Magic Seen – Europe’s largest magic magazine – called her “The sexiest woman in magic.” In October 2009, she was FHM Singapore Cover Girl, ‘Magic Babe’ Ning is Asia’s new star in magic!’

In 2009. Magic Babe Ning received the coveted Merlin Award for “Most Original Female Illusionist of the Year” from the International Magicians Society.

She somehow finds the time to serve as an ambassador for the Power Over Cervical Cancer campaign and Coke Zero’s “Wild at Heart, Fit in Body” campaign.

Inside Magic named her “The Smoldering Siren of Illusion.”

Ning is in great demand and so it we are appreciative of her willingness to undergo the Celebrity Magic Interview.

How did you become interested in Magic?

When I was 5, my kindergarten had a funny Chinese-speaking magician perform for us during Children’s’ Day. My friends and I were amazed at the things he could do – sure, he used comical looking stage props but it was the funniest moment we’d ever experience our entire lifetimes.

Later, when I first saw Copperfield on TV, he simply exuded steady sexiness and an air of deep sophistication with his illusions. He was the first illusionist I saw on TV and I was so smitten with the man, I even had his sexy GOT MILK? poster proudly stuck on my bedroom wall, instead of teenage boy bands like my other girl friends.

(I suppose it’s reasonable to hold DC responsible for my innate attraction towards older men 😉 )

DC inspired me to take up magic as a hobby.

So instead of playing with Barbie dolls, I picked up magic books at the local library and learnt easy magic effects that I could follow in the instructional pictures provided. The plush toys and stuffed animals on my bed would be my unblinking audience.

My first few tricks utilized crushed paper balls, Styrofoam cups, rubber bands and other typical items you could easily find around the house. But my family was nevertheless impressed by the precocious child that I was… am… and they’d always encourage me to perform to visiting relatives or friends, so they were mighty supportive about my love for magic – though it’s supposed to be only something boys did.

Then again, being the only girl in the extended family clan, I only had boys to play with so I’d be roughing it out with my cousins, playing soccer or wrestling. I was a real tomboy!

Though I was very young, I still felt the glee knowing magic secrets that could amaze and entertain others. I stuck to the Magician’s Code and with love and support from folks around me (the elders all found me strange – but in an endearingly geeky sort of way), I continued my journey simply because magic found me.

What does your family think of your career, success, and considerable publicity as Magic Babe?

Nope, I’m the “black sheep” of the family. It may have been easier perhaps if I had a mentor that way, but everyone else chose to be brainy engineers, medical professionals, busy bankers, successful business owners and there was absolutely no one in show business. My family is a respectable one and still rather traditional.

Everyone expected me to be some sort of corporate raider, since I spent my entire primary and secondary school education in a very strict all-girls Christian school (imagine – 10 years of sheer deprivation!), one of the very best academic institutions in the country.

In fact, it’s a known fact that most graduates of the school (Methodist Girls’ School) grew up to become politicians’ wives, just like Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew (the late wife of Singapore’s highly respected Minster Mentor) or high-profile lawyers or limelight-hogging socialites.

Hmmm… So that pretty much makes me the black sheep of the school too! Hahahaha.

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