If there was a local version of American sitcom Cougar Town, Ann Kok would have no problems fitting in protagonist Courtney Cox's role.

After all, she has become synonymous with May-December romances with younger men.

The 38-year-old MediaCorp artiste has chocked up a string of relationships - on the goggle box, that is - with men who could qualify to play her younger brother.

Last January, the voluptuous actress heated up our small screens when she shared a steamy, passionate bed scene with Taiwanese hunk Joseph Chang, 27, in the Channel U telemovie Cooking Without Clothes.

In the recently concluded Channel 8 prime-time drama Bountiful Blessings, she had brief dalliances with supporting actors Louis Wu and Jeffrey Xu.

Wu is 27 and newbie Xu, who emerged as champion in last year's Star Search contest, is only 23.

Then, of course, who can forget the swirling rumours back in 2009 about her pairing up in real life with the handsomely chiselled rising star Dai Yang Tian? Both Dai, 26, and Kok have denied dating each other.

Is Kok, who has been recognised by many as a sex symbol throughout her 17-year career, conscious of this "cougar" image she has somehow built up for herself?

"Interestingly enough, I haven't heard of anyone who calls me that (referring to the term "cougar")," said the actress to The New Paper at the press conference for her new drama Kampong Ties on Wednesday.

"Cooking Without Clothes gained quite a lot of buzz because the trend of a younger man dating an older woman was quite 'in' during that period of time," Kok said.

However, with time, this fascination has gradually died down, she said.

"In fact, right now, there's really not much of a trend. Society has become so open and liberal that such relationships are already very normal."

Kok added that she "does not mind" taking on more such roles, so long as each time, there is context to the on-screen relationship.

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