CHATGPT

M A RCH 2023 $6.50

THE FUTURE OF
AI LEARNING

SCREEN TOP
TIME
WE WATCH 
WORST GAME-
INSPIRED MOVIES
THE LAST OF US EVER! 

MASTER OF
WAVES
MATT BROMLEY'S
WILL TO WIN!

Ambre
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 CONTENTS 03/23

Jennifer McCoy p10 Jessica Trijillo p66

8 co-op games to play p26 Audi’s R8 hits you hard p74

Brinda Dixit’s secrets p32 On the cover | Ambre McKee p40 Claire Fae p88

04 CHATGPT 26 BRO’MANCE! 74 TARGET DESTROYED

The future of AI learning 8 awesome co-op games to play Audi’s R8 hits you hard

08 OFFLINE? WE GOT YOU! 32 5 DATING TIPS 80 A TIME TO DIE…

Backup devices to keep you going! Actress Brinda Dixit’s secrets The venerable Aston Martin DBS
makes a shock exit
18 SCREEN TIME 50 MASTER OF WAVES
We watch The Last of Us Matt Bromley’s will to win! 82 CAMBODIA
Generation hope
22 TOP 6 58 THE DAKAR RALLY
Worst game-inspired movies ever! The Last Motorsport Frontier

MARCH 2023 3
 CHATGPT:
THE FUTURE OF
AI LEARNING

Artificial Intelligence has been a futuristic term only ever used in movies and
science fiction novels, yet the future is not as far away as one would think.
With the increase in AI models that generate art, complex business models,
and AI learning, the future of AI is here now. In November 2022, OpenAI
released a beta of its ChatGPT learning model, which uses a variant of the
transformer architecture to generate human-like text, and has since taken
the world by storm. The model is trained on a large dataset of text data and
has the ability to understand and generate text in a wide variety of contexts.
In layman’s terms, it’s an AI-driven chatbot that can reply to your questions in
a very convincing and human way. So naturally, we decided to ask ChatGPT a
few questions to see just how accurate this machine-learning model is. (The
following text was taken verbatim from our interactions with ChatGPT)

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6 MARCH 2023
What are you?
I am an AI language model developed by OpenAI. My
main function is to generate human-like text based on the
input I receive. I have been trained on a vast amount of
text data and have learned patterns and structures of hu-
man language. When I receive a prompt, I use the patterns
and structures that I’ve learned to generate a coherent and
fluent response. I can be used for a variety of tasks such
as language translation, text summarization, and conversa-
tion simulation. However, my responses are not based on
my own knowledge or understanding, but rather on pat-
terns and structures that I’ve learned from the data I was
trained on. My abilities are limited to the information that
I have been exposed to and I may not be able to answer
certain questions or provide information that is not includ-
ed in my training data. Additionally, I am constantly being
updated and fine-tuned with new data and techniques to
improve my performance.
What is AI?
AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. It refers to the simula-
tion of human intelligence processes by computer systems.
These processes include learning (the ability to improve
with experience), reasoning (the ability to understand and
draw conclusions from data), and self-correction. There
are two main types of AI: narrow or weak AI and general
or strong AI. Narrow AI is designed to perform a specific
task, such as image recognition or language translation,
and is currently the most common form of AI in use. Gen-
eral AI, on the other hand, is designed to be able to per-
form any intellectual task that a human can and is still in
the early stages of development. AI technology has been
applied in many fields such as: speech recognition, im-
age recognition, natural language processing, decision-
making, robotics, gaming, and many others. The field of AI
is constantly evolving and new breakthroughs are made
regularly, leading to new applications and possibilities for
the technology.
What is the meaning of life?
The meaning of life is a question that has been asked
throughout human history and has been approached in
many ways by different cultures, religions, and philoso-
phies. Some people believe that the meaning of life is to
seek happiness and fulfillment, while others believe that it
is to serve a higher purpose or to follow a set of spiritual
or moral principles. Many religions provide a belief sys-
tem that answers the question of the meaning of life. For
example, some believe that the ultimate goal is to achieve
spiritual enlightenment and to reunite with a higher power,
while others believe that the purpose of life is to follow
a set of religious laws and commandments. Philosophers
have also offered a variety of perspectives on the meaning
of life. For example, some argue that the purpose of life is
to seek knowledge and understanding, while others sug-
gest that the meaning of life is to find one’s own unique
purpose and to live in accordance with one’s own values
and beliefs. In summary, the meaning of life is a complex
question that has many different possible answers de-
pending on one’s perspective, beliefs, and values.
Who will win the Super Bowl?
I’m sorry, I am a language model, my knowledge cut-off
is 2021, and I don’t have the ability to predict the future.
The outcome of the Super Bowl is yet to happen and it’s
uncertain. Many variables come into play when predicting
the winner of the Super Bowl and it’s a complex task that is
often hard to predict. Many factors like team performance,
injuries, coaching decisions, and luck will play a role in de-
termining the winner. It’s best to follow the NFL season as
it unfolds and make predictions as the season progresses.
Additionally, predicting the winner would be speculative
and not based on any real knowledge, so it’s better to wait
for the game and enjoy it.
What is FHM?
FHM stands for “For Him Magazine” which is a men’s life-
style magazine published in the United Kingdom, South
Africa, the Philippines, Singapore, and other countries.
The magazine features articles on topics such as women,
health, fashion, gadgets, and entertainment. It also fea-
tured interviews with celebrities and articles on various
lifestyle topics such as cars, travel, and food. 
Do you read FHM?
As an AI model, I do not have the ability to read or watch
movies. My knowledge is based on the data I was trained
on, so I can provide you with information that is related
to FHM magazine, but I do not have the capability to read
the magazine itself. The information I have provided is
based on the information that was available in the data I
was trained on.
So, even though ChatGPT doesn’t read FHM, it is
still an incredible piece of technology and consider-
ing it is still in its early development stages, it pro-
vides an impressive look into the future of AI learn-
ing and the practical uses of AI. If you want to try
ChatGPT yourself go to openai.com and experience
the future today.
MARCH 2023 7
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MARCH 2023 9
 Model @JenFitMcCoy
Photographer Shannon Fontaine

10 MARCH 2023
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16 MARCH 2023
Happy to have you on FHM! Any exciting projects
lined up? Thank you! I am certified CISSN and
currently helping people learn nutrition and how to eat
clean and just as important, I help them get motivated
and think positively about the process!
Best place you have ever been to in the
world? Anywhere in Mexico!
What are some of your biggest dreams you hope
to achieve? Honestly, I hope to continue helping people
with their health and weight loss but I am focusing now
more on teaching positive mental thinking and the law of
attraction! I would like to one day have a bigger audience
to speak in front of! I’d be making good money helping
others and doing what I love.
Are you a city traveler or nature explorer? Depends
on my mood and the partner I’m sharing it with!
What’s on your travel bucket list? I have always
wanted to go see Christ the Redeemer in Brazil! It
was recently shot by lightning and the photos were
unbelievable!
Where can our readers catch up with you and
stay updated with your work? Please follow me
on my IG at JenFitMcCoy or go visit my website
JenFitMcCoy.com.

What helps you decompress and relax? Exercise

and music are my escapes! Of course, traveling to
beautiful places helps!

Who has been the most influential person in your

life and why? My dad. He always taught me the power
of positive thinking and how all of our thoughts control
our lives. We hold the key to our future right in our own
thoughts. He taught me to dream big and expect to have
abundance and I would!

How romantic are you? Well, I think most people

who are passionate about music are dreamers and more
romantic. I believe in Romance and true love!

What is the most memorable date you’ve ever

had? I like what most girls like, nice dinners, and walks
on the beach, but I would rather go to the batting cages
or Top Golf or maybe go ride go-carts!

What makes you the ultimate partner to

have? I’m the girl next door really, I love sports and I’m
competitive, I am funny and just like one of the guys, but
if we are alone, I know how to be the woman men want.
It would be unladylike to elaborate! Lol.

Would you rather be loved, respected, or

admired? That’s a tough one to choose. Why not have
it all?

MARCH 2023 17
 SCREEN
TIME
WHAT TO
WATCH THIS
MONTH

Take a break, sit back, put your feet up and enjoy some of
our latest entertainment choices to help you escape the
everyday things! Come on, you know you want to! 

18 MARCH 2023
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20 MARCH 2023
The Last of Us
Throughout the decades, video game to TV/
Movie adaptations has been hit and miss, with
a massive emphasis on miss, so when it was
announced that HBO would be releasing a
series based on the incredibly popular and
much loved 2013 PlayStation exclusive The Last
of Us, many people feared the worst. Industry
experts in both TV and gaming questioned the
logic of taking the beloved franchise to the TV
screens and many feared that it would tarnish
the legacy of the game itself. Fortunately for
everyone, the show itself is amazing and not
only captures the mood of the game itself, but
it’s also actually a faithful recreation of the
wonderful story that made The Last of Us one
of the greatest games of all time. So how did
HBO and the writers pull off such a wonderful
retelling of one of the best gaming franchises
ever?
It’s Not a Game Anymore
In 2013, developers Naughty Dog released a
brand new game on the PlayStation 3, after
achieving great success with the globe-trotting
adventures of Nathan Drake in the Uncharted
series. The Last of Us would be a massive
departure tone-wise for the PlayStation
developers, replacing the light-hearted and
wise-cracking adventures of Nathan Drake
with a more serious and emotional tone.
Featuring a bleak near future where the
apocalypse has arrived thanks to an outbreak
can become a great TV series. The Last of
Us is filled with horror, dread, and a sense of
of an infectious fungus that turns human hosts hopelessness that is made bearable by the
into deadly monsters. The game itself was wonderful interactions and bond that grows
emotional, immersive, and one of the most between Joel and Ellie. Fans of the video game
cinematic experiences to ever be released on will find much to love in this show and people
a gaming console. Now ten years later this who have not experienced the game itself will
groundbreaking game has been turned into find a wonderful story and an epic journey that
a groundbreaking TV series thanks to the sets The Last of Us apart from most modern
efforts of co-showrunners Neil Druckmann TV series. An incredible game and now an
(the game’s original creator) and Craig Mazin incredible TV show, The Last of Us once again
(the writer/producer behind the similarly proves that a wonderful story in the hands of
apocalyptic and excellent Chornobyl). The the right people can transcend genres.
story remains largely the same from the game
and sees Joel and a teenage orphan named
Ellie travel across the US left in ruins due to
the outbreak. Joel needs to escort Ellie to
the Fireflies as she holds a secret that could
save humanity from the brink of destruction.
What makes the TV adaptations truly shine is
the performances of Pedro Pascal as Joel and
Bella Ramsey as Ellie. These two performers
perfectly capture the relationship that made
people fall in love with them in the game.
Anyone who has played the game will instantly
fall in love with these two as well but always
find it a surreal experience seeing some of
the game’s most iconic moments, lovingly
recreated in live-action. The attention to
detail and keeping the template that made
the game great sets The Last of Us apart from
any TV adaptations before it and proves that
with enough love and care, a great video game
MARCH 2023 21
 THE SIX
WORST GAMES-
TO-MOVIE
ADAPTATIONS
EVER!

With the recent release of The Last of Us, the shackles of bad video game to
live action adaptations has been firmly shattered, proving that in the right
hands a great video game can become a great series or movie. However,
this is a very rare case indeed, as numerous attempts to bring a video
game to the screen have been attempted and most of them have failed
spectacularly. Here are six of the worst offenders when it comes to bad
video game adaptations. 

22 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 23
 Super Mario Bros
One of the first attempts to bring a popular gaming franchise
to the screen was the dismal 1993 Super Mario Bros movie. The
game itself is an ultra-colorful platformer seeing Mario, an Italian
plumber run through colorful worlds on his way to save a princess.
The movie decided to ignore all of the source material and rather
create a dystopian future ruled by lizards and casting Bob Hoskins
and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi. The problem with the
casting was neither of them was Italian, they didn’t look like
brothers and zero attempts were made to make them even closely
resemble the iconic plumber brothers. It is still baffling to this day
how they could get it so wrong, from the story, the tone, and the
casting, everything about the Super Mario Bros movies was wrong.
Clearly, Nintendo had very little to do with this abomination and it
was a massive flop at the box office. Sadly this would set the scene
for much worse to come down the line.

The Resident Evil Franchise 

The Resident Evil games are tense, yet exciting zombie action games
that capture the horror of facing off against the undead. The gaming
franchise would go through various different interpretations but
remained a classic series that is still going strong today. The movie
franchise however is an absolute mess. The cardinal mistake the movie
series made was to ignore most of what made the games so much fun.
Tense close-quarter combat and survival was replaced with over-the-
top action sequences, eye bleeding bad effects and even worse acting.
Even the main character in the movies didn’t exist in the games, and
although later movies in the franchise would start to bring in more
elements of the games, the movies themselves were beyond saving as it
turned into absolute schlock. Even though the main star Milla Jovovich
tries her best, the direction and dreadful story drags down anything
good about this series. On paper, the Resident Evil franchise is perfect
for a live-action adaptation, yet they messed it up so badly that there is
no coming back for the series. You’re better off watching a Let’s Play of
the original games on YouTube.

Hitman
The concept of a Hitman working a secret agency that travels to
exotic locations to find and eliminate their targets seems like a
winning formula for a movie, yet the 2007 Hitman movie based
on the successful video game franchise forgot one major thing.
In video games, the protagonist doesn’t really need to have a
personality as the action carries the game, in a movie however
having a cardboard cutout as the main star is a guarantee for a
crappy movie. In the game itself, you play Agent 47, an almost silent
protagonist that goes around finding clever and unique ways to
eliminate his targets. Sadly the movie copies the same formula and
without actual player interaction, the silent protagonist doesn’t
quite work for the big screen. The miscasting of Agent 47 with
Timothy Olyphant also did not help and the weak story and lame
action ensured that Hitman was anything but a hit.

24 MARCH 2023
DOA: Dead or Alive
The Dead or Alive games are fighting games in the same vein
as Tekken and Street Fighter, but instead of being known for its
wonderful fighting mechanics, Dead or Alive is famous for its
overly enhanced female fighters who wear little to nothing. The
games themselves had little to no story, so why not make a full-
length feature film of it? Scary enough the movie itself has even less
story than the games but does feature C-grade actresses in very
little clothing, so we guess they at least stayed faithful to the video
game. The flimsy plot sees the world’s “best” fighters invited to
DOA, an invitational martial arts contest. There, four female rival
fighters will have to work together to uncover the secret that the
organizer of the tournament is trying to hide. All of this is just to
excuse hot “babes in bikinis” to fight each other in drab locations.
The acting is bad, the story is bad, the action is bad. It’s dreadful.

Street Fighter: The Legend of

Chun-Li
In 1994, Jean-Claude van Damme starred in the greatest movie
ever made called Street Fighter. Yes, it was based on the games,
and no it wasn’t good at all, but comparing the cartoony and fun
nature of that movie to the drab and boring mess that is the grittier
2009 Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, then yes the 1994
Street Fighter is the greatest movie of all time. From its terrible
dialogue to uninspired action scenes to ignoring the game’s lore,
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li is the perfect example of a
bad video game to movie adaptation. It is however inexcusable that
a movie based on a fighting game has terrible fighting sequences
in it. All the fight scenes are flat and uninspired, but thankfully
this movie did give us one of the worst and unintentionally
hilarious performances ever seen on screen thanks to Chris Klein’s
horrendous line delivery. Do yourself a favor and watch some
compilations on YouTube, it’s magical.

Alone in the Dark

There was a time when the Alone in the Dark video game series was
revered as one of the true great survival horror classics alongside
Resident Evil. Then the movie came out and successfully killed the
franchise and Christian Slater’s career. This is all thanks to german
director Uwe Boll who carved a career out of doing embarrassingly
bad video game to movie adaptations. We could write a whole list just
on his dreadful movies, but Alone in the Dark was peak Boll. From a
nonsensical plot to terrible performances to beyond-cheap special
effects, Boll made sure to ignore everything about the game and
shower it with his own vomit-inducing vision. One knows a movie
is bad if this is considered Tara Reid’s worst film. Everything about
Alone in the Dark was so bad, that the developer of the video game
series completely scrapped the game meant to serve as a companion
to the film. The biggest mystery of this however is how Uwe Boll still
went on to make over 30 video game adaptation movies.

MARCH 2023 25
26 MARCH 2023
BRO’MANCE!
THE BEST
CO-OP
GAMES TO
PLAY
Put away your single-player RPGs cause these
eight co-op video games are perfect for jamming
with your man!

MARCH 2023 27
 Stardew Valley
If either you or your partner loved Animal Crossing,
then Stardew Valley is a fantastic alternative that
allows you to work together and build a thriving farm,
share resources, and improve the local community.
As more hands are better than one, players have the
option to scale the profit margin on produce sold for
a more challenging experience. In Stardew Valley
you’ve inherited your grandfather’s old farm plot,
armed with hand-me-down tools and a few coins,
and you set out to begin your new life. Can you learn
to live off the land and turn these overgrown fields
into a thriving home? It won’t be easy. Ever since Joja
Corporation came to town, the old ways of life have
all but disappeared. The community center, once
the town’s most vibrant hub of activity, now lies in
shambles. But the valley seems full of opportunity.
With a little dedication, you might just be the one to
restore Stardew Valley to greatness. It’s the perfect
play-and-chill game with your partner, but it’s not
just a farming simulator, Stardew Valley is so much
more. It’s all about community, befriending the locals,
and even wooing some eligible single townsfolk
to become more than just friends. If you and your
partner are looking for a chill game to play together
this Valentine’s Day then Stardew Valley needs to be
top of your list.

It Takes Two
This multi-award winning co-op game took the world
by storm when it was initially released. It Takes Two
is only playable in co-op mode and sees you play
as the clashing couple Cody and May, two humans
turned into dolls by a magic spell. Together, trapped
in a fantastical world where the unpredictable hides
around every corner, they are reluctantly challenged
with saving their fractured relationship. Master
unique and connected character abilities in every
new level. Help each other across an abundance of
unexpected obstacles and laugh-out-loud moments.
Kick gangster squirrels’ furry tails, pilot a pair of
underpants, DJ a buzzing nightclub, and bobsleigh
through a magical snow globe. Embrace a heartfelt
and hilarious story where narrative and gameplay
weave into a uniquely metaphorical experience. It’s
the perfect co-op adventure that features rampaging
vacuum cleaners to suave love gurus, you never know
what you’ll be up against next. Filled with genre-
bending challenges and new character abilities to
master in every level, experience a metaphorical
merging of gameplay and narrative that pushes
the boundaries of interactive storytelling. It’s an
adventure you and your partner will never forget.

28 MARCH 2023
Haven
If you want to inject a bit of a sci-fi love story into your
Valentine’s gaming evening then Haven perfectly ticks
that box. You play as Yu and Kay, who have escaped
to a forgotten planet, leaving everything they knew
behind. Play two lovers at the same time as they settle
into an unknown world. Explore the planet looking
for parts and material to fix your ship and make it
a cozy home for the two of you. Enjoy moments
of everyday life as a relatable couple while cooking
meals, crafting and collecting precious resources
to make it to the next day. Fight against those
trying to tear you apart by synchronizing actions
in combat, finding the perfect timing and rhythm,
while controlling both characters and battling to
keep them and their relationship alive. Haven is an
unexpected RPG adventure, exploring the beautifully
eerie and unstable planet while enjoying the thrilling
soundtrack of renowned musician, DANGER. It’s a
fantastic story that anyone in a relationship can relate
to and is guaranteed to bring you and your partner
closer when the end credits roll.

Super Mario
Odyssey
One of the best games on the Nintendo Switch, Super
Mario Odyssey continues the grand tradition of being
an amazing 3D platformer and a wonderfully fun
game to play. In Odyssey however, you can play a co-
op mode that sees one player control Mario and the
other his beloved hat Cappy, who can zoom around
collecting items and attacking enemies. Cappy is
perfect for a partner that might not be that familiar
with games and the controls as the requirements for
Cappy are easy to learn and super easy to control.
With its wonderful level design, hilarious characters,
and fun puzzles, Super Mario Odyssey is a wonderful
game to share with your partner and will put a smile
on both your faces as you travel through the various
worlds. If you own a Switch and haven’t explored the
world with a partner then now is the perfect time to
experience the magic of Nintendo and Super Mario.

MARCH 2023 29
 Don’t Starve
Together
Always wondered if you and your partner would
survive if stranded on an island together, well Don’t
Starve together will answer that question for you. In
Don’t Starve Together you’ll discover and explore a
massive procedurally generated and biome-rich world
with countless resources and threats. Whether you
stick to the surface world, go spelunking in the caves,
dive deeper into the Ancient Archive, or set sail for
the Lunar islands, it will be a long time before you run
out of things to do. This game is all about resource
collecting and creating new items to allow you to
survive the dangers of the world. You’ll be faced with
numerous challenges from trying not to starve to
fighting off pigmen that will attack you during the
night. Originally Don’t Starve was a wonderful single-
player experience that was as challenging as it was
addictive. Now with the multiplayer expansion you
can share your survival experiences with your partner
as you try to survive as long as you can.

Overcooked
Ever tried cooking dinner with your partner and it
all goes up in flames, well now you can recreate that
experience but without the mess or the danger of
burning down your house. Overcooked is a chaotic
couch co-op cooking game for one to four players.
Working as a team, you and your fellow chefs must
prepare, cook and serve up a variety of tasty orders
before the baying customers storm out in a huff.
Sharpen your knives and dust off your chef’s whites,
there isn’t mushroom for error and the steaks are
high in these crazy kitchens. Overcooked is so easy
to pick up that anyone can join in the fun, but finding
a team who can communicate and coordinate their
actions when the pizza hits the fan, that’s when
only a well-oiled team of super-chefs will come out
on top. Take part in an epic journey and tackle an
increasingly challenging and bizarre gauntlet of
kitchens which will push your skills of co-operation
and co-ordination to the very limits. Each level brings
a new challenge for you and your team to overcome,
whether it’s sliding around on a pirate ship, moving
between speeding trucks, cooking on an ice floe or
serving food in the bowels of a fiery underworld, each
level will test the mettle of even the bravest chefs. Be
warned though, Overcooked can get heated and will
test your relationship to the fullest.

30 MARCH 2023
A Way Out
One of the best and most original co-op games to
be released in the last few years, A Way Out is an
exclusively co-op adventure where you play the role of
one of two prisoners making their daring escape from
prison. What begins as a thrilling breakout quickly
turns into an unpredictable, emotional adventure
unlike anything seen or played before. A Way Out is
an experience that must be played with two players.
Each player controls one of the main characters,
Leo and Vincent, in a reluctant alliance to break out
of prison and gain their freedom. The challenges
you’ll face along the way are incredibly varied, from
tense moments hiding from the police to riding a
seesaw together, this game finds a wonderful way
of combining a rich story with co-op gameplay and
you’ll be an emotional wreck when you reach the end
credits. If you and your partner feel like a gripping
story while working together on Valentine’s Day then
A Way Out is the perfect game to play together.

Unravel Two
Another co-op game that combines puzzle solving
and a heart-wrenching story o great effect. When
you cut ties to the past, new bonds form. In Unravel
Two, create a Yarny of your very own. Then build
relationships with other Yarnys in local co-op or as
a single player, fostering friendship and support as
you journey together. Begin your adventure in a cold
and imposing land, then watch your surroundings
blossom with new life as you chase the spark of
adventure. Dive into an immersive story filled with
energy, exuberance, inspiration, and even monsters.
Approach every challenge with positivity and
fearlessness to awaken the world around you, and
discover an unbreakable bond between friends.
Uncover a variety of ways to play. Jump, slide, swing,
and run faster than ever to chase the spark that
connects you to others as you travel within a world
of challenges and adventures. Unravel Two features
a world where unique emotions manifest into
friendly characters, fulfilling relationships, and even
intimidating monsters. How will you use hope and
love to defeat doubt and fear? Connect to an engaging
and dramatic story that demonstrates the power of
positivity in the face of uncertainty. It’s another co-op
experience that will bring you and your partner closer
together as you traverse the world and experience the
heartbreaking story.

MARCH 2023 31
32 MARCH 2023
ACTRESS
BRINDA DIXIT’S
SECRETS
ON HOW TO LAND YOURSELF
A LEADING LADY!

MARCH 2023 33
 Hollywood actress Brinda Dixit
(seen in recent Hallmark movies
and in video games such as
Grand Theft Auto Online) has
had many admirers over the
years before finding her love
match while on the set of an
Amazon television pilot to her
now-husband Adit Dileep. But
how did Adit win over Brinda’s
heart? Well, in an exclusive
interview with FHM she reveals
the secrets to how to get a
leading lady such as herself.

34 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 35
 Before we get into some fun
questions, tell us Brinda, why did
you originally decide to get into
the entertainment business?  I
always had a passion for acting from a
young age - I had my parents running
me around the Bay Area doing every
children’s theatre and community theatre
production I could get my hands on! So
when the time came to graduate high
school, getting into the entertainment
business felt like something I was ready
for my whole life. At the core of it all, I
just loved being free to play on stage or on
camera. And I knew, even from a young
age, that I wanted that to be my job. So,
Hollywood was the answer.
Is being on the set of a Hallmark
movie as ‘magical’ as it looks in
the final version?  Oh, it is! The set,
the crew, the cast...everyone is at the
top of their game. Letia Clouston and
Rochelle Ayes, our director and star,
made the set such a fun experience.
There’s a magic in the air knowing
that we’re making something that
brings joy to people’s lives. It’s such a
good vibe to be a part of. Of course, as
is with any set, there’s a lot of waiting
around too...but being on the set of a
Hallmark movie is a moment in time I
will cherish forever.
What is your method for when you
have to turn into a new character
when you perform in different
roles?  I love to listen to music - there’s
something so evocative about music - it
connects me to that part of my brain
that’s emotional, that doesn’t overthink,
that lives in the moment. So that’s where I
love to begin. From there, I go to the lines
and see what story we’re trying to tell, and
where I fit into it. I find a lot of comfort
in knowing exactly what the story is -
because from there I have the freedom
to go completely wild in the confines
36 MARCH 2023
of what we’re working with. I also love
to experiment with wardrobe and play
around with some outfits, hairstyles, or
makeup that can help me explore this new
character.  You are a taken woman now, but
How did the pandemic change
the way the entertainment
industry runs for actors?  The
pandemic changed our industry forever,
unfortunately. Show business is all about,
well, business. And the pandemic opened
my eyes to that - I did a lot of research into
the economics of Hollywood. Because
the pandemic had a major impact on
our economy, I see the way that that
cautiousness has trickled down to my
work as well, and feel it’s my responsibility
to be educated on that and how it shapes
the film industry. Also, we used to interact
in person with a lot more people, but
now everything is basically self tapes
from home. But instead of getting too
down about how drastically it’s cut
down opportunities for up-and-coming
actors, I’m trying to see how I can change
too, and use this as a chance to build my
network, sharpen my product, and create
my own work.
For those wanting to make it in
Hollywood as an actor/actress,
what is your advice to them? Never
give up, try new things, and trust your
instincts. It’s as simple and difficult as
that. If you don’t know where to start,
look up your favorite actors and actresses
on IMDb and scroll down to their very
first credits to see where they started. 
how was dating in Hollywood
when you were single?  Oh, it was
wild! I loved the allure of getting to say I’m
an actress, but I was definitely a little shy
being upfront about it in the early days of
my career. Nowadays, diversity is in, but if
I could tell you the number of times guys
thought I was an engineer or a doctor
or in finance and were shocked to know
I was an actress, you would laugh! And
interestingly enough, it’s after I met my
husband that I booked all of my biggest
roles - the synchronicity of life!
What qualities in a man do you
find most important?  I love a man
who’s responsible yet fun. I love a guy
who asks questions, loves to go out,
and has a great personal style. Most of
all? Someone who is ambitious.
What was the perfect date you
were ever on? Let me start this off
with the fact that I absolutely love
going on dates. And dates that revolve
around food or experiences? My love
languages. I am the kind of girl who’s
always searching for the coolest thing
to do, or the trendiest restaurant to visit.
Last year my husband Adit took me on a
trip to Paris for New Year’s. Arguably the
most romantic city in the world, it was a
dream destination to visit together. After
a day of shopping on the winding streets
around Rue Saint-Honoré and trying as
many pastries as humanly possible, Adit
took me to Le Jules Verne, one of the
best restaurants in the world located in
the Eiffel Tower with 360-degree views
of Paris, for a 10-course New Year’s Eve
tasting menu, ending with fireworks over
the Seine river at midnight. It was perfect.
MARCH 2023 37
38 MARCH 2023
What 5 tips would you give guys
who are single and wanting to
find their match and/or date
an actress?  Be yourself, be curious,
be supportive, ask for what you want,
and have fun! Dating can be the hardest
thing ever…and dating an actress whose
career is always unstable and could
literally pick up and go to another
country next week to film a TV show or
movie? Insanity!! But there is hope: I like
a guy who takes initiative to make plans,
who texts me first, who asks me how I’m
doing instead of playing this awkward
waiting game. Us actresses are always
down for a good time, whether it be pre-
planned or completely spontaneous.
We’re some of the most go-with-the-
flow people on the planet - it’s crucial
for our jobs and something we bring
with us into life as well. So put yourself
out there and trust me, great things will
happen when you do so. Make those
plans, reserve the table at that cool new
restaurant, book tickets for that show
you’ve been wanting to see! And if she
isn’t into it? That’s fine, maybe she’s not
the right one for you. And if she is into it?
You just might have found your match. 
What projects are coming up
next for you in 2023? What would
your ultimate dream role be?  I am
working on a really exciting animated
series right now that I can hopefully
talk about soon! My ultimate dream
role would be something Sci-Fi: I
love working on both feature films
and TV, and it would be a dream to
work on something like The Matrix or
Westworld or Dune.
MARCH 2023 39
40 MARCH 2023
 THE BEAUTIFUL & AMBITIOUS

Ambre
McKee

Model @Ambrefit
Photography by Olly Vento | @Olllyvento
MUA Juliana Burdiugova | @mymakeupmiami
PR LA Media Group | @la.mediagroup 
MARCH 2023 41
42 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 43
44 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 45
46 MARCH 2023
Happy to have you on FHM! Any exciting
projects lined up this year? Getting to be apart
of the FHM family is already a very exciting way
to start off 2023. My biggest project for the rest
of the year is to prepare myself for and acquire
my first investment property. Having investment
properties has been a major goal of mine!
Best place you have ever been to in the
world? Nothing makes me feel quite as alive as
exploring warm tropical climates, and two come
to mind that I am particularly fond of. The first
being when I was on a 6 hour trip into the jungle
of Costa Rica with one of my best friends. The
second being when I had the opportunity to get
my PADI scuba certification in Belize where I
saw some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring
ocean life I have seen to date.
What are some of your
biggest dreams you
hope to achieve?
Adventure is one
of my main
passions I
would love to explore the world, and what it has
to offer my next two places I’d like to see is Europe
and Asia! I dream of sharing these experiences
with my family and closest friends, so creating
the life to make that possible is one of my biggest
priorities.
What helps you decompress and relax?
Swimming in the ocean! After long weeks of
working or being in a routine I will feel the
creeping desire to be back in the warm ocean
feeling my toes in the sand, and the beautiful ocean
life swimming around me. For me, that is such a
peaceful experience.
Who has been the most influential person
in your life and why? My grandmother is
the most influential person in my life- God rest
her soul. She was one of the most kind and
charismatic women I knew; everyone was so
drawn to her magnetic and loving energy. She had
the perfect blend of strength and femininity. She
traveled the country many times over throughout
her life, and I know where my endless travel bug
comes from.
How romantic are you? I am an undercover
hopeless romantic, and I look forward to meeting
a true protector and provider that encourages my
feminine and passionate love.
What is the most memorable date you’ve
ever had? One weekend I went to visit my guy
and we had a nice dinner and low key evening
with good conversation as we always did, but
he surprised me with a ‘just because’ gift of an
international trip for myself and one of my best
friends. Knowing how passionate I am about
travel, and receiving gifts as one of my main love
languages made this one of my most memorable
dates I’ve had to date.
What makes you the ultimate partner to
have? I am already kind and generally positive,
but when I am with a proper man, I provide peace
and emotional support allowing my man to have a
safe space to call home in our relationship. I enjoy
thoroughly maintaining my health, fitness and
beauty for myself, but also presenting myself best
for a great partner because how a woman presents
herself is also a representation of her partner and
MARCH 2023 47
 how he takes care of her.
Would you rather be loved,
respected, or admired? Hands
down respected, if you don’t have
respect as a base you have no
foundation to build upon.
Are you a city traveller or
nature explorer? Both! I love
the city life with fine dining,
48 MARCH 2023
shows, and shopping. If I want to
recharge my soul; however, I need
to be in nature especially beautiful
warm beaches.
What’s on your travel bucket
list? There are many places I
desire to go these are a few of my
top to-do destinations: Greece,
Italy, Thailand, Peru, Dubai, Paris,
Australia, Bora Bora, Egypt, and
Jordan.
Where can our readers
catch up with you and stay
updated with your work? I
love having 1-on-1 conversations
with my friends on my website at
Ambrefit.com, and follow me on
Instagram @Ambrefit & twitter
@theambrefit to keep up with all
of my adventures.
MARCH 2023 49
THE ART
OF BEING
UNCOMFORTABLE
WITH MATT BROMLEY
by Alan van Gysen
It’s a bright Monday morning at Long Beach in Kommetjie,
a small coastal village located in Cape Town on the southern
tip of South Africa. The water is bustling with a crowd of surf-
ers jockeying for the playful waves breaking over ash-white
sand. In stark contrast, directly across the bay, lie the tower-
ing mountain peaks that overlook Dungeons, one of the most
fearsome big wave spots on the planet. On large swells, you
can see the spray of gigantic waves smashing up against these
brooding cliffs from miles away.
“Dungeons is probably the scariest big wave spot in the
world,” says Matt Bromley, pointing across the bay. “You
never know what it’s going to do, it’s so unpredictable. You’re
halfway out in the middle of the ocean and the area where the
waves break is the size of a football field. It’s terrifying. But it’s
also capable of delivering the best ride of your life.”  motivates these men and women. But rather than relying on
Standing at six-foot-three, Bromley has long outgrown his
childhood nickname of The Pterodactyl, when he was a gan-
gly-limbed teenager surfing the gentle waves in front of us.
Today, the 30-year-old South African is built like an Olympic
swimmer and has become known for his exploits at big wave
locations around the globe, a journey he traces directly back
to the ominous wave in the distance.
“When I was young I’d watch guys surfing the big wave spots
around Cape Town and I was just in awe. They’d be riding
these huge waves, and I’d be sitting there saying to myself, ‘I
want to be a part of that one day.’”
Since then, Bromley has earned himself a place amongst
the vanguard of modern big wave surfers, making him a fitting
subject for Paul Taublieb’s new film Groundswell: The Other
side of Fear. Narrated in a gravelly baritone by Josh Brolin, the
feature-length documentary looks beyond the spectacular ve-
neer of big wave surfing to uncover what drives these athletes
to throw themselves at waves that can, quite literally, kill them
in an instant. 
Taublieb does this by artfully stitching together the stories
of Bromley and several other prominent surfers as they chase
gigantic waves across the globe, from Hawaii to California
to Europe. Along the way, he draws out the psychology that
the cliché of being fearless, the film candidly explores the deep
sense of fear they all experience – and how they move beyond
this. The film is essentially a metaphor that can be applied to
any challenge in life, regardless of whether you’ve ever set foot
in the ocean or not.
“Everybody encounters fear in their life, blocking them
from what they truly want to do,” says Bromley. “It’s healthy
to be afraid, but it’s how you deal with it that counts. Often
our best moments lie on the other side of that fear.”
How did your obsession with
big wave surfing begin?  Matt
Bromley: Actually, with a near-drowning
experience! I grew up surfing small
waves, doing contests, all that kind of
stuff. I enjoyed it, but I always felt like
there was something more and kept
pushing myself in bigger and bigger
surf. Then when I was 17 years old, I had
my first session at Dungeons. I hitched
a ride on a boat with some of the older
guys – it’s a long way out to sea, so you
take a boat and then paddle from there.
Just as I got to the lineup, a huge set
approached and I was greeted by my
worst nightmare: the biggest wave I’d
ever seen, maybe 20 or 30-foot, about
to break on my head. I managed to dive
off my board and
punch through the
back of the first
wave, but my board
was still attached
to my leash and
was dragging
me backwards
underwater as it
got caught in the
turbulence. I was
trying to pull my
board back towards
me when I turned
around to see an
even bigger wave
stacking up out the
back. That’s when
the panic really kicked in. I swam like
crazy to get through it and just scraped
through. That happened for another
two waves before the ocean went calm
again. By the time I made it through the
last wave, I was completely out of breath
and literally shaking with fear. If I had
been taken over by one of those waves,
I probably would have drowned. All I
wanted was to get out of there. I started
paddling for the safety of the boat as
hard as I could, but as I was doing this
another wave came through and caught
everyone by surprise again. Somehow I
was in the perfect spot to catch it and
something told me to take that wave and
go. I made it to the bottom and it was the
biggest rush I’d ever experienced. That
wave changed my life. It made me realize
that fear was the only thing standing
between me and what I really wanted to
do. And the only way I could overcome
that fear was by facing it head-on and
moving past it.
But you obviously don’t go
from riding normal waves
to chasing down the biggest
waves on the planet overnight,
right? No, definitely not. I’m naturally
a conservative person and actually
quite risk-averse. But I think what really
helped me was taking lots of little steps.
I enjoyed bigger waves and I kind of
wanted to do it, so I’d push myself to ride
waves that were a little bit bigger all the
time. When I got comfortable, I’d push
myself a little more, so in the process, I
was constantly being exposed to fear
and uncomfortable feelings over and
over again. I became comfortable feeling
uncomfortable, if that makes sense. That
helped me push my boundaries further
and further without feeling completely
out of my depth. But if you haven’t done
the preparation, if you haven’t done the
groundwork, then I think you’re going
to run into a lot of trouble out there.
Speaking of preparation – how
much of a role does that play
in big wave surfing? Preparation
is absolutely essential. One of the biggest
parts of preparing is obviously physical
training. Spending time in the pool,
spending time in the ocean, spending
time in the gym. The more physically
prepared you are, the more confident
you are. And confidence is probably the
most valuable asset you can have in any
big-wave scenario. 
Is there anything, in
particular, you do to train?
For sure. I really
like to try to mimic
the big wave
environment in the
swimming pool. I
try to mimic the
adrenaline you feel
and combine that
with being in an
intense situation.
So, what I’ll do
is get my heart
rate up by doing a
few sprints. Then
I’ll immediately
swim underwater
to simulate the
experience of
a bad wipeout, where you’re held
underwater for a really long time.
While I’m underwater I visualize myself
being pushed down deep by a wave. I
simulate the pressure on my ears. I take
myself through all those uncomfortable
feelings – the urge to breathe, my heart
racing like it’s trying to burst out of my
chest. I take myself through this over
and over and over again. Obviously,
a controlled environment will never
replace the brutality of a real-life hold
down at a place like Jaws. But the ability
to cope with these situations builds

MARCH 2023 53
 confidence.  dislocations are pretty common in big
There’s a peak moment
in Groundswell where you’ve
chased a swell halfway across
the world to Hawaii and you
catch what could have been
the best wave of your life, but
instead, you end up getting
obliterated. How do you deal
with moments like that?  Yeah,
that was at Jaws. It was a dream wave,
the wave I was looking for. I almost made
it but then my foot slipped and I ended
up falling pretty much on my head on
the biggest wave of my life! The wave
kept pushing me deeper and deeper and
I thought my eardrums were going to
burst. I’ve learned to pull my arms in and
kind of go into a fetal position in those
situations, because the impact from those
waves can literally rip your arms out –
54 MARCH 2023
wave surfing – so it helps to make yourself
as compact and strong as possible. After
the initial impact, the best thing you can
do is just go with it, don’t fight in, or else
you’ll be wasting precious energy. When
the wave eventually let me up again, I did
one big breath out and one big breath in
like I’d practiced, before getting smashed
by the next one. I could feel the weight
of the ocean above me and was getting
absolutely pumped, but I focussed on my
training and counted slowly until it let me
up again. I’d never have been that calm if I
wasn’t prepared.
Doesn’t a wipeout like that
completely derail you?  No, not
really. Maybe even the opposite. For
me, that whole experience was a really
good thing. I faced that fear and leaned
into it. It didn’t work out like I planned
[laughs] but I felt like I gave myself that
opportunity and that’s kind of all I can
ask of myself. Without failure, you’ll
never have success. And now I know that
the next time that opportunity comes, I
can survive whatever happens.
You’ve spoken about being
physically prepared, but what
about mental preparation?
How big a role does that play?  For me,
doubt often creeps in – I’m very quick
to doubt myself and that’s dangerous.
Like, when I first see a really big swell on
the charts, my stomach just churns and
I almost feel sick. I’m married and my
wife Jade and I are expecting our second
baby boy soon. There are people who
love and depend on you and there are so
many things that can go wrong, but if you
focus on that, you’re bound to fail. You
can’t think like that. So I try discipline
myself to only think about things that are
positive and encouraging. I’m constantly
talking to myself, telling myself ‘You can
do this, you’ve been born to do this.’
I imagine myself in that situation and
see myself succeeding. In my training, I
prepare for the worst-case scenario, but
then leading up to the big swell, I try to
only think about the good stuff that can
happen, about paddling into the wave of
my life.
So, essentially, you use positive
visualization?  Absolutely. I’ve
found that positive visualization can
be a really powerful tool. I constantly
try to visualize myself out there as this
mountain of water comes towards me.
I visualize the wind blowing up the face
of the wave. I see myself paddling into it
and looking over the edge. I try conjure
up all the feelings of fear and my instinct
telling me not to go. But then I imagine
myself pushing through that and pushing
over the edge and dropping into the wave
of my life, over and over again. When I
do that, it changes all the doubt and the
fear and the anxiety. It changes that into a
sense of purpose.
You’ve often made the
comparison that big wave
surfing is a metaphor for
approaching other challenges
in life. Can you talk a bit
about that? For sure. I think there’s
still this cliché that some big wave surfers
are crazy or psychotic, but that’s often
furthest from the truth. It’s not about
being reckless or gung-ho. It’s about
being brave and confronting your fear,
and that applies to almost any challenge
in life. If you just want to live safely
and stay inside your comfort zone,
you don’t really need strength for that.
But nothing great is going to happen
either. But if you’re setting goals that are
beyond your reach right now, you need
to have the courage to go out there and
dig deep when times are tough, because
often things don’t go to plan. Nothing
worthwhile in life that’s really valuable
comes easy. It doesn’t matter what you’re
trying to do or achieve – if you’re stepping
outside your comfort zone and pushing
yourself, you’re going to get stretched,
and that’s going to be uncomfortable.
----
Follow Matt on Instagram
@mattbromleysurf 
MARCH 2023 55
56 MARCH 2023
THE LAST
MOTORSPORT
FRONTIER
THE DAKAR RALLY
Editorial: John Close
Photography: MCH Photo / Monster Energy
“It’s absolutely f***ing wild… you train all year for it… you Not our words, but those spoken by a five-time veteran
need to totally dedicate yourself to it; and that’s if you just of the legendary endurance event. Hero Motorsport fac-
want to finish. During the Dakar, you get up in the middle tory rider, Ross Branch. The 36-year-old’s sentiment on
of the night, ride out for several hours in the freezing cold the realities of competing in the world’s premier off-road
and dark - on and off public roads - and that only gets race resonates throughout the entire paddock - or Biv-
you to the start of the stage. Then you go hell for leather ouac - as it’s known in ‘Dakar speak’.
against the clock; across sand, mud, rocks, and desert
with only the roadbook (map) and compass as company.  Case in point, the Bivouac itself spans some 50 acres, and
acts as the base for over 3,000 competitors and staff; in-
“Then at the end of the timed stage - that’s the part of the cluding 1,400 race vehicles, 15 helicopters, and 100 sup-
stage you are scored on - you’ve still got somewhere be- port trucks fielded by the Dakar’s organizing body; the
tween two- and four-hours worth of riding to do before Amaury Sport Organisation. In the center of the Bivouac,
you get back to your team. During stage eight this year, I sits a giant marquee - which more closely resembles an
clocked just over 12 hours in the saddle. It was absolutely aircraft hangar - serving upwards of 8,000 meals a day. 
insane. You’ve got to keep this pace up for two weeks,
with only one single day in the middle of the fortnight to Every aspect of the Dakar Rally is a brilliantly organized
grab some rest. It’s more than just a race. The Dakar is a and choreographed chaos focused on motorsport and
way of life.”  adventure, totally unique in every imaginable sense.
From Paris to Saudi
This year, the Dakar celebrated its 45th
edition, with another trip to Saudi
Arabia. ‘Another’, because it is in fact the
third time the event has been hosted in
the region - and interestingly it is also the
third different part of the world that has
hosted Dakar-style competition.  miles of competition (not including the
Originally the race was famously known
as the Paris Dakar - with competitors
starting out in Paris (France) and racing
south to Dakar in Senegal (Africa). The
very first edition of the Dakar took place
in 1979; with French rider, and now FIM
Legend, Cyril Neveu taking the event’s
inaugural honors at the bars of a Yamaha
XT500 motorcycle.  driver Nasser Al Attiyah claimed victory
Boasting a variety of routes throughout
the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s in Europe
and Africa, the event grew year-on-year;
and it was only until security threats in
Africa peaked in 2008, that the event
upped-sticks and headed across the
Atlantic Ocean to South America. A
decade of incredible Latin-American
style Dakar frenzy followed, reaching
a whole new fan base from Bolivia to
Buenos Aires. Then in 2020, the Dakar
moved to its current home, into the
dunes and vast arid landscapes of the
Middle East.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that a trip
to Saudi would mean a few Instagram-
worthy weeks racing around the sun-
scorched landscape, with rolling dunes
and some camels thrown in for good
measure. Not so. Sub-zero temperatures
at night, freak rain showers, record-
length stage distances, flash floods,
and last-minute route changes all
contributed to create one of the most
grueling, and hotly contested Dakars of
the modern era.  “It is a route that we worked to make
Unsurprisingly also, records were set
and broken at Dakar 23’. Argentinian
rider - and 2021 Dakar winner - Kevin
Benavides, seized the lead on the very
last day of the event, knocking Toby
Price from the top of the general
standings to prevail by 43 seconds; the
narrowest winning margin ever in Dakar
history.  “For the second week, we totally
Put it another way - after over 3,000
5,000+ miles of ‘commuting’ to and from
the stages required by competitors), the
final two positions in the motorcycle
category were separated by less than a
minute. That’s the equivalent of racing
further from Gibraltar to Moscow. Off
road.
Conversely in the car category, Qatari
over rally legend Sebastien Loeb by a
margin of one hour and twenty minutes
- the largest finishing gap seen in the car
class in 20 years.
New Year New Dakar
While most of us were contemplating
where to go out for New Year’s Eve
2022, the 500+ racers and teams who
signed on to the 2023 Dakar loaded up
and blazed a trail into the wilds from the
Dakar’s start line in Yanbu; on the shores
of the Red Sea in Western Saudi Arabia.
From there the race tracked northeast
to the ancient city of Ha’il, before
turning south towards Al-Duwadimi
and eventually on to Saudi’s capital city
of Riyadh for a halfway ‘rest day’ on
the 9th of January. The second week of
competition then saw competitors aim
for the southeast of the country, and
the ominously named “Empty Quarter”
desert; before finally racing up Saudi’s
east coast to the finish line in Dammam
on the 15th of January.  grit required to get to the finish line. Not
a little more difficult than in past
editions,” explained Dakar Rally director
David Castera with a wry smile. “Week
one is like the Dakar we have known so
far, with dunes, sand; fast, technical, with
the particularity that there are many
more kilometers, which is much more
than what we have known so far.
changed the pace. We go from long
stages in kilometers to short stages in
kilometers, but with many dunes, but
it will change the configuration of the
Dakar. There are more than 200km per
day, which seems like nothing, but they
are pure dunes. It’s the first time we’ve
done such a different route between the
two weeks of the Dakar.
“The Empty Quarter hosted the
Marathon stages spanning Stage 11
and 12, where outside assistance from
support crews was completely banned
- meaning competitors needed to be
self-sufficient in case of mechanical
problems. There is nothing, we have
found no animals, no person, no
footprints, no tracks. It’s a complete
void.”
Easy then. What could possibly go
wrong?
“If it can go wrong in the Dakar, then it
probably will…”  states legendary Dakar
racer Nani Roma.  “Whether that’s a
mechanical issue or an injury to the
rider or driver - you need to be prepared
to deal with it. It’s not like racing at a
circuit where your team is five minutes
away. You can be hundreds of kilometers
away from service. So, you are a driver,
mechanic, medic, navigator - all in one!” 
An Explosive Cocktail of Adventure 
A veteran of elite-level cross-country
rallying, Nani Roma is well-versed in the
only is the Spanish racer a veteran of a
staggering 25 Dakars, but he is also one
of the few athletes in the world to have
won the marathon rally on two wheels
and four. Having started his career in
motorcycles, scoring his first Dakar win
for KTM in 2004, Roma then switched
MARCH 2023 61
 to cars in 2005, and went on to lead a 1-2-3
result for Mini in 2014, beating team-mates
Nasser Al-Attiyah and 14-time Dakar winner
Stephane Peterhansel to the crown.
“It sounds crazy, but you must be ready
to suffer,”  continues Roma.  “Racing in the
Dakar in Africa meant riding from 11 to 12
hours every day. In South America and Saudi
Arabia, it can be the same. If something goes
wrong, be prepared to spend the night on
the freezing desert ground. In 2002, I lost
the race because I lost my way. It happened
two days before the stage finish in Tichit
(Mauritania). I was freaking out, but I learned
afterwards that this is also part of the game,
and you have to accept that you may lose a
62 MARCH 2023
race for a tiny navigational mistake.”
And therein lies the magic ingredient needed
for Dakar success, especially the latest edition
in Saudi. Navigation.  and dealing with it. Alone. It’s the clock alarm
Monster Energy HRC Honda rider Ignacio
“Nacho” Cornejo - who is widely regarded in
the Bivouac as one of the leading riders when
it comes to navigation, agrees with Roma’s
take on the challenge. Nacho, who scored two
stage wins at the 2023 Dakar - and ultimately
finished eighth overall explains:  “You need
to live the Dakar Rally to really understand
its hardness. It’s an explosive cocktail of
adventure, personal challenge, the ultimate
test for the body and the mind of the driver
and definitely the machine. 
“It’s like living life to the fullest over 14 days.
It’s going out of the comfort zone repeatedly
at 03:00 am, the freezing cold in the long
liaison at 4:30 or 5:00 am. It’s the last frontier
in motorsports because you are alone out
there in the open desert, and you have to deal
with every situation with the only items you
carry with you. We are pioneers, adventure
seekers and at the same time racers. It’s a race
against the clock in an extreme environment
that challenges the man and the machine to
the limit”.   
Keeping calm and focused despite the
 challenges of the latest Dakar in Saudi
is something Monster Energy HRC
Honda rider Adrien Van Beveren agrees
wholeheartedly with…  “It’s the ultimate
challenge for pilot and machine. It’s 14 days
nonstop pushing at the limit. I don’t know
a more grueling race. it’s ruthless, you have
only one shot to make it right and everybody
wants to win. Specifically, I think this is also
one of the most demanding editions.  almost every minute like in a labyrinth. If you
“The first week we had bad weather, rain and
cold that affected the race in addition to the
length of the stages. The stages are long, and
the liaisons are grueling in their own right.
This year the level of the competitors and
the competition was so high that you always
have to push to the limit, and this is very
Where do I sign?
64 MARCH 2023
demanding for the body and the mind. One
small mistake and it is all over.”
“In the past racers were like Marines in the
desert; they were navigators inside, using
intuition as well as interpretation. You
had to think strategically and read beyond
the roadbook that was quite approximate.
Nowadays there is a change of direction
slow down, you cannot get lost, but if you
want to win, you need to learn to read while
you ride flat out. If you can read faster, you
can ride faster.”
Ultimately to just finish the Dakar Rally
always feels like a victory. For many different
reasons, this Dakar was one of the toughest
I had ever experienced. Racing across the
empty desert and sleeping in a tent on your
own feels like the spirit of the very first
Dakars in ‘79. It’s absolutely iconic.”
So, there you have it. A mere 14 stages, across
two weeks and 5,000km (3100+ miles),
through some of the most inhospitable
conditions on the planet, where every year
the rally organizer is actively making the
route more grueling. What’s more, if you
want to finish anywhere near the sharp
end of the results standings, you must
push absolutely flat out for every last mile,
while trying not to crash, lose focus from
exhaustion or dehydration, or blow-up your
chosen machine from too much time at full
throttle. 
 Jessica Clara
Trujillo
Model @MissJessicaClara
Photography by Arthur St. John | @ArthurStJohn
HMUA Kittie Lombardo @KittieLombardoSPFX
Location Mark Lindsey (Las Vegas, NV)

66 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 67
68 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 69
70 MARCH 2023
Welcome to the FHM family, we
are delighted to have you! How do
you feel right now? I’m feeling really
good and super excited, my photoshoot
was very classic, and very much Las
Vegas with the most beautiful views and
the most luxurious mansion where our
photoshoot took place I couldn’t have
been happier with where my photoshoot
was and how it went.
Tell us a bit about you, where were
you born? where do you live today?
I was born in the United States mostly In
the west coast areas I grew up traveling
most of the states and periodically I
would travel out of the country.
Are you romantic? Yes I’m very
romantic I even fantasize on a daily basis
of my romantic fantasies and I definitely
love to make them become a reality
Describe your perfect date... my
perfect date would be on a beautiful
sunny day taking a hike to the highest
mountain and having a romanic picnic
and me wearing a sundress looking out at
the beautiful view. And of course taking
photos.
Favorite food? My favorite food is
Salmon and pasta I love also I do love
healthy foods so I can stay active.
Favorite drink? My favorite drink is a
strawberry daquri
Favorite movie? My favorite movie
is Where the Crawdads Sing also any
Disney movies!
What is your best asset? My best asset
to Me is definitely my personality other
says it’s my smile :)
Can you tell us 1 secret about you?
(we won’t tell anyone - wink) My
biggest secret is I think about sex and
having it all of the time and different
places I will literally zone out when
someone is just talking to me to think
about it haha I guess my secret is safe with
you. Wink wink
Which animal best describes you
and why? A bunny they are so cute and
love to hop around just like Me
Biggest pet peeve: My biggest pet peeve
is someone who is constantly negative
and mean and someone who is boring . I
definitely have lots of personality and I
am very outgoing.
What are some of your goals in life
you wish to accomplish? My goals in
life is for me and my family to have our
own business and travel the world and
have education.
Where can our readers find you?
(social media) They can find me on
Instagram @Missjessicaclara and on line
@Missbunny2323 and my model page
Jessica C Bunny (Link is in Bio) hear from
you soon!
MARCH 2023 71
72 MARCH 2023
MARCH 2023 73
AUDI’S R8 HITS ITS HEADY RED-
LINE FOR THE LAST TIME
 The hourglass on Audi’s R8 has
finally trickled dry after nearly two
decades and myriad configurations.
Its future looks set to be in some
form of hybrid or electric
powertrain, influenced by models
like the Audi e-tron GT. That’s not a
bad thing, but it does mean the V10
could be axed from Audi’s family
tree indefinitely but live on by proxy
over at Lamborghini.
To honor this changing of the
guard, Audi has launched the
magnum opus of the range – the
Audi R8 GT. That name might evoke
some memories; in 2012 Audi
debuted the first R8 GT and as
expected it was a faster, lighter, and
meaner version of the best everyday
supercar this side of a Porsche 911.
The diet consisted of a more sparse
interior and thinner glass, and the
V10 engine got a nudge in power.
Only 333 units were built, with most
76 MARCH 2023
of them heading to the United
States. Owners of these rare beasts
are holding onto them for big prices.
The last hoorah of the R8 GT follows
a similar path, with all the
meaningful evolutions that have
improved the R8’s DNA in every
conceivable way. You can tell the
differences before even tugging on
the door handle. Sharp aerodynamic
curves cling around the front
bumper, and there’s a sexy rear wing
that helps focus your attention
around the V10’s transparent engine
cover. Overall, imagine it wearing
some brightly sponsored livery and
screaming around circuits such as
Bathurst or Mount Panorama, and
you’ll have a pretty accurate idea of
the styling direction.
And Audi has dived into the
carbon fiber party packet to help
save weight, and then tiptoe onto
the scales with forged wheels that
save a further 20 kilograms. A
carbon fiber anti-roll bar, optional
on other R8s, is standard here. It all
adds up to a saving of 55 pounds
over the regular rear-wheel drive R8.
The engine’s pretty special too. The
5.2-liter V10 is a high-revving treat
for the ears with 602hp going to the
rear wheels. Tell your friends that
it’s the most powerful rear-wheel
drive Audi ever sold! Sideways
heroics can be unlocked through
Audi’s Torque Rear system (drift
mode in regular speak) with seven
settings to test your bravery. Suffice
to say, the R8 GT is more about
cornering than straight-line speed
- the latter is where the quattro
versions still hold a slight edge.
Inside a cabin that is allergic to
sound-deadening material, you’ll
find two bucket seats and the same
dashboard and media displays of every
other R8 of this era. It remains a practical
place to sit with enough creature comforts
of a premium German car and a
user-friendliness that really shouldn’t
co-exist with a 602hp as easily as this. But
that’s been the R8’s hallmark since
conception; a thinking man’s supercar
that’s still good enough for Tony Stark and
one that cast Audi in a whole new
performance light and gave models like
the RS3 context and desirability.

There is only one catch to this perfect

all-rounder and swansong. Like the
original R8 GT, only 333 units will be built
and according to sources, that allocation
has already been snapped up. Guess
everyone else will need to settle for Audi’s
more delinquent twin, the Lamborghini
Huracan Tecnica. 

Pawan Dhingara

MARCH 2023 77
 CHEESE-
BURGER The latest Vette has
split personalities with
a performance overlap

& SALAD
It’s got a nice ring to it; Corvette E-Ray. Like some
sort of new Avatar species that makes all regular
‘Rays seem archaic. That’s not too far from the
truth either, because the latest specimen from
Corvette is revolutionary.  through an 8-speed gearbox, to the rear
That’s quite the accolade because the Corvette C8
already took a gigantic step when engineers moved
the engine from the nose, to just behind the rear
seats. This gave the ‘Vette a whole new dynamic
edge, akin to German performance cars.
First, though, this is not an electric corvette,
instead, it’s a hybrid system. That should lessen the
shock for die-hard Corvette owners and fans. The
fat and square-tipped exhaust pipes help anchor
the rear styling in piston-club territory.
No downsizing here either, just more
complexity on top of the axe-wielding
force. The 6.2-liter V8 thumps out 495hp,
wheels. Without turbochargers, it now
relies on electric motors to add another
160hp to that. This electric motor sits on
the front axle and is powered by a 1.9kWh
battery. It also comes with torque
vectoring. This dual powertrain is what
gives the latest ‘Vette its all-wheel-drive
layout – something that Vette fans may or
may not like but will hope to mimic the
surefootedness of Porsche’s 911 4S
models. Launch control is still part of
Vette’s arsenal, and if you press the right
buttons it will do entertaining tricks such
as burnouts and drifts on the fattest
rubber ever bolted to a Vette’s rear axle.
What they will like is the newfound
acceleration. Three seconds from
0-60mph? Nope, we’re talking 2.5 seconds
and a quarter mile in 10.5 seconds. If you
prefer a quieter approach, it is possible to
run only the electric motors up to speeds
of 45mph. It’ll only get you five miles
down the road before the V8 kicks in but
your neighborhood will be thankful every

78 MARCH 2023
time you leave for an early Sunday morning
breakfast run. There’s no way to charge the
battery via a traditional plug-in system so it
remains to be seen just how often that range
will be available.
Are there any downsides? Weight is always
the enemy of these hybrid systems, and the
E-Ray has suffered a 300-pound gain
between its wide hips. It’s the heaviest
Corvette ever made. Most of that weight is
channeled between the front seats, and then
there are other batteries to support daily
features such as start/stop.
The cockpit is still one of our favorite
elements. It’s a true jet-fighter-inspired
layout that submerges you within the car’s
body and then angles the screens towards
the driver. It’s chunky and heavy and quality
has really been ramped up compared to
previous models. The only difference with
the E-Ray is that the screens now come with
some added graphics to show charging rates
and power usage, as well as a standalone
Charge+ button on the console.
Sales of the E-Ray are not far away with the
first deliveries expected towards the end of
2023. We know it’ll carry a hefty price tag
compared to the standard Stingray and then
there are options unique to the E-Ray to push
that price even higher. These can include
bespoke graphics, carbon fiber wheels, and
other carbon options. 
Pawan Dhingara
The venerable
Aston Martin DBS
makes a shock exit
Few cars have such a strong DNA thread as the
Aston Martin DBS. It’s similar to the Porsche 911
in that way – steady massaging of the design and
the drivetrain but nothing to disrupt the
all-conquering recipe.
It’s one that we never thought would come to an
end but the fact that it has means Aston Martin is
leaving no stone unturned for the big farewell. The
latest incarnation is the 770 Ultimate and if you
discount the Valkyrie, it’s the most powerful Aston
Martin ever built. Certainly, the most powerful one
you can actually drive on the road and fit in a set of
golf clubs.
Aston Martin Chief Technology Officer, Roberto
Fedeli, said of the DSB 770 Ultimate: “When an
iconic model generation reaches the end of
production it is important to mark the
occasion with something special. In the
case of the DBS 770 Ultimate, we have
spared nothing in ensuring the final
version of our current series production
flagship is the best-ever in every respect.
Not only is it the fastest and most powerful
DBS in our history, thanks to a
comprehensive suite of improvements to
the transmission, steering, suspension, and
underbody structure; it is also the best to
drive.”
As you’ve probably guessed, it packs an
explosive 770ps – or 759hp – from the
5.2-liter V12. This is not an AMG-sourced
unit, like in other Astons, but it still gets
twin turbos under the long hood. In fact,
more boost pressure is credited with the
extra power but Aston isn’t claiming
quicker performance. The 0-60mph dash
still takes the same 3.4 seconds and top
speed of 211mph hasn’t moved the
proverbial needle, but none of this makes it
any less desirable. Astons have always been
somewhat immortal from stopwatch
figures…
The rear axle receives the power through
an 8-speed ZF gearbox which has been
tweaked to provide slightly faster shifts –
again not something that reveals itself on
the stopwatch. The final parts of the
drivetrain are the brakes, and carbon
ceramics that not even Fernando Alonso
– Aston Martin’s new F1 driver – will be
able to complain about. A new
solid-mounted column on the steering
mechanism adds stiffness and according to
Aston makes the DBS more precise and
rewarding to drive. 
And then there’s the new 21-inch wheels.
Slightly controversial but after staring at
them for a while we’re finally giving them
the thumbs up. Just feel sorry for the
person who has to clean all that brake dust.
More palatable styling upgrades include
blades of carbon fiber, a revised grille and
more shapely diffuser. Inside its show of
Alcantara, sports seats and carbon fiber
paddle shifters – all standard items
compared to the regular DBS. 
You’ll also want to spend time on Aston’s
configurator to ensure that yours stands
out from the other 498 models scheduled to
be built. This includes 300 coupes and 199
Volantes (convertibles) and as per the
norm, all models have already been
snatched up by the everyday James Bond. 
Pawan Dhingara
FEBRUARY 2023 81
CAMBODIA:
GENERATION
HOPE.
by Ian Kirke 2023 | @ianjkirke
 American writer and Nobel Prize winner John
Steinbeck concluded,“People don’t take trips…
trips take people.”His encapsulation – succinct
and sweet – accurately reflects my own personal
adventures, although I am the first to acknowledge
that I am privileged to have the means and oppor-
tunity to explore our amazing planet as frequently
as I do. If you are open to the notion of discovery
it often creates a series of unexpected connec-
tions that have the vibrancy to alter the very core
of identity. Where I see myself in the world, and
how I believe it works, has gone through several
significant changes in recent years and I hold most
dear the paradox of Albert Einstein’s celebrated
conundrum:“The more I learn, the more I realize
how much I don’t know.”My most recent cerebral
collision with contradiction occurred in a coun-
try that is now imprinted in my consciousness for
eternity ─ Cambodia. But first, let me start this epic
journey over six thousand miles away in territory I
am more familiar with ─ the United Kingdom.
There is something peculiar about the way
Brits associate themselves with politics.
The fact is, hardly anyone gets off their
ass to vote, and a meaningful amount are
willing to accept that lying politicians are –
in some abnormal way – par for the course
─ acceptable and almost amusing. But in
reality, how far away from anarchy, or even
worse, is any seemingly stable nation-state?
Are we so gullible as to simply rely on laws
and conventions that the vast majority of us
don’t really understand? And what happens
when deliberate dishonesty has a firm
grip on the levers of power ─ for instance,
financial institutions, education, transport,
energy, and more terrifyingly – the military.
How powerful does a corrupt rogue
state have to be to disrupt the collective
moral compass towards ultimate
horror? How far are we from
being groomed, or terrified, into
accepting genocide as normal?
This is the contemporary history
of Cambodia. But the story that
so moved me began with a young
man holding up a sign at Phnom
Penh International Airport.
Liv’s smile was infectious and his
genuinely warm words of welcome
energized me out of the travel
fatigue imposed by monotonous
airport connections in Abu Dhabi
and Bangkok. The former has
to be one of the most soulless
aviation hubs, whilst the sojourn
at the second was sufficiently long
enough to rue the decision not to
spend at least one night in this hive
of activity. Local guide Liv would
be passe-partout for the next three
days, before the onward journey to
Siem Reap.
I recall a school friend of mine once talking
about “Pol Pot,” but as a kid in the mid-
1970s, my grasp of geopolitical issues, civil
wars in far-off countries, and anything to do
with the world beyond what I would have
for tea that night was pretty much non-
existent. Latterly I learned of the “Killing
Fields” but to be frank our own European
holocaust preoccupied my thoughts on
genocide.
As Liv spoke eloquently about his country
of birth I pushed him more, keen to fill the
void in the abject and embarrassing gulf in
my knowledge of what actually happened.
His narrative was stunning, compelling,
chilling, and odd as it may seem, captivating
and compassionate. The slaughter
of millions of innocent Cambodian
people – men, women, children, and
babies – happened in my lifetime and the
incomprehensible injury caused to those
that remain was suddenly all around me
and embodied within Liv. It is his account
that deserves to be shared. Over the coming
days we would talk, reflect, and laugh, since
there exists an incredible optimism born
out of this terror.
Liv’s existence was as a direct result of the
civil war that raged between 1975 and 1979,
claiming the lives of two million inhabitants
as a consequence of the barbarism inflicted
by the Khmer Rouge under the direction
of a man I had been made aware of only a
few decades earlier by a nerdy classmate.
Liv explained that “Pol Pot” actually stood
for “Political Potential” and the real name
of this monster was Saloth Sar. A well-
educated man, his ultimate perversion
was to create a Marxist master race that
required the ethnic cleansing of those
that were deemed to be superfluous to
this ideal. For example, schoolteachers,
academics, doctors, nurses, government
officials and police officers. Not only were
these factions – and others ─ murdered,
but their family members too. This would,
in the eyes of the oppressors, significantly
reduce the likelihood of recrimination. Had
I been in Cambodia at this time, rather than
the safety of leafy Oxfordshire, I would
have been killed along with my mum and
sister, grandparents, uncles, aunties, and so
on, since my civil servant dad would have
been first to be slain. Only those
that could demonstrate a clear
and unmistakable association
with farming were spared, since
they were needed to work in the
forced arable labor camps. Those
who tried to evade detection were
often outed when Khmer Rouge
soldiers simply inspected their
hands. Farming the land would
never result in smooth skin around
the fingers and hands. As Liv
explained, resistance was futile.
Lining up either side of a trench
– sufficient to house a corpse
– the two hundred imprisoned
Cambodians who had been spared
torture and ultimate disposal
within the Killing Fields faced each
other. One hundred men looked
across the void at one hundred
women. Scared strangers. Asking
each man in turn, “Do you love
this woman?” the only survivable
response was “Yes.” Liv’s parents
left and returned to the rice fields to serve
the repressive regime once again.
On the second day, Liv facilitated a visit to
one of the many Killing Fields scattered
across the country. “Words fail me” is often
a lazy narrative used by those who find it
challenging to connect with their most
intimate inner feelings. On this occasion,
I linked explicitly to the very essence of
MARCH 2023 85
 my emotional intelligence, yet I simply
couldn’t find a narrative to capture how
empty, lost and utterly bewildered I felt
during those ensuing hours. The tower
of skulls at Choeung Ek, each individually
marked to indicate the horrific nature of
death, left me numb. A somber tour of S-21
(security prison 21) ─ a former secondary
school – the scene of sadistic torture on an
industrial scale, chronicled the full extent
of the depravity of the Pol Pot ideology. Yet
Liv’s pride and optimism pulsed through
like a flare in the darkest reaches of the
most wretched of thunderstorms. He had
only one ask: “Please tell your friends to
come and visit us.”  As I bade farewell to Liv, I
During the evening, a boat
trip along the Mekong River
showcased the most incredible of
evening skylines and, contrary to
some subsequent comments on
social media, my images were not
photoshopped. Liv explained that
Phnom Penh was evacuated by the
Khmer Rouge on the false premise
that it was about to be bombed by
the United States. People collected
a few personal possessions in the
belief that they would soon return
to their homes. Many hundreds
of thousands didn’t. Turning to
more contemporary issues of
the day, Liv spoke of his recent
marriage and his keen interest in
the beautiful game, with Liverpool
football club being his English
team of choice. Evidence – if any
86 MARCH 2023
were needed – that life does go on.  river crossing, made more hazardous due
In 1979 Liv’s parents along with many
thousands of other displaced Cambodians
were liberated by Vietnamese troops who
overthrew the governing dictatorship.
But the country remained in turmoil and
chaos for a period afterwards and his
parents’ journey to Phnom Penh had to
be undertaken at night in order to avoid
pockets of Khmer Rouge resistance.
They learnt to eat every conceivable
creature, including tarantulas ─ an option
still available to buy to eat from the local
markets. Once they had negotiated the
to the destruction of all the bridges into
the city by the Khmer Rouge, his parents
settled into a modest apartment vacated by
the owners – presumed dead – and began
to rebuild their lives. Some years later they
received official confirmation from the
Cambodian government that they were the
legal owners of the property. Still together,
they run a successful bicycle business in
which Liv is a principal partner. Liv has the
most glorious sense of humor since he still
queries why, even to this day, his parents
haven’t chosen a larger home!
mentioned that I own a bicycle
and his entrepreneurial vision
immediately kicked in, “We can
deliver to the UK!” The deal was
sealed, as long as he changed his
footballing allegiance, which he
graciously did – at least for as long
as it took to photograph him in my
Notts County shirt!
Siem Reap is the gateway to
the majestic Angkor Wat and
several other mysterious and
magical temples once lost to the
jungle. Dor was the consummate
traveling companion and expertly
coordinated this incredible
experience infusing his local
experiences and exceptional
cultural knowledge. Like Liv, he is a
proud Cambodian and he added to
my awe of this extraordinary place.
Leaving Liv with his candid account of the
civil war, Dor educated me on the ongoing
clearance of landmines – a contemporary
reminder of the conflict ─ laid by the
Khmer Rouge and added to by opposing
government forces and other military
operations including the United States
Air Force who dropped explosive devices
along the Vietnam border. In all, around six
million mines were distributed across the
country. Visiting the APOPO mine action
centre I was stunned to discover not only
the extent of the danger (particularly for
rural children) but the ingenious method
employed to counter the risk. Trained
rats are used to sniff out the
TNT contained within the lethal
mines, thus allowing significant
rafts of countryside to be made
safe in a fraction of the time it
takes other mechanical methods,
especially the deployment of
metal detectors. Light enough not
to detonate the device the revered
rats are rewarded with a food treat
when they signal first contact.
The threat is then neutralized
with a controlled explosion.  of humanity that bit more and
Cambodia’s cultural and religious
magnificence radiate from the
ancient structures that tell the
most astonishing story of human
endeavor, spiritualism, and
relationships. It has never ceased
to baffle me that once supreme
centers of human civilization can
ultimately wither and die having
once dominated the environment to the
very edges of the known horizon. Yet, to
fully appreciate this unique tale, a visit is
essential as words can only provide an
essence of the true majesty and mysticism.
Dor was nonetheless cognisant of the
most recent movie history that had left
an enduring imprint, and in true tourist
mode I couldn’t resist the Lara Croft
(Angelina Jolie) Tomb Raider pose in the
astonishing Ta Prohm temple, nor could I
leave without inspecting the wall carving
of the Stegosaurus. Just think about that
for a moment! Suddenly those late nights
watching “Ancient Aliens” on the television
no longer appear in vain.
Pub Street in downtown Siem Reap
reverberated with a rhythm reflecting
modern-day Cambodia. An almost
innocent but wholly deserved vibe of
optimism that seeks to magnify the beauty
of growth and reconciliation, since those
who were once among the victims of the
deadly Khmer Rouge now share the same
streets as their former tormentors.
The drop-off at the local airport came far
too soon as Dor elegantly narrated the final
farewell: “Thank you for visiting Cambodia
and I wish you future health and
happiness. It has been a privilege
to have met you.” Reflecting Liv’s
deep desire to promote the real
Cambodia he simply concluded,
“Please tell your friends to visit us.”
I just about managed not to burst
out crying.
Cambodia was more than a journey
– it was a voyage of discovery
that expanded my understanding
changed me forever. As a minister
and author Bidemi Mark-Mordi
observed,  “The human spirit is
like an elastic band. The more you
stretch, the greater your capacity.” 
The Cambodian people I met were
caring, creative and cool. If you can,
I recommend that you check it out
someday.
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 Instagram @missclairefae

Photographer JR Bessette | @jrthephotoguy

PR RATNIP PRODUCTIONS | @ratnipproductions 

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Such an absolute honour to have you
on FHM! What is on the plans this
year for you? Thank you, it’s so exciting
to be here! I have my biggest year yet in the
works, with several appearances booked
at gentlemen’s clubs across the country,
a bunch of very exciting photoshoots, as
well as competing at the Exotic Dancer
invitational in Dallas, TX for the first time.
I’ll be traveling and performing a lot this year,
in addition to experiencing a lot of firsts, I’m
very fortunate to have the opportunity to
experience the world in this way.
What are you most looking forward to?
I’m over the moon about all of the new cities
and people I get to experience by touring
and feature dancing, I’ve always loved to
travel, and constantly being on the road is
the better than anything I could’ve asked
for. I especially love getting out of the cold
in Michigan, as a lot of my work takes me to
warm climates. I just got home from Puerto
Rico and I’ll be spending at least 2 weeks in
Florida this July, I’m really looking forward
to that.
Top 3 best moments of your career?
Everything is so fresh and exciting that
it’s hard to narrow it down to just 3 top
moments, it still feels like everything is
happening all at once and it just keeps
getting better. Being featured in FHM is a
huge high point for me, to be featured in a
household name publication is unreal and my
mind is blown that it’s actually happening.
Taking home a title in my first ever exotic
dance competition last spring in Chicago
was major factor in my
career taking off as well.
Lastly, my first time
performing in Las Vegas
was incredible, it was
a turning point where
the impostor syndrome
started to fade.
What would you say
is your signature
look? I’ve gone through
such a style evolution
in my years, I take
inspiration from elements from a whole
plethora of different aesthetics including
old Hollywood, 90’s Pamela Anderson, and
current alternative fashion. I consider my
signature look to be something of an amped-
up natural, a little glamorous, but a little wild
too; I like big, blonde, curly hair, long lashes,
and letting my freckles show, I love looking
enhanced, but not too polished.
What is the fastest way to get a smile
on your face? Definitely by showing me a
cute, fluffy animal or bringing me a coffee.
What are some of your favourite
outdoor activities? I’ve always been a
big fan of anything that involves water! I
really enjoy kayaking and river tubing, and
especially swimming. I’m obsessed with the
ocean and I’ll find any opportunity to make it
to the beach.
3 ultimate deal breakers when it comes
to men? Dishonesty is by and large my
biggest dealbreaker, I’m a very open person
and I don’t really get upset by much as long
as people are up front with me, I can get
down with most things if we’re able to have
an adult conversation about it.
Another dealbreaker of mine is disrespect
towards waitstaff, I feel that how somebody
treats bartenders, servers, baristas, etc. is an
excellent way to gauge their true colors.
Lastly, and this applies to friendships as
well, birds of a feather flock together, if the
majority of a person’s friend group engages
in unsavory behavior, odds are good they
do too, and I’ll see myself out before I get
looped in.
Never have I ever…skinny dipped in the
ocean (yet.)
Top 3 myth busters when it comes to
models? The biggest myth, in my opinion,
is that people assume models never eat
anything fun; I have a monster sweet tooth
and I love to cook, balance is important, but
life is too short to deprive yourself of your
favorite snacks. Another myth I’ve noticed
is that people assume we’re not intelligent.
Most models I work with have at least
once college degree and multiple business
ventures, myself included. I studied software
engineering at a big ten college and work in
coding and database security when I’m not
performing or shooting.
Thirdly, it’s a myth that our entire
existence revolves around being polished
100% of the time; most of my hobbies involve
being dirty and outside, especially in the
summertime.
What is the best way to approach you
as an admirer? I always appreciate when
people are upfront about their feelings and
intentions, that will get you way further with
me than playing games and making me guess.
Nobody likes mixed signals.
Where can our readers catch up with
you and stay updated with your work?
The best place to keep updated on my work
and life is my Instagram. I’ve also been
adding to my website, clairefae.com, lately, so
keep an eye there for the uncensored fun!
We are so happy to
have gotten to know
you a little bit! Any
last words out there
for our readers?
It’s been an absolute
pleasure, thank you for
having me! Definitely
keep an eye out for me
at gentlemen’s clubs
near you and keep being
awesome!
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