Mia le Roux: South African beauty queen pulls out of Miss Universe pageant

The 28-year-old made history as the country's first deaf representative at the beauty contest.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersS Africa's Mia le Roux pulls out of Miss Universe pageant Getty ImagesMia le Roux's health and well-being are our utmost priority, organisers say Mia le Roux who was set to represent South Africa at the Miss Universe finals this weekend in Mexico has pulled out of the competition, organisers have announced, citing health concerns.

The 28-year-old made history as the first-ever deaf woman to be crowned Miss South Africa in August, following a controversy-hit competition which saw one finalist withdraw after being trolled over her Nigerian heritage.

She had spent weeks in Mexico preparing for the finale of the prestigious beauty contest.

The Miss South Africa organisation in a statement said Ms Le Roux's health and well-being "are our utmost priority" and pledged to support her until she "returns to full health".

The last-minute withdrawal means South Africa will not be represented at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant, where Ms Le Roux was among 120 beauty queens vying for the coveted title.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg4dmd2vjjo

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