THEY were reportedly seen in public, his arm intimately locked around her waist.

So was the sighting really of them?

Yes, said Caldecott princess Dawn Yeoh and 2007 Star Search finalist Jackson Tan.

What's more, Jackson, 25 and Dawn, 23, couldn't stop gushing about each other when The New Paper contacted them.

He: 'She's my ideal type of girl.'

She: 'He's a very caring person and definitely good-looking. I'm waiting for him to make the move.'

Sigh. But wait - aren't the lovebirds already together?

In separate phone interviews with the couple, we asked the candid pair the same cheeky questions about each other and their dates to see if their answers matched.

Did either slip up? Or are they, as they say, just good friends?

She's a popular actress, known for her sweet image, cutesy mannerisms and love for all things pink.

He first met her when they co-starred in last year's (Channel 8 drama) Crime Busters x 2, but has since returned to studying at the Singapore Management University, working part-time as a gymnasium trainer and corporate consultant.

But Jackson and Dawn still managed to find time to visit the Da Vinci The Genius exhibition at the Science Centre Singapore last week and were spotted in an embrace.

When asked, Jackson tried to explain: 'It was so crowded there that it was only right that I kept her close to me to steer her through the throng of people.'

Dawn also said: 'He had his arm around my waist and I held on to his arm because we didn't want to lose each other in the crowd. He's very protective that way.'

But platonic friends don't do that, do they, we countered.

She admitted that she and Jackson have been going on dates since last year, after he lost a bet to her.

Thus their 'familiarity'.

Interestingly, the pair would come up with 'silly bets' during breaks from filming Crime Busters x 2.

First date

Both said they couldn't remember the bet that led to their first date. But such a wager would have likely centred around a dare such as, 'I bet you can't finish these two pieces of bread in one minute'.

In short, the pretty lass won and claimed she proudly collected her winnings - in the form of a date to the Batman movie, The Dark Knight.

But when asked, Jackson remembered it differently.

'Oh I remember. On our first outing we went to watch Red Cliff,' he said.

Are you sure?

When prodded further, he sheepishly explained that they initially wanted to watch Red Cliff, but were late for the show. They ended up watching The Dark Knight instead.

Since then, the couple have gone for dinners, 'almost every movie that has opened' and would often chat on the phone for up to an hour each time.

But lest you mistake it for idle chatter, both claim that they have intelligent, in-depth conversations about 'anything and everything'.

That was what drew them together in the first place.

He said Dawn was like an onion; once all the layers were peeled away, her deep personality would amaze.

'Her perspectives on things have pleasantly surprised me time and again,' he said.

She said: 'He's very profound and would sometimes just keep to himself to collect his thoughts. A thinker is always charming to me.'

Opening up to each other has taken time - spending every day together filming on set for three months helped. They confessed that they are both very comfortable with each other.

They also gave each other a high score in the looks department.

Dawn said shyly that Jackson looked like a prince. She said that he would look dashing in a suit and tie.

He said: 'She's the essential girl next door. She looks very demure and sweet.'

The only time they disagree is when deciding which movie to catch.

She said she prefers flicks like Harry Potter and Japanese films, while he is a thriller-nut who was more drawn to movies like Blood Diamond.

But they would still 'accompany the other person' to catch their preferred choice of film.

So why are two people, seemingly made for each other, not together?

Or was this just a ploy to shield their romance from the public eye?

He sounded serious when posed this question.

He said: 'I can't be in a relationship right now. With my workload and commitments, my girlfriend can expect to see me only twice a month.'

Besides studying and having two part-time jobs, he is also planning a trip to India later this year to embark on a programme that seeks to educate Indian children and help build better business models for Indians in the paper trade.

He revealed that his lack of leisure time had not sat well with his ex-girlfriends, and he had no wish to revisit the 'same problem' from past relationships.

But what if the girl, say a busy actress who spends a large part of her time filming anyway, is willing to accept his dating terms?

He replied, with a laugh: 'Then I guess in the most simplistic sense, I would be open to it.'

Being single

Dawn admitted that being single for the last five years has had her wishing for a boyfriend.

But she said 'the guy has to take the initiative' as she wouldn't broach the subject otherwise.

Despite their recent sighting which sent the rumour mill into overdrive, she claimed they have not discussed 'the obvious matter at hand' and have laughed it off instead.

So what are you waiting for, Dawn?

'Let's just say if he makes the move, I'll say, okay, let's give this a try.

'Maybe you can ask him for me?' she said, giggling.

This article was first published in The New Paper