JUST a month ago, local comedienne Patricia Mok had declined to strike a mock diva pose.

'It's because I'm really not a diva,' she had explained to The New Paper photographer Jonathan Choo.

But things were different during a photoshoot with us a week ago. Patricia posed aggressively.

When asked why the sudden change, the 36-year-old actress said with a laugh: 'You all label me diva what, so I must embrace it gracefully lor!'

In October, the actress had thrown a tantrum on the film set of her latest drama, tentatively titled Reunion, and yelled at extras who she thought had held up the shoot.

In an F1 party at a Mercedes-Benz showroom in Sep, she also blew her top when valets made her wait 11/2 hours before getting her friend's car keys.

Netizens flamed her on a forum with one slamming her for thinking she is a 'superstar'.

She apologised, calling it a 'big misunderstanding'.

She said: 'It hurts when people misunderstand me. Even shoe shop salesmen were calling me 'Oi Diva!'

'But I have seen the humorous side to it. So I'm content to just be a nice diva now.'

She's not one to mince her words. 'I won't sugar coat things.

'If you are late, I'll ask you in your face why you are late. If I can be on time, I don't see why you can't.'

The stickler for punctuality also blamed the public's preconceived notions of her.

'People always see me as a comedienne so when I am straighforward and aggressive with them, they get shocked.

'They think just because I'm funny on TV, it means I must be soft and nice in real life.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on Dec 30, 2008.