Red carpet expert spills beans on celebs

English fashion guru, journalist and TV host Louise Roe is not a Hollywood A-lister or Grammy-winning hitmaker, but she usually finds herself in the centre of red-carpet action at high-profile award ceremonies.

Roe, 32, has rubbed shoulders with celebrities as the red carpet host at star-studded events like the Golden Globes Awards, Oscars and MTV Europe Music Awards.

The Los Angeles-based style expert not only gives her opinion on celebrity wardrobe hits and misses, she also transforms regular girls-next-door to head-turning, confident women on MTV reality makeover series Plain Jane.

The third season, which airs here every Monday on MTV Asia (SingTel mio TV Ch 350 and StarHub TV Ch 533) at 8.30pm, sees Roe travelling to Spain, Dubai, Canada and Italy to help these girls transform and reveal their true feelings to the boys of their dreams.

Roe, who cites "wearing black all the time" and "not wearing heels" as two of her biggest fashion gripes, shared her personal celebrity encounters with The New Paper.

---

MILEY CYRUS

It is easy to slam twerk expert and US pop star Miley Cyrus as an attention-seeking wild child following her controversial antics in the past year.

She shook her bum every chance she got and defied all rules of fashion by wearing as little clothes as possible.

But Roe, who spoke to the 21-year-old at last year's MTV Europe Music Awards in Amsterdam, has nothing but praise for Cyrus.

Yes, even after her foul-mouthed Twitter exchange with the likes of Katy Perry and Sinead O'Connor. Roe defended her and said she was - gasp! - "polite".

She does not think Cyrus' signature high-cut leotards are a problem, too.

"She has a great figure and I think she's doing a good job of bringing back fashion from the 1990s," said Roe.

ADELE

The red carpet is a glamorous affair for most celebrities who are usually all set to parade their perfectly-primped selves.

But Roe revealed that all hell breaks loose backstage.

"It's where people truly relax, joke and laugh and let go.

"I remember Adele just accepted her Golden Globes award last year for Best Original Song for Skyfall and she was backstage during commercial break, award in one hand, heels in another, talking.

"She later had three seconds to dash back to her seat and I think everyone could see how she frantically ran out just in time," Roe said.

JENNIFER LAWRENCE

Remember Lawrence's widely-spoofed white Dior Haute Couture dress at this year's Golden Globes Awards?

Like most of us, Roe is not a big fan.

"She's usually amazing on the red carpet, but she didn't try to do anything differently (as compared to the previous year)," said Roe.

SEAN COMBS

Roe revealed that most stars are rarely as tall as they seem on television.

"Most of them are shorter in person," she let on.

Not even US rapper-producer P. Diddy/Diddy/Puff Daddy, who is 1.82m.

The 44-year-old artist, also known as Sean Combs, would hardly be considered short.

Then again, Roe is at least 1.85m in heels and would easily tower over most men and women on any red carpet.

"When I interview equally tall girls like Cate Blanchett, it's easier, it's a nice height," she said.

KATE AND PIPPA MIDDLETON

Pippa Middleton recently gave a TV interview addressing the bum-hugging Alexander McQueen bridesmaid's dress that made her derriere famous at the royal wedding in 2011.

The younger Middleton, 30, said the dress was "almost meant to be insignificant" and the incident, "embarrassing".

Was anyone watching her that day?

Roe, who covered the high-profile union between Prince William and Kate Middleton live from across the Buckingham Palace, did not think so.

"To be honest, on the actual day, all eyes were only on Kate. Everybody there was only looking at Kate," she said.