Straight-shooting comedienne Patricia Mok had a tough childhood. She was called names such as Monkey for her stick-thin frame and mu lau hu (Mandarin for 'tigress') for her outspokenness.

When she was old enough to go to bars, she looked on enviously as guys bought drinks for her prettier female friends. The 37-year old says matter-of-factly: 'I know I'm not pretty, I'm actually ugly.

'People have said I am too skinny, have no figure, have a big mouth and talk too loudly, like an Ah Lian. I have come to terms with all that. I just wanted to act.

'So when I was given a chance to do comedy on stage, I grabbed it.'

She overcame the jeers to become one of the most recognisable funnywomen in Singapore.

Her story echoes that of Scottish church volunteer Susan Boyle, 47, another Ugly Betty made good. Boyle has become a household name after appearing as a contestant on talent show Britain's Got Talent two weeks ago. Her unpolished looks, unruly hair and unfashionable clothes drew jeers when she went onstage. But when she sang I Dreamed A Dream from the musical Les Miserables, the result was applause and gasps of astonishment.

She has become a global phenomenon, appearing in publications everywhere. The YouTube clip of her performance has been watched 80 million times, making her one of the greatest underdog superstars.

Indeed, Boyle's case, where she was initially dismissed because of her dowdiness, raises the question: Are 'ugly' people deemed to be untalented? Conversely, can good-looking people get away with murder?

For actor Adrian Pang, 43, pretty faces definitely matter in showbusiness. He says: 'For sure, people blessed with good looks have an advantage in entertainment.'

Some people try to make their unconventional looks work for them. Former Singapore Idol contestant Paul Twohill, 20, who has unruly shoulder-length hair and a wide mouth full of metal braces, says: 'People have asked me what's wrong with my face. They said I look like a turtle and called me Smeagol (another name for Gollum from Lord Of The Rings).

'My special trait is that I'm funny, so my 'spastic' face can work for me. So apparently I'm ugly but adorable.'

Some good-lookers readily admit that they would not have come so far without their fabulous faces. Actress Joanne Peh, 26, says she would not even be in showbusiness at all if she were not pretty.

She adds: 'I can't sing like Susan Boyle and I couldn't act well when I first entered the industry.'

How much do good looks matter outside of showbusiness?

In 2007, a Journal Of Economic Psychology study by researchers from the University of California reported bad news for those unlucky in the genetic sweepstakes: Good-looking people earn up to 12 per cent more than their more unattractive counterparts.

It said attractive people are consistently judged and treated more positively. Some 39 per cent of attractive men and women were judged to be helpful, compared to 6 per cent of unattractive people.

Mr Daniel Koh, a psychologist with Insights Mind Centre, says humans are drawn to beautiful people because symmetry is attractive. This signals that the person has a stronger body and robust genes, and any offspring would have a higher chance of survival, he adds.

But Ms Tulika Tripathi, 31, managing director of human resource firm Michael Page (Singapore), says looks are over-rated: 'Look at the CEOs of the Fortune 500 companies. Do you see the best-looking people in the best jobs? These people didn't get by on looks.'

Where looks may play a bigger role is in jobs involving face-to-face contact with clients, such as private banking and sales jobs, she says. But, she adds: 'A good-looking person might get a foot in the door in a sales job, but it doesn't mean that he or she can close the deal.'

Ms Lena Soh-Ng, 49, senior partner at public relations firm Huntington Communications, agrees that there is more to life than being really good-looking.

She says: 'There are a lot of misconceptions about the PR industry. People think you just need to be a pretty girl. We have many men working with us too.'

There have been winners of beauty pageants who applied for a job with Huntington but were not hired, she says. 'We look at their skills. They look beautiful but that does not mean they can take instructions from clients. Some of them are used to being pampered and they may be short-tempered and impatient.

'Ultimately we are looking for creative people who can think out of the box and are resourceful.'

And eventually, it may be about making lemonade when you get lemons.

Mok says: 'From a young age, I knew how to dress up and show off my best features. I remember wearing super mini-shorts to show off my legs as I knew I had nice legs to compensate for my lack of a figure.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.