He's convinced New Zealand that he's hot stuff, but has Roger Moore got what it takes to win a big bear contest across the Tasman?
The Safe Sex Poster Boy bear has entered Southern HiBearnation 2008, happening in Melbourne next month.
Back in March, Moore entered Auckland's Urge bar's annual pageant Mr. Urge New Zealand Bear 2008, which finds one talented teddy to represent New Zealand in Southern HiBearnation. He lost, as the title went to Unitec lecturer Heath Jones, but now Moore will appear along with Jones on stage in Melbourne as a second New Zealand contestant.
"I've entered the Mr. Australasia Bear contest myself," the plus-sized hottie explains. "So now there'll be two New Zealanders - me and Heath."
"I met the [Southern HiBearnation] organizer at Sydney Mardi Gras and he put the idea in my head. He said 'yes you should enter, you have a very good chance'."
Moore expected the Melbourne pageant to be "pretty much the same" as the Urge bar pageant, with a few dressing up - and dressing down - heats.
In the meantime, he's taking his role as Safe Sex Poster Boy very seriously, having appeared at several events and venues during Christchurch Pride Week, speaking at the Candlelight Memorial in Auckland, and even venturing down south to work a night at Bodyworks all-male sauna in Dunedin.
"I had a really good time working there from 8pm until two in the morning. Lots of people were there, and I was giving out loads of condoms and autographing the ones with the picture of me on.
"People had come from all over the lower South Island – Invercargill and places like that – to see me," he says proudly.
