March 22, 2008
Clipped this article in February, but just didn’t get round to posting it. They pulled this photograph out of the SPH archives, was taken awhile back for a previous article on cycling.
The contest hasn’t changed her
Click here to see article
Angela Leow Gray, a public relations associate, whose father is British and mother is Malaysian-Chinese, beat 24 other women to win the Most Gorgeous Female title.
Thu, Feb 28, 2008
Urban, The Straits Times
by: Michelle Tay
Who: Angela Leow Gray, 25
What: Winner of Female magazine’s 50 Gorgeous People in December last year. The public relations associate, whose father is British and mother is Malaysian-Chinese, beat 24 other women to win the Most Gorgeous Female title.
The avid mountain biker also clinched the Ms Bebe-licious and Canon Most Photogenic Female titles. Ask what gave her an edge in the competition, and the 1.73m beauty quips cheekily: ‘Pepper spray and laxatives.’
She declines to reveal her weight, saying ‘at the end of the day, it’s how I look, not how much I weigh’.
Where else you’ve seen her: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty. The shower cream brand picked her to tell an inspiring story about her insecurities about her ‘big butt’.
She says of the experience: ‘It’s never easy talking about your flaws - or perceived flaws - in public. No matter how much you tell a woman she’s beautiful, there’s always something she’ll be unhappy with.
‘I think we have to learn to accept our flaws and work with them. Beauty is a function of your mindset.’
What made you join Female’s Gorgeous People?
I joined it - with some egging on by my cousin and her friend - for the pretty makeover and photoshoot that I was going to get. But really, I had no expectations whatsoever.
Besides looks, what other qualities did you have to demonstrate to be selected?
I wasn’t out there to win so I was pretty relaxed and I’m glad that everyone picked up on my confidence because what you see is what you get. I don’t take things too seriously and at the end of the day, I just want to have fun.
You can’t let lights, cameras and a crowd of a few hundred people intimidate you. If you’re put on the spot by the emcee, don’t give the standard pageant answer.
Instead, talk to them as if they were your friends. You win for being you, not for being someone else. If I wanted to be an actress, I would have joined MediaCorp.
What have you gained out of joining Female’s 50 Gorgeous People contest?
The pageant answer would be that I met a lot of new friends and I’ve gained a lot of confidence after winning the title. To be honest, I loved the sponsored prizes, which included vouchers worth over $4,000 and accommodation at the Majestic Grande in Bangkok, among others.
It was also a huge ego boost. But the carriage turns into a pumpkin by the time the next issue of the magazine is out on the newsstands.
Would you ever join a conventional beauty pageant such as Miss Singapore Universe?
I don’t think so. I’ve now come to accept myself and my body, and I don’t need a crown and a sash to validate that.
What’s the biggest misconception about you and how do you think winning this title has changed that?
That I’m not approachable. Actually, I think the pageant hasn’t changed that misconception. If anything, it has made it worse, as being titled ‘gorgeous’ makes it seem like I’m in a different league, or that I’m princessy and snobby.
But honestly, I’m still the same person I was before the contest. I still take the MRT to work and queue up for lunch.
This story was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Feb 28, 2008.
posted in Clips |
