SHE came in third in prestigious local beauty pageant Miss Singapore Universe 2009.

She's the face of beauty chain Jean Yip Group - which is owned by her parents - and an artiste with local talent agency Music & Movement. which also manages Dick Lee, Najip Ali and Anna Belle Francis.

National University of Singapore psychology graduate Cheryl Wee will release her debut Mandarin album by the end of the year.

With so much already going for the 24-year-old, why did she take part in the lesser-known, small-scale Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2011?

On Saturday night, at Hotel Intercontinental, she and 23 other women competed for five titles - Miss Singapore Chinatown 2011, Miss Singapore Tourism Queen International 2011, The Look Of The Year Singapore 2011, Miss Singapore Global Beauty Queen 2011 and Miss Singapore Tourism Queen Of The Year 2011.

Did Wee take part in the pageant in the hope of gaining more exposure for her music career? She told The New Paper that the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant was no small-time affair and that it's a good training ground for her singing career.

Speaking primly and eloquently, as if she was tackling a pageant's Q&A segment, she said: "Being an artist and taking part in a beauty pageant is inter-related. It's a lot of hard work, there's mental preparation involved and you learn how to walk and talk."

Well, why not simply attend grooming, speech and other such classes then?

She replied: "In a class, you don't get to put what you learn into practice, unlike in a pageant. The preview show and the finals are mentally stressful and it also pushes you to your limits."

But Wee had a bigger goal when she joined the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant.

Her mother Jean Yip, 52, told The New Paper after the show: "I asked her why she wanted to join the pageant and she told me it's because there's a chance she'll get to compete in Miss Chinese International.

"So it's not a downgrade for her, but a chance to enter the Asian and international market."

Miss Chinese International is a famous annual pageant organised by Hong Kong broadcaster TVB and contestants are title holders of the Miss Chinatown pageant in their respective countries.

Many winners go on to sign contracts with TVB.

Past Miss Chinese International winners include Michelle Reis, Christy Chung, Michelle Ye, Sonija Kwok, Bernice Liu and Linda Chung.

Wee is now one step closer to her goal, for she did indeed win Miss Singapore Chinatown 2011. She will represent Singapore in Miss Chinese International.

She was also awarded the subsidiary titles Miss Drink Culture 2011, Miss Sparkling Eyes 2011, Miss Charm 2011 and Miss Fabulous Smile 2011.

Familiar faces

Other than Wee, there were two other familiar faces at the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant.

The New Paper New Face 2010 Top 20 finalist Petrina Ann J Sandhu, who is also the first runner-up in Ford Supermodel Of The World Singapore 2011, said she joined for the experience.

A pageant is different from modelling contests because pageant contestants need to smile a lot and show off their beauty, personality and wit, she said.

A model, on the other hand, rarely smiles and has to sell the outfits she's wearing.

The 18-year-old full-time model added: "I didn't have the intention to win any title initially, but when I knew later that The Look Of The Year would be awarded, I aimed to win that.

"The Look Of The Year is a modelling contest and it's a big thing to me because it'll expand my modelling career."

Petrina Ann - who, at 1.75m, was the tallest contestant - bagged the title she had hoped for. She will be going to Italy to compete in the international pageant.

Cheryl Desiree Chan, the child actress from the local 2002 movie I Not Stupid and TV series spin-off, had won Miss Singapore Tourism Queen International in the same pageant in 2008.

This year, the 21-year-old banking and finance student from Singapore Institute of Management, who is also a part-time DJ, won Miss Singapore Global Beauty Queen 2011 and the subsidiary titles Miss Elegant 2011 and Miss Lumiere 2011.

Chan said: "With every pageant I join, I learn new things. I decided to participate this year because I like making new friends with the other contestants and going out together.

"This helps to increase my profile and boost my acting and DJ stints."

The remaining international titles Miss Singapore Tourism Queen International 2011 and Miss Singapore Tourism Queen Of The Year 2011 were awarded to 21-year-old student Agnes Callista Anggasaputri and 22-year-old bank executive Jean Tan, respectively.

This article was first published in The New Paper.