Enrique, won't you be my funny valentine?

BY YEOH WEE TECK
Feb 2, 2002

IT'S almost impossible to imagine him being a babe repellent. But Latin heartthrob Enrique Iglesias claims he is.

"In high school, I would never ask a girl out because I was afraid of being rejected.

"I wasn't in the cool group, I was normal, quiet and shy."

His confidence has made a quantum leap since then, even though he still gets rejections.

"Recently in Japan, I went up to two girls in the middle of the street and asked them out, but they blew me off."

And when he is in love, he gives his all.

"When I am in love, I don't feel like working!"

Love, he says, makes him randy. Right now, he is single. Or in his own words, "freelance".

Randy, in fact, seems to describe him perfectly.

Behind the brooding, luv-ver persona that he adopts, is a man with a bawdy sense of humour that, more often than not, travels southwards.

Asked how different he is from Ricky Martin, the 27-year-old replies tongue-in-cheek: "Ricky shakes his butt, I shake my nuts!"

Ahem!

With girls, including a local TV newscaster, who go all giggly after meeting him, does he always feel this gorgeous?

His morning routine involves "watching CNN and reading the papers".

Iglesias gives good quotes.

Unfortunately, most of them are too saucy for this newspaper - like when he jokes about what he does first thing in the morning or what he wishes for when he sees himself naked in the mirror.

Perhaps he's trying to compensate for being two hours late for his press conference here.

In his denim fisherman cap, trendy New Balance sneakers, shades and unshaven chin, Iglesias looks every bit the Latin dream that his music videos portray him as.

Iglesias lays on the charm thick during the 30-minute interview.

When a radio DJ starts a long ramble about his own radio show and his favourite dim sum place, Iglesias maintains interest even as the other three reporters start to zone out.

Iglesias then asks the rest about their publications, perhaps out of courtesy.

But we're glad he makes the effort, even if he's just being polite.

Iglesias, however, says he is not blind to "ass-kissing".

"In this business, don't surround yourself with yes-men.

"I used to see my dad (Julio Iglesias) perform, and I saw my dad's fans come up afterwards to say 'What a great concert!' when they didn't even see it!

"I have an advantage - I've seen it happen to my dad, and I've seen it with me."

However, even with his background, Iglesias admits to feeling nervous before an event.

Before his appearance at the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon last September, he had a case of the nerves.

"I came on before Faith Hill. When I get nervous, I forget lines and it was a big show, so I wanted to do it right.

"And when I looked at Faith, she was very nervous too.

"So no matter how big you are, you can get nervous."

Iglesias continues: "During the Grammys and World Music Awards, I saw two female singers become so nervous, they threw up."

He declined to name the two women.

And what with the rumours of Madonna sightings over the past two days (she is supposedly staying at the Fullerton or the Four Seasons), did Iglesias catch a glimpse of the blonde one?

"I haven't seen her. Really."

Being polite again, or totally honest? Who cares, he is too charming for us to nit-pick.