During a co-hosting gig at the prestigious 71st Miss World pageant held in Mumbai, India, Megan Young found herself in an awkward position after an onstage gesture involving Miss Botswana was called out by netizens as “distracting,” which the former titleholder is sorry for. 

Megan Young co-hosted the finals of the latest edition of Miss World held last March 9, 2024 in Mumbai India, where she shared the stage with Indian entertainment personality Karan Johar. 

In what would turn out to be a controversial moment, the former Miss World titlist made the gesture of fixing Botswana’s Lesego Chombo’s hair upon calling the contestant forward for her Q&A moment. 

The 34-year-old host and actress, herself a seasoned beauty queen, is deeply apologetic for whatever consequence her actions caused, though she wants to make it clear that it was just an attempt to help Miss Botswana.

“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,” her statement read. 

What was seemingly a harmless act for Young was unfortunately met with immediate flak and criticism as some netizens deemed it culturally inappropriate. 

She confirmed, however, that she has already apologized personally to Lesego.

“We have spoken privately last night at the hotel and I have apologized to Lesego in private.” she added.

Megan Young, a Miss World 2013 winner, maintains her commitment to redeeming herself and learning from the situation. Her statement, posted on her Facebook account, reads in full: 

“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 could have caused distress during that moment and I have been made aware that culturally, this is unacceptable.

We have spoken privately last night at the hotel and I have apologized to Lesego 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.

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.”