Former Miss World Megan Young issued an apology after facing criticism for fixing Miss World Botswana Lesego Chombo’s hair during the Miss World question-and-answer portion.
Megan’s well-intentioned action of brushing a piece of hair from Chombo’s face sparked outrage from some viewers, particularly African pageant fans.
The issue sparked after a content creator from Botswana accused Megan of racism for adjusting Lesego’s hair.
“In my own opinion, that presenter wasn’t fixing Lesego’s hair. And there was nothing wrong with her hair,” the content creator stated.
“The presenter wanted to kill Lesego’s confidence and also show judges that it wasn’t her natural hair but a wig,” he added.
In a Facebook post, the 34-year-old actress acknowledged her mistake. She explained that her intention was to be helpful, but acknowledge that she failed to consider the cultural implications.
“Last night during the final, I fixed Lesego Chombo’s (Miss Botswana) hair on stage. I wanted to offer a helping hand but I failed to oversee the bigger picture. This coud have caused distress during that moment and I have been made aware that culturally, this is unacceptable,” she said.
Megan also shared that she and Lesego had talked privately and she personally apologized to Miss Botswana in private.
“To those who witnessed the incident, I also want to apologize for any discomfort or confusion my actions may have caused. It was a thoughtless and disrespectful act, and I take full responsibility for it,” Megan continued.
“I assure you that it was not my intention to invade personal space or make anyone feel uncomfortable. I deeply regret my actions and will strive to be more mindful and respectful in the future,” she added.
Meanwhile, Lesego took to her own platform to urge her supporters to be more understanding towards Megan and the newly crowned Miss World, Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic, who also received criticism online.