So what does it take to be a Sex Bomb girl?

What does it take to stand out in a group and avoid being labeled as just one of those? Ask Rochelle Pangilinan, the most popular member of the Sex Bomb Girls and she’ll answer with a self-effacing shrug.

How else, after all, can you explain the mysterious X factor that turns ordinary mortals into individuals with oomph?

Could it be her buck tooth, giving her face character and that far-from-ordinary look?

All Rochelle would venture to say is, "I’m the most senior in the group," having started way back when they were still but practically rah-rah girls on Eat Bulaga’s Laban o Bawi portion.

Rochelle has come a long way since she won a dance contest and the group’s manager Joy Cancio, urged her to join the Sex Bomb Dancers.

"She (Joy) told me that I can earn a lot more a week," recalls Rochelle. What else can someone from a broken family with big dreams for herself and her loved ones do? Say yes, of course.

The rest, as they say, is history. Rochelle and the Sex Bomb Girls have been mobbed in shows – in the city and in the provinces.

Overeager male fans have tried – and succeeded – in taking advantage of the confusion in the crowd to touch delicate parts of the girls’ anatomy. But it’s all part of the hazards of the trade, they chorus.

A sure sign that they have arrived is the fact that the Sex Bomb Girls will soon make their movie debut via Regal Films’ Bakit Papa?

At the Regal office where they were being interviewed, the new movie stars were not in a loss for words, even when thrown questions about nagging controversies about them. Rochelle, for one, seems unfazed.

"Our detractors won’t talk that way if we’re not successful," she shots back.

If she can say these fighting words, it’s because the 21 year old mainstay of Da Boy en Da Girl knows conservative sectors are not exactly hailing them as shining examples for today’s young women.

In fact, their sexy, tight-fitting attire and seductive gyrations have been the subject of unflattering articles.

"We’re just doing our job the best way we can without stepping on other people’s toes," she explains.

Besides, the road to popularity was not lined with roses for Rochelle. She recalls how she had to report to the Eat Bulaga set as early as 8 a.m., as opposed to today’s 11 a.m. call time.

Then, there were and still are sleepless nights for days on end, and the eternal need to keep that abdomen flat and all the curves in place.

The hectic schedule can take a toll on one’s health. So Rochelle takes vitamins regularly. She maintains that to-die-for figure by doing daily push ups.

The rewards are plenty. Rochelle marvels at how she and her group managed to convince the big wigs at Jollibee North Expressway to re-open their store for the night after seeing the exhausted girls frantically knocking, on the big glass door.

Rochelle, who had to work at an early age after her parents separated, willingly assumed the role of head of the family. She has spent P120,000 so far to build a house for her dad. The loving eldest daughter is also having their house in Malabon repaired.

Aside from seeing her parents happily settled, Rochelle dreams of being known as a sexy comedienne. She skirts the issue of going bold, even if she has the body for it.

Why bare, when you can make people laugh?

Besides, Rochelle’s boyfriend, a dancer himself now based in Japan, will surely mind.

Her idol, therefore is not a bold star but Graciaaaa, that former Eat Bulaga round girl who made a couple of movies herself. And yes, Rochelle does not dismiss the possibility of going solo in three years’ time.

Meanwhile, she takes on the role of resident Ate of the Sex Bomb Girls to heart.

When petty quarrels – such as those over make-up – emerge, the girls run to Rochelle to settle the issue.

It’s one big happy family where the problems are fixed in no time at all and the girls move on, singing and dancing their way all the way to the bank.