Michelle Pretorius is a South African singer, actress, researcher and lecturer. She is currently a Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Commercial Music at the School of Music at NWU. Michelle holds a BMus from the University of Pretoria, an MMus from the South African College of Music, a MA Musical Theatre from the Guildford School of Acting in the UK, and a PhD in Musicology from Wits University. She is a passionate researcher within the studies of theatre, audience, celebrity and fandom. In 2024 Michelle also did a TEDx talk at the University of Chester in the UK.