GET THIS PARTY STARTED

If all the world’s a stage, and all life’s a party, and that’s how Benjamin Khoh the self-professed party-lover lives it up. The joy of life is in the thrills of grabbing every new opportunity! And seize the day he most certainly does, from impressing the crowd with his charm to manoeuvring in defence to any strike of his opponent in fencing. At age 21, the 1.8m, 66kg freelance model and performer also finds time from his busy schedule to help out with his family’s food and health supplement business. Instead of leaving it to the buffed and the bulging muscled to battle it out, Benjamin breaks new grounds representing the modern males of the society, whom prefer to party than beat the iron, and has already generated much buzz for his participation in the competition. With his porcelain perfect complexion, boyish good looks and oh-so-sweet smile, Benjamin’s sure to set plenty of hearts a-flutter and heads a-turning not just at parties, but at Manhunt Singapore too!

Congratulations on making it as a finalist on Manhunt Singapore 2013! What was your first reaction when you found out the good news?

It was somewhat a mixed bag of emotions for me, because on one hand, I was excited to have made it as a Manhunt Singapore finalist, but at the same time it’s kind of intimidating upon realizing I was smaller in built as compared to my fellow competitors. My immediate thought was, “Ok, it’s time to buck up!”

 

What inspired you to take part in Manhunt Singapore this year? Do you have any friends from this year's or past years' competition?
In the past few years, I’ve had some great experiences taking part in pageants and competitions by Teenage magazine, Pink Dolphin and MediaCorp, where I often either won or placed first runner-up. So Manhunt Singapore to me would be the next higher platform for me to challenge myself to see how far I could excel in a competition that not only assesses you based on good looks, but physique as well.

 

As for knowing anyone from the previous competition years, I’m actually working on building up my physique at the gym with last year’s winner Jason Chee as my personal trainer! I immediately signed up for his PT sessions once I found out I made the cut as a Manhunt Singapore finalist. He’s been pushing me to work as hard as I can at the gym. Like whenever I’m late for training, my “punishment” would be 50 push-ups in 3 minutes!

 

What do you hope to achieve through your journey on Manhunt Singapore?
Being shortlisted as a finalist on Manhunt Singapore is the best motivation you’d ever get to push yourself towards achieving a better physique! Everyone has been pushing me to buff up! Also, through joining Manhunt Singapore, I’d be able to further extend my circle of friends. It’s always good to get to know more people and make more friends.

 

Besides Manhunt Singapore 2013, have you any other claims to fame?
I have made quite a number of cameo appearances in several kid dramas on Okto Channel, the most prominent of which would be “The Band” starring Singapore Idol alumnus Joachim Gomez. In the show, I basically played a guest student in the class named Benjamin, really just being myself. Coincidentally, later on when I enlisted in National Service!

Besides Okto, you may have spotted me on TV when I auditioned for the first season of Campus Superstar on Channel U. I also appeared on Channel 8’s variety programme S.N.A.P. (熠熠星光总动员) where after being talent scouted by Kola Zhou Ying (周颖) and Lee Teng (李腾), I was then voted by the public and won People’s Choice for “Hottest Male Star” (人气男红星). And currently, I’m a finalist on “Teenage Mission: Gorgeous You!” as well.

 

 

In your opinion, what qualities do you think a Manhunt Singapore winner should possess as a positive male role model? And do you think you have these qualities?
At the top of my mind, it would have to be sincerity and trustworthiness. Personally, none of the people around me has ever heard me badmouth or worse, backstab anyone. I believe it is important to be supportive of one another, especially amongst friends. I really don’t like it when the trust between two people is broken because of badmouthing or backstabbing. So when it comes to people, sincerity and trustworthiness are qualities that I look for and value, and likewise, I do practice what I preach as well.

 

When did you first started getting interested in fitness and could you describe your fitness journey so far?
Back when I was in my teens, I didn’t play sports very often. I tend to always stayed at home and also never paid much attention to the food that I ate, and as a result, often felt that I tire very easily. But as I later realized that I was beginning to easily gain weight around my waist, I decided it was time for me to get started on my personal diet and fitness .I began being more careful with my food intake, refraining from eating too much carbs, as well as lesser oily stuff, and making sure I had a balanced healthy, nutritional diet. To me, fitness is very important, because when you’re fit and healthy, you’d be more energetic, and with more energy, it helps you accomplish the things that you want to do. Plus of course, when you watch what you eat, it helps with your skin complexion too! That’s another reason why I did it – I want my skin to look nice.

 

Having achieved your current state of physical fitness, does it bother you if you see your family or friends who may not be as physically fit and eating unhealthily or not exercising?

Amongst my friends, there are some of whom don’t like to work out, but that really doesn’t bother me, and I don’t go out of my way to go and change them. But every once in a while, like when we go out for a meal, I’d  suggest that they try to eat less oily foods, or I‘d recommend them to try out some good health supplements that I had personally tried and tested. But if they’re not interested, I would not force them, because ultimately it’s their personal choice.

Besides working out in the gym, what would you say are some of your other hobbies or talents?

In terms of sports, foil fencing is my forte. During my secondary school years at Pasir Ris Crest, I was a school representative and our team even won silver at the inter-school games! Since then, I still fence every once in a while, but not as often as before. After all, fencing is not a common sport and without a partner, I can’t possible fence myself right?

 

I also play the piano, and have been classically trained till Grade 5. When I was younger, I used to enjoy composing pop songs or mundane songs. But it was just for my personal enjoyment, I didn’t actually perform them anywhere. Nowadays though, I don’t have the luxury of time to do that anymore. But I do still have my piano at home, so whenever I feel the urge, I’d just play to my heart’s content.

 

As for leisure, I enjoy singing, shopping and partying. Whether it’s product launches or celebratory events, I think parties are a great way to expand my social circle and get to meet and make new friends. Ironically though, I’m not a fan of squeezy, crowded places, therefore I tend to avoid shopping during weekends. When I do go for my shopping fix on weekdays, I’d usually frequent the Orchard Road belt along Takashimaya at Ngee Ann City and Ion, and my all-time favourite brand is Hermes. I love its exclusivity and elegant designs!

 

Globetrotting is another one of my passions in life. My most memorable trip was to London where I won 10,000 pounds at the Empire Casino! And I plan on traveling to Denmark, Belgium and Germany in the future. They’re three of the seven unique cities in Europe, most renowned for their architecture, so it would be really amazing to go and marvel at their infrastructural beauty!

 

How strict are you when it comes to your personal diet? What would you say are some of your "weaknesses" when it comes to sinful food cravings?
To be honest, I’m quite a picky eater, but I do love eating. Some of my personal fave foods would include Kentucky Fried Chicken (original recipe not the spicy crispy ones), chilli crab (like from the award winning Jumbo Seafood), salmon sashimi, and seafood. Discipline-wise, sometimes I really can’t keep to my diet. For instance, last week I was supposed to be on a non-carb diet, but then I saw my friends eating cheese fries and I was like “must eat that”! At first, it was like “have one won’t die”, then after that it became like “give me half”!

 

Which music artist or bands and songs would you regard as your personal favourites?
Aside from heavy metal, I’m very open to different kinds of music, ranging from classical to mainstream pop. As for my favourite music artists, they’d have to be Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera. Christina’s duet with Blake Shelton, “Just A Fool”, is on constant reloop on my music playlist, and as for Mariah, all her songs are nice, it’s practically impossible for me to pick a fave from amongst all her hits! But I must say that my favourite album of hers would have to be “The Emancipation of Mimi”, because she wrote the entire album, and you can tell how liberated she was, regaining her creative freedom that had been oppressed by the expectations of record executives in the past. Another recent hit that also made it to my personal faves is “We Can’t Stop” by Miley Cyrus.

 

What kind of movies or TV shows do you enjoy?

I seldom watch TV and have not had a television set in my bedroom for many, many years. You may think I don’t look like it, but I love horror movies! While others would be yelling, screaming and covering their eyes, I’m not scared at all. In fact, the thrill I get from watching these movies is precisely what I enjoy most about them. No favourite ones though, as I’ve come to realize that most horror movies tend to be quite crappy. One of the rare good ones that I found to be quite memorable was “The Orphan”. But it turned out to be more creepy than scary. The shocking twist at the end where the 9-year old girl turned out to be a 33-year old woman, because of a hormone disorder that stunted her physical growth? That was just plain disturbing! I was scared of children for quite some time.

 

If you were granted a wish to swap bodies, brains or lives with any famous personality or celebrity for a day, who would it be and why?
I just know that people are going to “blast” me for saying this, but it’s actually Justin Bieber. Although I’m not a fan of his singing, I’ll admit he’s got his own unique style of charisma, which sets him apart from other teen idols, and the success he’s achieved at such a young age is truly impressive. If I were him for a day, I’d party up, because I believe that as a celebrity, his party experience would definitely be worlds apart from mine!

 

Moreover, I do somewhat identify with the constant public backlash that he’s always being subjected to, because I got my fair share of criticisms as well. Sometimes no matter what you do, there’ll always be people who just don’t like you, and I can understand that predicament.

 

In your life thus far, what would you say was the biggest or toughest obstacle or challenge you have faced? How did you overcome this obstacle and how would you say this experience affected you?
With great exposure and popularity, comes a great deal of gossip too. Within my social circle, people who didn’t even know me personally started judging me and spreading rumours about me. And a lot of the times, the way that they shared stories about me seemed as if they’re close friends of mine, but in reality I’ve probably never spoken with or even met them before! Over the years, I’ve learned not to bother about how others viewed, criticised or even slandered me. I do accept constructive criticisms though, because I believe everyone needs to be critiqued in order for self-improvement.

 

Being that you're an attractive guy, you must have your fair share of fans. How comfortable are you having not only female fans but male fans as well? Have you had any interesting fan encounters so far?
Guy or girl, it makes no difference to me when it comes to who my fans are. I’m just happy and thankful for their support towards me. I’m not sure if this would be considered interesting, but after the organizers announced me as a finalist and posted my photo up on the Manhunt Singapore Facebook page, there was this one fan that messaged me saying, “I saw you on Manhunt. I’m following you on Twitter too. Shall we be message buddies?” That was the first time I ever came across the term “message buddies”, so I felt it was quite a peculiar request and didn’t know how to respond to it. Ha, ha, ha…
 

As seen on the "Next Top Model" reality series, there seem to be an unspoken expectation that models, both male and female, should be willing to accept the challenge of baring themselves in photoshoots in the spirit of professionalism. How far would you say your personal limits are when it comes to nudity on a commerical or artistic photoshoot? Or onscreen if you go into acting?
I think the decision of to bare or not to bare is a very personal choice, so even if someone doesn’t wish to do so, it’s his or her choice, and they should not be chided for it. But of course, with more self-imposed limitations and boundaries, chances are you’d be pushing away lots of opportunities that would then be directed towards others who are more open-minded and bold. As for me, my biggest concern would be the artistic direction. There’s no way I’d do it if it’s very sleazy in nature, but if it’s tastefully done with a touch of class, then sure, I’m game.

 

There have been many male and female models and beauty pageant contestants who have gone on to become stars in the acting world both locally and internationally. In your personal opinion, do you think models without proper acting training should take the brave leap into acting based on just their good looks?
Why not? If the public likes them and want to see them onscreen, regardless of how bad their acting may be, they would still have their fair share of fans and supporters. As long as there’s demand, there’s always a market for every demographic.

Many attractive male celebrities often challenge themselves to gain or lose a drastic amount of weight or even "uglify" themselves to prove they have more than just good looks and physique to succeed in the entertainment industry. If you were to venture into acting, how necessary do you think and how willing will you be to sacrifice your personal physique (which you've evidently trained hard to achieve) and/or appearance for credibility?

I’d strongly disagree if the choice to alter your outer appearance is solely for the sake of proving your credibility. That should not be the intent. Instead, the basis for doing so should be in the spirit of ambition or professionalism. Every script or screenplay is different, and has its set of criteria for the actors who are cast in its roles. In the case of “Bridget Jones Diary”, the main character is a nerdy, homely girl, so if an actress wanted the part and if she happened to be a skinny, party girl, then she’d have to adapt to fit the look and feel of the character right? And that’s exactly what Renee Zellweger did. So for me, yes I would do it, but only if that’s what the role requires me to do. It would definitely not be because I wanted to prove anything.

 

Could you share with us a lesser-known fact that most others would not have known about you?
I’m a secret hoarder of receipts and boxes. I’ve no idea how old the oldest ones are because I’ve been collecting them like since forever. Shoe boxes, watch boxes, accessory boxes, clothing gift boxes, you name them, I keep them. But I think my granny secretly throws away my shoe boxes whenever she comes and visit our home.

 

And on an ending note, what would you like to say to your fans for their support of you?
I truly want to win Manhunt Singapore! It would prove all my detractors wrong. Secondly, I don’t want to let my supporters, friends, family and the people who believed in me down, and show them that I can do it! And last but not least, I would be able to create history by redefining and breaking the mould of the typical super muscled body that’s defined as the only male look that’s beautiful.

Photos Credit:

Beam Artistes Pte Ltd (www.beam.com.sg),
Photography by Barry Seah Photography
PPi :: Print | Photography | Ideas
(http://ppideas.wix.com/ppideas
https://www.facebook.com/barry.seahphotography)
and Benjamin's Personal Photos