IS one of sports' hottest couples ready to tie the knot?

British magazine Hello! had reported that Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger had hinted at a July wedding with her boyfriend, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

So what better way than to confirm this than to ask the 31-year-old babe herself when the Dolls arrived in Singapore on Wednesday?

I popped the question during the Dolls' meet-and-greet session at Changi Airport Terminal 2's departure transit mall.

'No,' a smiling Scherzinger replied.

I persisted by asking if the diamond-encrusted rose gold band on her right ring finger was a gift from Hamilton, 24, who has been dating her for two years.

Again, the answer was no.

Was the singer just being coy? It's hard to tell.

What's clear is that the Dolls vamped up the Singapore Indoor Stadium at 8pm on Thursday night with their raunchy act.

The US girl group had flown in from Jakarta, where it had performed as part of its Doll Domination World Tour.

But the five-member group will be minus one for its first full-length concert in Singapore.

Jessica Sutta is back in Los Angeles nursing a back injury she sustained during the Dolls' Sydney concert last month.

The meet-and-greet session lasted barely 15 minutes but many passengers were thrilled to meet the dolls.

At least 200 people gathered at the departure transit mall, with even airport staff taking a break from their duties to catch a glimpse of the pop stars.

For Thai event organiser Chanin Sirisovothikul, 26, it was the perfect parting gift from Singapore.

Though his flight to Bangkok was at 7.30pm, the Dolls fan checked in 3 1/2 hours early so that he could meet the stars at the 5.15pm session.

He said: 'I'm very excited. Nicole is my favourite. She's very hot and sexy.'

As for Australians Rob Peters and Joel Germin, their flight's delay was most welcome. Never mind that they could not name their favourite Dolls song or member.

Mr Peters, a 37-year-old police officer, joked: 'They have names? I didn't know that. I don't know their music. I just like them.'

Favourite local food

During the short session, host Jamie Yeo asked the Dolls about their favourite local food.

Scherzinger sure knew how to charm Singaporeans - her choice was laksa.

Only about 20 local fans were waiting for the idols at the arrival hall.

Student Ferlin Leung, 17, heard about the Dolls' arrival from her sister whom she and her parents had just seen off.

'My sister called me immediately after hearing an announcement. I've been waiting for four hours,' said Ferlin, whose favourite Doll is Scherzinger.

Polytechnic student Shairah Sidhu, 18, was among six fans who went specially to meet their idols.

They had been at the airport since 3.30pm and were monitoring Doll Ashley Roberts' Twitter page for information.

'She tweeted about them leaving for Singapore. So we tracked down the possible flights from the time she left the message,' said Shairah.

True to their flamboyant style, the Dolls left the airport in a motorcade led by three Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Despite the absence of Sutta, fans are still looking forward to the concert.

Poly student Mohammed Zameer, 18, said: 'We're disappointed but we still love them. We bought the most expensive tickets ($148). Only the best for the Dolls.'

Concert organiser LAMC Productions said 80 per cent of tickets have been sold.

This article was first published in The New Paper.