Karen Mok to wed her first love - and she wants the world to know

There's at least one local celebrity who is straight up about her relationship status. Singer-actress Karen Mok Man-wai is getting married in October.

The star broke the news on Saturday when she won the best Mandarin female performer trophy at Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards.

After winning the prestigious award for a second time, an excited Mok said there was no better way to celebrate than by having her own wedding ceremony this year.

Arriving back in Hong Kong on Sunday, Mok was swamped by reporters at the airport. She disclosed that her fiance, a native of Germany whose first name is Johannes, was actually her first love. They had dated when she was only 17 years old. They have been together again for the past two years and will marry in Italy, where they first met. 'We'll probably do something in Hong Kong afterwards because not all our friends can fly to Italy,' the 41-year-old said.

Reluctant to go into too much detail, Mok said Johannes proposed to her over dinner. 'It wasn't awfully romantic,' she said. 'He was shy and nervous, perhaps because he was afraid I'd say no.'

Mok will become the stepmother of Johannes's three children, and she believed it was a blessing. 'I don't mind that he's got three kids,'' she said. 'We are all very good friends. The eldest daughter is almost in college. We are so close that we wear each others' clothes.'