Lineo makes a come-back into pageantry

By Seleoe Nonyane

Former teen beauty queen Lineo Seboholi has made a come-back into the beauty pageantry scene after taking a nine-year break to focus on her studies.

Lineo is a year 21-year old woman from Ha Thetsane in the district of Maseru and a fourth-year student at the Limkokwing University of Technology where she is studying Broadcasting and Journalism.

She made a return to pageantry amid much fanfare when she entered the Miss Culture Lesotho 2023 a few weeks ago.

She said she’d always intended to get back into pageantry. So, upon seeing a call for the Miss Culture Lesotho 2023 contestants, she thought it was time to make the re-entry.

“I talked to my mom about it as she plays a big role of managing my career and we agreed it was time.

“Beauty pageantry has always been my first love. So, this move was inevitable,” she said.

The beauty queen said she left the beauty scene because she was struggling with juggling pageantry and school.

“I took a break because I was finding it difficult to find time to study and do pageantry at the same time as I had just started secondary school,” she said.

She said school took most of her time therefore, she was forced to put pageantry on hold.

Lineo told theReporter this week that due to her growth, especially in the entertainment industry where she has does presenting and hosting gigs amid being a tertiary student, has learned that she can and is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to.

“I have been doing a lot of presenting and hosting shows after joining the Lesotho Fashion Week team as their ambassador and presenter while I was still in school. So, I actually became aware that I could manage my time.

“I felt like the time was right. I am stable and capable of trying again,” Lineo stated.

Asked why she chose the Miss Culture Lesotho pageant to relaunch her career, Lineo said she has been following the Miss Culture Lesotho since its existence and she is a great admirer of their work and what it stands for.

She said when watching international pageants, contestants are very proud of their culture and it would be an honour for her to be part of this great initiative that embraces the Basotho culture.

The beauty queen said with this competition she is hoping to fight the stigma which often sees people view Bosotho as boring.

She further expressed her desire to instill the love of Basotho culture in the youth while boosting their confidence and helping them find their identity through culture.

Lineo’s first brush with pageantry was in 2012 when at the age of 11 she entered the Little Miss Lesotho pageant and scooped the first princess title.

The following year she entered the Miss Tourism and also got the first princess prize and during the same year in 2013 she joined the Lesotho Model Champ where she came out victorious as she was announced queen.

“Not many people know this but during my spare time I love cooking and have grown very fond of it. I also love football and reading. I always strive to be a better person than I was the previous day.

“I am driven by progress and I believe in uniqueness and having my own voice,” she concluded.