It was raining men on Orchard Road on Mar 6.

The cause?

Cleo’s 50 Most Eligible Bachelors. The preview of the anticipated annual marriageable manhunt was launched at Heeren last Saturday, drawing a huge crowd. Men and women alike turned up to watch the bachelors rally for their support. As a part of this year’s theme, Campaigns, the 50 bachelors were split up into the ‘Steamy’ team and the ‘Dreamy’ team.

The Big Walk
Shoppers got to feast their eyes on the bachelors as they paraded down Orchard Road, offering gift vouchers and bottles of mineral water to pleasantly surprised elderly ladies and young women alike. The rain did nothing to dampen the bachelors’ high spirits, with some of them stopping to mingle with the crowd before ending the parade with an impromptu photo shoot outside French Connection, the main sponsor of the event.

The Showdown
Vibrant hosts Jacqueline Chow and Benjamin Heng spiced up the preview with their antics. Jacqueline gave an entertaining rendition of a fan swooning over the boys, and Benjamin recalled his own Cleo Bachelor days. Afterwards, they quizzed the bachelors on their dating skills, fashion sense and physique, much to the awe and amusement, of the audience.

Much of the audience comprised the bachelors’ supporters, who came in large groups to cheer for their favourites. Even the Cleo Bachelor of 2006, Paul Tan, dropped by to root for Bachelor #1, Lim Yaoxiang.

“It’s fun to see what they are up to this year and it looks good so far,” he said.

Some very lucky Cleo readers received the chance to meet the boys on stage and participate in the games. The competition heated up in more ways than one, as the bachelors shed their tops in a friendly push-up match, with Team Steamy edging Team Dreamy out by merely 3 points.

Talking to the Bachelors
After the fun and games, some of the bachelors took on the roles of models as they posed with some excited Cleo readers; others gave out coffee, muffins and even massages while getting to know the crowd.

Despite being more than satisfied with just ogling from a corner, we summoned the courage to chat with some of them about their experience as a Cleo bachelor.

For bachelor #40, Owen Chong, the competition has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “It has been very fun for me, I got to know more people and the exposure is amazing,” he enthused.

“So far it’s been an enjoyable experience and it is a nice change from mundane life,” commented bachelor #46, Nigel Loh.

We got bachelor #47, Arvin M, to talk about what made him stand out from the rest, and the group leader of Team Dreamy replied that he’s “got confidence, and I’m a really good conversationalist”.

We also got to see a playful side to the boys as we spoke to bachelor #45 Vivian Dawson and bachelor #19 Claude Girardi.

“Let him go first, then I’ll copy all of his answers,” laughed Vivian, who has been the undisputed favourite at the photo-taking corner.
“What makes me a good bachelor is that I’m crazy and I am always looking for fun,” shared Claude sportingly.

When asked which bachelor he’d go out with if he were a girl, Claude grinned sheepishly and playfully shoved Vivian who was next to him. “It’s got to be this guy here because he’s tall and nice-looking.”

The Finals
According to Pamela Phang, the marketing manager of Cleo, “This year, the guys are hotter than ever, but it’s anyone’s game because it’s up to the readers to vote. It’s (Cleo’s) 14th year and every year we try to do something different. Last year the theme was Back to school and there was a carnival at the party, and because this year’s theme is campaigns, we have a strong online “campaign” where the Bachelors debate on different topics.
“Expect heart thumping action this coming Friday at Zirca”, she added.

We most certainly do.

The CLEO 50 Most Eligible Bachelors 2009 Finals Party will be held on Mar 13, at Zirca, The Cannery, Clarke Quay.
We’ll definitely be there!