followed due process to dissolve their union? That is the dilemma Nelisa Ntabeni found herself in on Married at First Sight: Mzansi after hearing that her new husband, Themba Khosa's, ex was not happy that he married a stranger on a national TV show. She posted an out-of-context image, leading fans to believe that she had already left Khosa; however, many said she may have been referring to an ex when she shared a photo of herself holding luggage with the caption: 'I packed my bags [and] left him. Never looked back. I chose uNelisa.' When congratulated for her decisions and quizzed by fans about what she thought about the revelation, she wrote: 'Ndisacinga girl! Ayilulanga. Mara, how many South African men pay Lobolo even for multiple women [and] never marry them? Then sonke sikwi sthembu mos... singooo 1... noo2... noo3!' she wrote, letting fans know that she's still thinking about the matter and that it is not okay. She also questioned the definition of marriage if several men pay lobola or customary fines (colloquially called 'damages') for the mothers of their children. Ntabeni argued that several people are effectively in polygamous marriages if paying lobola for a person you have a child with is considered a customary marriage. 'My baby daddy paid Lobolo partially for me but, when he married someone else, I had to accept... sivana ukufa today nomkakhe coz I had to get ready for the fact that my boy was about to gain a 2nd mom,' she added, explaining that the father of her child married someone else even though he paid lobola for her. 'Ewe siba hurt, but we need to be bigger than that for the sake of abantwana.' In what fans viewed as a veiled comment directed at her husband's ex, she said she developed a good relationship with her child's stepmother despite being hurt about not being the one getting married because she had to do the right thing for her son's sake. When another fan asked her to give her marriage with Themba a fighting chance, Ntabeni commented: 'All I can say is... he's a good man who made mistakes... and the mistakes were not against me... they were actually before me. Lots to consider here, but I'm letting God guide me.' Another contestant facing a similar dilemma is Palesa Mphaki, whose journey with husband Tshepo Miya has been anything but smooth, especially after last night's explosive episode, where suspicions of infidelity left fans on edge. Showmax shared the answers from a Q&A with the star to give fans more insight into her journey and what life has been like now that everyone is watching events filmed months ago as she reintegrates back into everyday life outside of reality TV. 'I said yes to Married at First Sight: South Africa for the experience, with the objective of discovering affection through an unorthodox approach,' she says. But nothing could fully prepare her for the whirlwind of emotions that followed, from walking down the aisle with a stranger to navigating the complexities of a televised marriage. She also says watching herself on screen has been surreal. 'It's been a peculiar experience, yet I am grateful for the occasion to observe myself from a distinct perspective,' she admits. Public scrutiny has also intensified as her face becomes more recognisable. 'People are beginning to take notice of me. I'm gradually becoming accustomed to the stares and whispers that surround me. It's quite amusing to observe,' she says with a laugh. The recognition is gratifying, and I'm slowly becoming more comfortable with it.' First impressions become uncomfortable truths When Palesa first locked eyes with Tshepo at the altar, her initial reaction wasn't what fans were hoping for - a couple happy to see the stranger waiting for them at the end of the aisle. However, her feelings about what she got seem to echo those of Portia Baloyi, who has been pretty unkind to her match, Bongani Luvalo. 'I was slightly shocked. I mean, I had said I wasn't into super skinny guys but I hadn't anticipated meeting a pretty chubby dude at the altar,' confesses Mphaki. 'But hey, I know that looks aren't everything, so I was still willing to give it a shot.' However, the challenges of marrying a stranger quickly surfaced. 'The most significant challenge is discovering their darker side, as well as gaining insight into the reasons behind their continued single status,' she says. One of the biggest red flags? Tshepo's unexpected stance on polygamy. TikTok/@nelisa_ntabeni 'The polygamy question truly took me aback. I couldn't understand why he would even bring up such a topic.' Despite the disappointments, she says the show has been a crash course in relationships and self-discovery, which reinforced valuable lessons about self-worth. 'Being on the show taught me that not everyone is completely honest in their actions and movements. It was a real eye-opener. It has taught me the importance of setting healthy boundaries and not allowing others to take advantage of my good nature. I have learned to stand up for myself while still being respectful and considerate of others.' Though her marriage was rocky, she said she enjoyed watching fellow cast member Makoto's journey. 'I am truly savouring and relishing the journey of Makoto and Nkululeko. There is something incredibly compelling about focusing on those who are frequently misunderstood or misjudged by society. Especially because I know the show is not scripted.' Although her TikTok account makes it apparent that she developed a strong friendship with Makoto, her off-camera bond with the rest of the cast varies. 'I have conversations with Makoto nearly every day, and I engage in frequent discussions with Nelisa. However, Portia's communication with me is dead.' Married at First Sight: Mzansi airs every Sunday at 18:30 on Mzansi Magic and is available on Showmax directly after the broadcast.
