[starttext]
By Mail Foreign Service
Fresh-faced: Charice Pempengco, aged just 18, poses for a portrait in New York in April this year. She has admitted she had Botox so as to look more 'fresh' for her debut on hit U.S. TV show 'Glee'Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco has had cosmetic treatment ready for her debut in the second series of the hit TV show 'Glee'.
The 18-year-old said she wanted to 'look fresh on camera' for her first appearance as a guest star on the musical comedy.
The 30-minute procedure was intended to make her 'naturally round face' more narrow, celebrity cosmetic surgeon Dr Vicki Belo said.
Charice, in the same interview with ABS-CBN television, said last week's face makeover was part of her big preparations 'to look fresh on camera' for 'Glee'.
She said: 'All people will be anticipating how will Charice look? Is she good enough to pit against [Glee character] Rachel Berry? So of course there is tremendous pressure.'
Rachel Berry is played by actress Lea Michele, who at age 23 is five years older than Charice.
Charice, who shot to fame after appearing on Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres's U.S. talk shows last year, will start filming next month.
In an earlier TV interview, she said she auditioned for 'Glee' in mid-June in Los Angeles and was thankful to have been accepted.
'Tremendous pressure': Actress Lea Michele in her role as Rachel Berry on the hit show Glee, in a publicity image released by Fox'It's really a blessing,' she said, adding she was 'very proud to be an Asian, very proud to be Filipino.'
Dr. Malcolm Roth, president of New York's Society of Plastic Surgeons and director of plastic surgery at Maimonides Medical Center in New York said he wasn't sure how someone so young could benefit from Botox.
'You would think that the make-up people could take care of (any wrinkles she might have) or that they could take care of it in post-production,' he said.
But Dr Roth said there might be some benefits for on-camera teens in Hollywood.
'Some people do have hyper-active muscles and muscles are what create the wrinkles in certain types of expressions,' he said.
He added: 'It may be of some benefit for the camera, but I would be reticent to consider Botox for a normal 18-year-old.'
Charice was born Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco and raised with her brother by a single mother.
She sang in local contests and appeared on TV talent shows in the Philippines and South Korea before she got her big break on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' aged 15.
She later appeared several times on the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' and credits the talk show host for helping push her career.
On the streets of Manila this week, some residents who follow Charice had mixed feelings about what she did with her face.
Global hit: The cast of Glee, who Charice will be joining next month'I think it's OK for women to have procedures done, but Charice is too young. Does she need it?' said Patricia Carpio, a 21-year-old student.
For Myrna Lumanao, a 23-year-old seller in a doughnut stall, looking natural is better. 'I guess she can afford to have those procedures done because she has the money, but I wish she did not change her looks.'
See video of Charice performing on the Oprah Winfrey show in May here
See video of Charice performing on the Ellen DeGeneres show two years ago here
[endtext]
