Name: Alexandra Sim-Wise

Born: Hertfordshire, UK

Lives: London, UK

Birthday: November 11

Stats: 32D-24-34, 5'6", 110 lbs

Ethnicity: British.

When we first met Alexandra Sim-Wise as a contestant in Savvy's "Is She Hot?" contest, the curvaceous redhead said her goal was to be as famous as Pamela Anderson.

By all indications, she's well on her way to making a big splash of her own - but on her own terms.

She was recently named as Playboy UK's Model of the Year, edging last year's winner, Louise Glover, for the honor. She got her start as a model by winning the FHM Student of the Year 2004 competition in England, beating the next closest contestant by 12,000 votes.

While she has undeniable sex appeal, her fans love her friendly, down-to-earth nature, which often results in the expression of colorful opinions. If you get her started talking about celebrities, sports and pop culture, you'll get an earful. She's putting a lot of her thoughts into a fictional novel she's writing about the world of modeling.

Savvy got to know "Alex" a little better...

Savvy: Congrats on winning the Playboy thing.

Alex: Thanks!

Savvy: How does it feel to be an international sex symbol?

Alex: (Laughs) I don't think of myself as a sex symbol. Actually, I'm a bit goofy. And shy. I was a nerd when I was younger and definitely a late bloomer. I'm still a huge tomboy. I like to go snowboarding in Waidring in Austria.

Savvy: You're shy? But you pose nude and the photos on your Myspace page look so wild and crazy.

Alex: I have a nice figure so I'm not shy about that, but I get shy around boys. I'm pretty outgoing around the girls. As for nudity, I mainly pose topless, but I don't do much of it these days. Commercial work is way more profitable than topless or glamour.

Savvy: You're writing a novel about the biz, right?

Alex: Yes. It's about the lives of six models and how their lives intersect, their motivations for getting into modeling. It's all very real, not glamorous. I based it on the experiences of friends and people I've met, not necessarily my own experiences. The modeling world is not all what it appears to be. It's a hard place.

Savvy: Will there be gratuitous nudity and sex in the movie adaptation?

Alex: Yeah, there's a few sex scenes. (Laughs)

Savvy: Since you're famous in England, do you have celebrities wanting to hook up with you?

Alex: I do get a lot of famous people approaching me, but they're only interested in one thing so I tell them where to go. I won't name names!

Savvy: Ah, come on. Athletes? Movie stars?

Alex: Not footballers! I hate footballers!

Savvy: You aren't a Beckham groupie like every other woman on Earth?

Alex: Oh God, no! Footballers aren't intelligent enough and it is a total cliché for glamour models to date footballers, plus I don't think they treat women very well. Celebs seem to think they can get whatever they want, and it's that attitude that I dislike.

Savvy: Ah, come on. You don't want to be Posh Spice 2.0?

Alex: Victoria Beckham is a twat. In the UK, we have what are called WAGS - "Wives and Girlfriends" - and they are basically footballers' wives. They are scary clone women. Footballers are pretty dumb and get paid too much money. And the WAGS just seem to court publicity and attention for doing nothing more than sleeping with a footballer. It's a lifestyle that I am totally not into.

Savvy: You don't want a sugar daddy?

Alex: I think girls should work hard to be successful in their own right rather than aim to be a trophy wife. I want to be able to support myself off my own back and not leech off other people.

Savvy: Aren't these women famous for being skinny and surgically enhanced?

Alex: Having a natural body is better as it shows confidence. You know, I'm happy with myself as I was born, and I don't need to alter it. Perfection is impossible, so why strive for the impossible? Flaws can be beautiful, I think.

Savvy: Are we as a society too fixated on celebrities?

Alex: Yes! It is just too much. Five years ago, it didn't really exist, but it has gotten totally out of control. People don't seem to realize that celebs are just people with the same faults as everyone else. I don't go to the places that paparazzi hang out. I think you have to court them.

Savvy: Do you think you hurt your chances of moving up the food chain in the entertainment industry by being so outspoken?

Alex: I used to think so, but now I think it is what sets me apart.

Savvy: If you hate footballers so much, why did you import cheerleading from America to the UK?

Alex: Because our university footballers were playing for the love of the game. The guys loved the uniform. I still have mine. I cheered a little bit in the states when I was 17, visiting Ohio for a couple of months while working as a nanny. I really enjoyed the team aspect of cheerleading, and I love dancing too. It was very cold cheering in England, but it was great fun. I set up the UEAngels cheerleading squad in 2001, so I'm really proud the squad is still there. They've started competing in tournaments now.

Savvy: You graduated from the University of East Anglia with a degree in Film and American Studies. Why do you love us yanks so much?

Alex: I loved visiting America as a child. My grandparents used to take me there a lot. I would love to be successful in the US, but I've got to get my ass over there to do that! (Laughs)

Savvy: You can crash at my house if you want. (Laughs) What's the best thing about America?

Alex: The food! I love all fast food places like Baja Fresh and Taco Bell.

Savvy: Bring some sweat pants with an elastic band when you come stateside.

Alex: I'm pretty lucky because I can eat what I like most of the time. I've also always loved Marilyn Monroe and Bettie Page.

Savvy: What's something that strikes you as odd about Americans?

Alex: I visited LA last year and it was crazy how all of the girls have plastic surgery. Some of them didn't look real, but if they want to look that way...

Savvy: And what about American men?

Alex: American guys are hot. I like Southern accents like Johnny Knoxville's. I've never dated or slept with an American, though. British guys are quite prudish by comparison, I guess.

Savvy: Flowers and candy... Do you gush with joy or want to puke?

Alex: Anything too gushy makes me barf. Like poems.

Savvy: Oh, what a shame. I spent hours last night writing you this poem.

Alex: (Laughs) Romantic meals are nice.

Savvy: It all comes back to food with you, eh? Taco Bell, here we come.

Alex: A romantic meal involves a couple of Happy Meals and a large Sprite, maybe some plastic chairs.

Savvy: Wow, you are a cheap date. Love it!

Alex: I'm easily pleased. (Laughs)

Savvy: In bed as well?

Alex: No! (Laughs) People assume I'm hypersexual because I have a sexy image in my modeling shots. Obviously, I like sex, but I'm not slutty. Given the choice between a date and staying at home on the sofa, I'll stay on the sofa.

Savvy: What kind of guy gets you off the sofa and into his bed?

Alex: I haven't slept with very many people, so I have to be really into someone to sleep with him. I'm a bit of a challenge. A guy has to make me laugh. I'm into personality rather than looks or fast cars. I'm not materialistic at all. I like being around friendly, non-pretentious people.

Savvy: Which models or actors do you admire?

Alex: Giselle Bundchen and Adriana Lima are really beautiful. Glamour-modeling-wise, Pam Anderson will always be number one, but I like Jenny McCarthy too as she's a bit kooky. I look up to her a bit. Her and Anna Farris. I filmed a small part for a Hollywood film last week. It's an action film directed by Roger Donaldson, the guy who directed Cocktail. It's about a bank heist in 1971. I play an old-school stripper in one of the scenes, and I'm wearing nipple tassels and a thong.

Savvy: Sounds fun to watch.

Alex: Acting is cool. I wish I was better at it. Maybe it's something I'll learn in the future. I'm happy with modeling for now.

Savvy: One last question. Your bio says you attended an all-girls school. We've already established the mental image of you in a cheerleader outfit and working as an English nanny. Please tell me you got to wear those Catholic schoolgirl outfits!

Alex: (Laughs) I wish it was a Catholic school. It sucked.

Savvy: Well, you are an atheist anyway, right?

Alex: Yeah.

Savvy: The nuns might frown on that.

Alex: (Laughs) Probably! To be honest, I never really went to school. I always used to play truant. But, to answer your question, I love Catholic schoolgirl uniforms. I'm always dressing up as schoolgirls.

Savvy: For photo shoots or just for shits and giggles?

Alex: Both. (Laughs) I think it looks really sexy.

Savvy: You, my dear, would look sexy in the nun's robes.

On the Web:

http://www.alexsw.co.uk/