SINGAPORE - She represented Singapore as a figure of elegance, poise and strength at Saturday night's competition.
But Miss Naoko Enomoto, the winner of Miss Pole Dance Southeast Asia 2012, revealed that the stress of preparation had taken its toll on her relationship in the days leading up to the grand face-off at local nightspot Avalon Singapore.
The 33-year-old Japanese pole dance instructor at Bobbi's Pole Dance Studio Singapore - who has lived and worked here for the past three years - told The New Paper: "I was quite stressed and frustrated the past week, and I warned (my boyfriend) Trip that I would be a b**** to him until the competition was over.
"Nevertheless, he said that he was okay with that as long as I warned him in advance when I was going to be catty.
"He was also very supportive and understood that my whole-day practice sessions, which could take up to six days a week, meant that we would hardly have any time to spend together."
Miss Enomoto, who had previously won the Miss Pole Dance Singapore 2010 competition, added that she has been dating Mr Trip Allen, a 51-year-old American who's working here in the IT industry, for about four months.
She said: "I'm looking forward to spending more time with him now, especially as it's still the honeymoon period for us.
"Plus, I can finally go out and have a drink!"
Her prizes included $800 cash and a three-day-two-night getaway to Kuala Lumpur sponsored by Bobbi's Pole Studio Malaysia.
Miss Pole Dance Southeast Asia 2012 was the third such annual competition hosted locally, with this year's edition also open to participants from around the region for the first time, featuring contestants from Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Read the full story here.
Click on the thumbnails below for exciting highlights from the event.
(Photos: Nudge photography-Noel Yeo, TNP)
