Miss South Africa Mia le Roux has sparked a debate on social media after her interview at the Metro FM Music Awards.
Asked about her favourite music artist, Le Roux candidly shared she doesn't listen to music due to her deafness. This response has sparked controversy online, with some questioning the sensitivity of the question and others criticising Le Roux's perceived lack of preparedness.
Le Roux is the first Miss SA who is hearing-impaired. She has been using a cochlear implant to hear since she was young.
After the controversy, Le Roux opened up about her relationship with music and the complexities of being a deaf person in the public eye.
I've had moments where I've played music in the background just to feel less alone, but that doesn't mean I've always understood it fully. Even now, I can't confidently identify genres, artists or instruments. And because of that, I've never felt comfortable expressing music preferences especially in a public setting, she said.