Mei-Ling Lam

You’ve got good taste in Mei-Ling Lam, our Miss June 2011. She’s half Asian – born to a Chinese restaurateur and a French Canadian – and all natural, with long, dark hair and soft brown eyes. “I grew up in small-town Maine,” she says, “and when I was younger, I competed in a few state beauty pageants. I won Miss Teen Maine in 2001, and later I competed in Miss Teen USA.” She may have worn a tiara, but don’t take her for a princess – Mei-Ling is a huge Boston Celtics fan, spends hours watching ESPN, and she would sooner die than miss a game with the Big Three. She also loves video games – Gran Turismo and any other game she can get her hands on – and has to be careful not to treat the stick shift in her Mercedes like a joystick. And it’s not all fun and games, either – she’s an entrepreneur with a restaurant and a tea house to her name. “I’d like to use my money and status as Playmate to start a new business,” she says. “I could do another restaurant, but I want to try something new.” Mei-Ling did some test shots with her friend – a fashion photographer – and he submitted them on her behalf. With her parents’ permission, she flew to Los Angeles for two more tests, and the third time was the charm – Hef approved her Centerfold and we made her Miss June. “It was my first time posing nude,” she says, “but I wasn’t nervous. I had modeled before, and I had to change my clothes in front of other people. It’s not that much different.” These days, Mei-Ling lives in Atlanta, Georgia with Ken Oxendine, new husband and former running back for the Falcons – but she makes regular visits to the Mansion, and Hef saves a seat for her at Movie Night. For more of the delectable Mei-Ling Lam, check out her Playground column, Dinner With Mei-Ling.