MODELS becoming VJs (video performance artistes) is nothing new.

Think former MTV VJ Vanessa Minnillo and MTV Asia's Denise Keller.

Joining the fray is Lisa Selesner (aka Lisa S), who is the newest face on Malaysia-based Channel V.

She will host a slew of music- oriented and personality programmes, including The List and VideoSCOPE.

When asked about what she thinks qualifies her to play TV host, she laughs silkily before pronouncing "I can talk, a lot. Endlessly, in fact".

"I'm kind of a natural at it (hosting)," she told my paper in an interview at the Fullerton Hotel earlier this week.

Prior to her Channel V gig, she also acted, taking bit parts in Hong Kong movies such as Silver Hawk (2004) and Rob-B-Hood (2006). She is dating Hong Kong actor and director Daniel Wu.

Selesner, a self-confessed music buff, likes classic rock bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, as well as what she dubs "intelligent rap".

But old habits die hard, and the modelling world has left her with a hang-up about her age, which she puts at "in my 20s".

"As a model, it's very advantageous for people not to know how old you are," explained the leggy brunette, who was born in Monaco. Her mother is Jewish- American and her father is French-Chinese. They are divorced.

But she relented a little to reveal that she looks much younger than her age.

Selesner, the eldest of three children, moved to New York with her mother when she was eight. An avid horse rider, she was discovered while participating in an equestrian event in New York at 13. She was signed to Elite Model Management, and worked on the catwalks of Milan, Paris and London before moving to Hong Kong in 2000 to work there.

She began dating actor Wu about six years ago but has no plans to get hitched. "People shouldn't be bound together by a piece of paper," she said. She will host her shows from Hong Kong, where she and Wu are said to share a home.

Selesner also hopes to pursue jewellery design, which she has been involved in since around 2000.

She adds that she wants to build it up as a business as she will not always be able to rely on jobs like modelling and hosting.

"I'm not going to look this fabulous forever," she said, winking cheekily.

Lisa S hosts The List on Thursdays at 5pm on Channel V (StarHub Ch 85). VideoSCOPE airs on Mondays at 5pm.

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