©2004 Fann Wong Singapore

2004   Nov 04, 2004 They play coy AGAIN SHE feigned ignorance, looking as innocent as she could, chanting 'I don't know'. Then, she tried mock-strangling a reporter, and swatting another's notebook. She even got her very glib-tongued minder to fend off reporters while she spoke to other people. Fann Wong did everything she could to avoid answering questions about rumoured boyfriend Christopher Lee. A topic that hasn't gone out of flavour for the past few years, simply because the two have never admitted to it, despite 'evidence' pointing otherwise. They have been spotted holding hands in Bali, and Christopher has admitted to being interested in the 33-year-old MediaCorp actress. In more recent years, it's been harder to believe they are just platonic friends considering how his car is more or less a permanent fixture outside Fann's Upper Thomson house, and how both of them have bought units in the same apartment block in the Newton area. When Fann was signed up health company Reborne to be the spokesman for slimming pill Xando earlier this year, Christopher soon inked a deal too, to endorse Reborne's other pill Xcerol. To call it coincidence is stretching it. So naturally, the topic of their romance cropped up again, when the pair turned up together at the launch of the new Xando X-Fat pills last night. The other celebrity couple from Hong Kong, newly-weds Kenix Kwok and Frankie Lam were also present. And while Kenix and Frankie have always been very open with their romance (see other report), both Fann and Christopher were determinedly tight-lipped. AVOIDING EACH OTHER The pair moved in different circles during the champagne and canapes rounds, seemingly taking care to avoid each other. When it came to interviews, Fann also made it clear she didn't want to talk about anything else apart from the slimming pills. Out came her above-mentioned bag of tricks to distract the reporters, and 'stop asking' was her plea. And what lengths she went to, to protect herself! Fann was so reluctant to be photographed together with Christopher, her minder even pulled her away just when one of the photographers was about to take a shot of them both - resulting in a short face-off between the minder and the angry photographer. When told that Frankie and Kenix had thought that Christopher and her made a cute couple, Fann flashed her trademark mega-watt smile and replied: 'They are very compatible too!' Interestingly enough, Christopher had the same answer to the same question. 'NOT READY' But instead of mock-strangling reporters like Fann, Christopher decided friendly shoves were better. He claimed he's not ready for any commitments, because he is barely earning enough to feed himself - 'I'm only 33, I don't plan to marry so early.' Christopher claims he is still single, and available. He even tried to win our sympathy: 'Don't you find me pitiful, that I don't have anyone even though I'm so eligible?' Sigh. They didn't hide their romance HONG KONG actors Frankie Lam and Kenix Kwok are at the other end of the spectrum from Fann Wong and Christopher Lee. While Fann and Christopher will deny their romance till they are blue in the face, Frankie and Kenix came clean from the moment they started dating nine years ago. Frankie, 36, said proudly: 'We went public with our romance on the second day that we started going steady! Why? Because we were so confident of our own feelings!' And Kenix, whom he married in a lavish wedding ceremony in March, nodded her head in agreement vigorously. The 33-year-old said: 'We received so many fan mail and letters from our relatives asking if our romance was true. They were actually very happy that we were really dating.' NO PRESSURE Both Frankie and Kenix said that they had never considered hiding their romance, because they felt there was nothing to hide. Kenix said: 'If you don't go public, then you won't feel free. People will be constantly asking you, and the paparazzi will always be after you. 'It's more relaxed this way, there's no pressure.' But they agreed that going public may not be for everyone. Kenix said: 'Everyone thinks differently. Maybe they are being restricted by management or the media, we don't know. Sometimes external influences might have a negative effect on the relationship.' She said that marriage hasn't changed things much between them, because they had such a long courtship, and that they are still as lovey dovey as ever, with Frankie constantly surprising Kenix with small gifts. Frankie said: 'I'm a man, so I have to dote on her more.' The celebrity couple chuckled when told of Fann and Christopher's long-running romance. 'We've heard about them being 'good friends'. But Kenix and I were 'good friends' too, for nine long years!' said Frankie, with a twinkle in his eye. Source: The New Paper