Whether it’s their lean, taut, nimble, well-defined bodies, sculpted through long, gruelling hours of rehearsals and practise, or the smouldering, intense gazes and sexy, sensual moves they exhibit on the dance floor, there’s something undeniably and irrevocably attractive about guys who can get their groove on! When Patrick Swayze, in all his wet and shirtless, muscled glory, lifted Jennifer Grey up in the lake in “Dirty Dancing”,millions of girls swooned and wished they too like “Baby” had a handsome hunk to rescue them from being put in a corner.
Then Channing Tatum came along and sent throngs of women into ecstatic frenzies with his sizzling hot muscular physique and dance moves in “Step Up”, followed by the recent “Magic Mike”.
And in recent years, reality stars like Dancing With The Star’s Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Dmitry Chaplin, Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, as well as the many past and present competitors of “So You Think You Can Dance” have catapulted to heartthrob status, as one by one they made it on the list of People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issues.
So it is little wonder that Contestant No. 1 Alex Li Bin, with his gravity-defying breakdancing repertoire, impressive eight-pack abs and suave good looks, would easily charm the hearts of many, winning their support and making it into the finals of Manhunt Singapore 2012!
But did you know that this lean and handsome 20 year old 1.75m 63kg B-Boy used to be a “big boy” who was in the “Trim And Fit Club” back in school? Or that he and another fellow contestant both hail from the Land of The Orient, sharing a tight friendship that dates back to their Secondary School days? And what of the personal significance behind his tattoos? Find out all that and more as we get Alex to dish out all the juicy details about himself in our personal interview with him.
Congratulations on making it to the Top 20 in Manhunt Singapore 2012! What would you like to say to your fans for their support and Facebook “Likes” that helped you make it to the finals?
I really had no intention of taking part in Manhunt Singapore initially, but due to peer pressure from Haoran who wanted to join and asked me to sign up to accompany him for moral support. Haoran and I share a tight friendship that dates back to our Gan Eng Seng Secondary School days, so much so that we’re as close as real brothers would be! We first got acquainted in Secondary 2, became classmates the following year and as we both share similar sense of humour, the same passion for performing and dreams of becoming famous, plus we share an affinity being that we’re both from China, we grew to become really close buddies in no time, and hung out perpetually every day after school as well as on weekends chatting or clubbing. So on the basis of our “brotherhood”, how could I say no to him right? That’s why I gave in eventually and joined the competition with him. Ha, ha, ha…
Having no expectations, I just went with the flow of the competition without giving myself too much pressure about it, and was pleasantly shocked when I discovered I had got into the Top 20 after the Player Kill (PK) elimination round! Never had I seen so many “Likes” and votes coming from both people that I know and don’t know! So I’d like to take this opportunity to flash my brightest smile to you all and say a big thank you to every single one of you! I’m truly grateful and promise I’ll continue to work hard so as not to disappoint anyone, so here’s hoping that everyone would continue to support me!
In this present day and age, with the gradual acceptance and integration of the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community into our society, how do you personally feel about having GLBT fans amongst your fans and supporters?
I’m cool with having GLBT fans, as I have friends who are GLBT too! Nothing wrong with following your heart. You can’t help who you fall in love with right? So long as you’re not antagonizing anyone by overstepping personal boundaries and imposing your personal beliefs on others, I’d like to believe we can all live in perfect harmony. Besides, I’m not the kind of person to bite the hand that feeds me. My GLBT fans, as part of my “fan base”, were also integral in my getting into the Top 20 and I owe them my thanks and gratitude! 
I’m sure your fans and supporters would definitely like to get to know you a little better on a more personal level. Can you share with us some of your favourite things?
i) What do you enjoy doing most in your spare time (and no, gym doesn’t count, ha ha ha…)?
Just as the saying goes, “your friends are the next best thing to your family”, my friends and I are a rather close knit bunch, so whenever possible, we’d get together to go clubbing, playing pool or just chill out and joke around. I always have a great time when I am out with my pals! But occasionally, I also enjoy relaxing at home, catching up on my Japanese anime and movies, as well as play some computer games.
ii) Any fave TV shows?
Since my polytechnic days, I’ve scaled back on my TV watching, aside from Japanese anime series, reason being that I hate the commercial breaks! They disrupt the flow of the shows and I just don’t have the patience or interest to wait for them to be over repeatedly.
Speaking of Japanese anime series, I have a lot of personal favourites! Top of the list for me would be “One Piece”, followed by “Naruto”, “Fairytail”, “Bleach”, “Death Note” and “Yu-Gi-Yo”. I’m also a cosplay enthusiast and my next upcoming costume will be that of a grownup Naruto!
iii) Any fave movies?
Real men shed tears too ok? I’ll admit I’m a sensitive and emotional guy, so movies with touching storylines such as “John Q” do make me well up. I was even moved by action-packed blockbusters like “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “The Incredible Hulk” during their more heartfelt moments! 
iv) What are you currently playing on your iPod/playlist?
“Fantastic Baby” by Korean boyband “Big Bang”. I am a huge fan of the rapper in the group named T.O.P., and hope I can dance as well as and be as famous as them one day!
v) Any fave recipes or food? Would you say you’re a good cook?
What can I say, I love my junk food! McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Indo Mie instant noodles, roti prata, chocolates, ice cream… the list is too long to be contained within these pages! Ha, ha, ha… And it’s everything that we Manhunt Singapore finalists shouldn’t be eating to maintain our top physique! But I just can’t help it, their taste is too good to resist!
vi) What are some of your fave hangouts?
If you thought you might have spotted me at Clark Quay or Orchard Cinelesiure, chances are you’re most probably right! They’re my most frequented hangout spots!
vii) Any fave gadgets? What is it about this gadget/s that appeals to you?
It is my personal opinion that the iPhone 4S is the greatest invention ever made! Thank you Steve Jobs! 
viii) Could you share with us a lesser-known interesting fact about yourself?
I guess I could share the origins of my three tattoos. It slightly irks me that there are still some people out there who automatically assume people with tattoos to be gangsters or “pai kias”, because to me, body art should also be appreciated as an art form for its beauty, as well as given due respect and credit for its evolution as an extension of style within the fashion world. Just take David Beckham for instance, he’s the epitome of the male style icon in the sports and fashion world, he has great looking tattoos adorning both his arms and I am pretty sure nobody looks upon him as a gangster right? 
My very first tattoo is on the left of my lower abs, a small tribal symbol designed by one of my friends back in Secondary School, which I did out of curiosity and to “test waters”. For my second one, Haoran and I thought it would be cool for the two of us to have matching tattoos on our napes and since we’re both Chinese-oriented, so we agreed upon it being a Chinese character of personal significance to each of us. He picked “舞” (dance) while I chose “忍” (endurance), taking inspiration from the saying “忍一时风平浪静，退一步海阔天空” (endure for a while and all will be at peace, give way to others and the possibilities are limitless), as I aspire to be able to endure whatever hardships or obstacles that come my way and emerge a stronger and better person through these experiences. As for the last of my three and most prominent body art, I’m sure without me saying, it’s pretty obvious it’s the Chinese dragon on my left pectoral. As an artistic person, I figured wouldn’t it be great if I could have my body act as a “canvas” for an impressive art piece, and be able to kill two birds with one stone by able to show off my physique as well as the art piece at the same time. My choice of the mythological dragon portrait is symbolic of my pride to hail as a black-haired, yellow-skinned descendant of the dragon from China, the Land of the Orient.
You look rather familiar. Might we have seen you anywhere before?
Ironic as it may sound, even though I cut down on my time spent on watching TV, as a part-time MediaCorp actor, I actually appear quite regularly on drama series on both Channel 5 and Channel 8, so if you’ve watched “Crimewatch”, “万福楼” (“Bountiful Blessings”), “再见单人床” (“Pillow Talk”), “四个门牌一个梦” (“Love Thy Neighbour”), “最火搭档2” (“Unriddle 2”), “我们等你” (“Don’t Stop Believin”), and catch the upcoming “微笑正义” and “X元素”, you’ll most probably catch me on TV!
What made you decide to take part in Manhunt Singapore 2012?
As I’ve shared earlier, I only joined the competition to accompany my buddy Haoran, but now that I made it to the finals, I want to challenge myself to tap into my inner strength, go all out in being the best I can possibly be in all aspects, make a name for myself, earn the recognition in this industry and be famous!!!
Before enrolling in this competition, what was your impression of Manhunt Singapore 2012 like? Now that you’re a finalist, has that impression changed?
In theory, as a bystander, it seems so easy for Manhunt Singapore contestants to just walk around on stage in different clothes and answer short interview questions, but once you’re on the inside as a competitor, you’d realize that so much work and preparation goes behind the scenes, from memorizing the catwalk routines, going through multiple wardrobe changes in the shortest time possible, coming up with a witty answer on the fly to the challenging questions from the judges, to pumping iron harder than we’ve ever pumped before such that we present our best possible physique during the entire competition period of several months! It’s truly is a test of the survival of the fittest!
You’ve received numerous compliments on Facebook, praising your well-toned physique in the Manhunt Singapore 2012 photo shoots. Were you always this hunky since young? If not, what inspired you to build up your physique? How did you do it?
As you may have clued in from my above mention of my adoration for junk food, I wasn’t always this lean and toned. In fact, I was assigned to the “Trim And Fit Club” back in Primary School, because I was a fat kid! I’ll be honest and confess that the biggest reason behind my decision to start training in the gym was to impress the girls, as I assumed they would not be attracted to me if I continued being the chubby boy that I was back then. It wasn’t before long that I got hooked on the adrenalin rush from my vigorous gym workouts and the positive attention I was getting for my brand new physique!
Besides gym, I think my foray into breakdancing also played a significant part in my weight loss journey, as it can really be physically challenging and works up a real sweat at times. I believe I’m born with an innate desire to dance, because whenever I hear music, my body just naturally starts grooving to the beat as if it were on remote control. Inspired by breakers on TV and music videos, I started developing an interest in this form of dance when I was in Secondary 2. In fact, it is the only dance style that I’m into as I feel it is the right fit with my character being so cool, stylish and dynamic. Not knowing where to start at first, I picked up pointers on the fly by watching YouTube videos, then later signup for actual break-dancing lessons in "O" School at Scape and began practising unfailingly during whatever spare time I had at home and in the Esplanade basement with my fellow B-Boy friends. Recently though, I discovered a new dance style which I’ll keep a secret for now. Who knows, I might perform it at the finals, so you all will just have to come to the event and check it out!
There is often the impression that good looking individuals tend to shun or discriminate against others who may not be as aesthetically pleasing in looks and physique. To what extent would you agree with this statement? What is your personal stance on this issue?
Personal values and character is often moulded in our growing up and formative years. Family upbringing and the people you interact with often influence how we treat others, as children tend to imitate behaviour of the people they look up to such as parents, relatives, teachers and friends. For me, I don’t deny that I do occasionally tease some of my friends and classmates who may be a little on the plus side, but it’s all in good humour, nothing malicious. Coming from a strict family upbringing, I’ve been taught to always consider and be thoughtful of the feelings of others as well as not to judge a book by its cover. So these are life lessons that I still take to heart and practise till today.
On the Miss Universe and Miss World annual competitions, emphasis is often placed on promoting world peace and helping the needy who are facing issues such as hunger, poverty and sickness. If given the choice to make a difference, what social cause would you want to champion? Why?
As with Chinese traditional medical treatments, when dealing with a problem, instead of treating the symptoms, it is often best to directly address its root cause, so with regards to social issues, it is my belief that global poverty would be the leading cause of the majority of other issues such as hunger and medical deficiencies. So if we could alleviate global poverty, it would greatly help to lessen the impact of other social issues too!
On a closing note, were you surprised when you first learnt of this Manhunt Singapore Alumni group and were invited to join it in Facebook? How do you think the group is working out so far? Do you have any suggestion on how we can make both the alumni group as well as this blog better in time to come?
I think the alumni group is an excellent social platform that newbies to the competitions like me can get to meet and chat with former winners and finalists from previous years of the Manhunt Singapore pageant! Right off the bat, I cannot think of any suggestions for further improvements, as they’re already great! So all I can say is keep up the good work and I look forward to an even greater and more impressive group and blog in time to come!
From big boy to B-Boy, the art of dance not only has led Alex to shed those extra pounds and achieved his sexy new look, it also paved the way to him becoming a Manhunt Singapore finalist today and one step closer to the fame and stardom he so desires! Word has it that Alex may be showing off his eye-popping skills on the dance floor in addition to his drool some hot physique at the finals, so you definitely won’t want to miss the opportunity to check out this sexy dancer and his spectacular dance moves!
If you’d like to catch Alex and the rest of our Manhunt Singapore 2012 Top 20 finalists in action and express your support for them in person, don’t forget to buy your tickets and head on down to Avalon at Marina Bay Sands on 7 September 2012 at 7pm. Tickets are selling fast, so get them now at EventCliQue!!!
Photos Credit:
Beam Artistes Pte Ltd (www.beam.com.sg),Marcus Mok Photography (http://www.marcusart.net/),
Dennis Chong Fotocology (http://www.fotocology.com/),
Milk Photographie (http://www.milkphotographie.com/index.php),
Ishardi Jamil (http://www.facebook.com/ishardi),
Photography by Colin Phan and Alex’s Personal Photos
