Asia Nitollano: The New Pussycat Doll

Asia Nitollano was the winner on Season 1 of PCD: The Search for The Next Doll. And while we watched Asia survive through each elimination to finally become the winner, we still don't know that much about her. Who is this girl with such a great stage presence? Her performances blew away audiences as she belted out tunes with a passion and danced her heart out. For being such a young girl, it's amazing how Asia, full of confidence and motivation, gracefully made her way to the top.

She was born February 14, 1989 in Mt. Vernon, NY, and is the daughter of R&B musician Joe Bataan. Before auditioning for the show, she was a dancer for the New York Knicks. Her experience proved beneficial to her during the show while she competed against 18 other girls in the semi-finals, and then against 9 other girls in the finals. She earned immunity by winning a dancing challenge, and again with her impressive ability to ad-lib on a commercial for Secret Expressions deoderant. When it came down to the final 3, Asia was chosen for her overall stage presence.

In her group performances, she often stood out to the judges. Robin Antin, founder of the Pussycat Dolls, always commented on the positive reaction Asia received from audiences. She really knew how to work the crowd. Ron Fair, president of Geffen Records, criticized Asia for having weak vocals and pointed out that she had a tendency to tap her fingers on the mic while singing. But he couldn't deny her stage presence and her dancing ability. Lil' Kim always had something positive to say about Asia, pointing out that she has plenty of potential. In her group performances, she mastered the choreography and stayed in sync with the rest of the group. Songs she sang included "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce Knowles, "Free Your Mind" by En Vogue, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" by Aerosmith, and "Beep" by PCD.

In her solo performances, Asia was a star. She sang "Too Little Too Late" by JoJo, and "I Don't Need a Man" by PCD. She practiced both singing and dancing until she had a perfect performance. Sometimes she would be up all night, but she still looked amazing on stage. As one of the final 3, she was confident she would win. In an interview with Extra's Mark McGrath, she reveals her motivation: a daughter she had as a teenager. She says her friends abandoned her, and the only support she had was her mother. She was determined to make something of herself to show everyone she is a strong, independent woman. And she did just that.

Letting herself be vulnerable on national television, Asia proved she has a lot of courage and she is a strong person. Unfortunately, not many people, including one of her roommates, congratulated her for her bravery. She become the object of criticism as people assaulted her character. How could she leave her 2 year old daughter at home for her mother to take care of while she was off filming this television show? On the last episode, roommate Melissa Reyes personally attacked Asia saying, "Go home to your kid". But Asia was out to win, and she defended her character by saying she was doing more for her daughter by competing on the show.

At 18, she is now the youngest member of the Pussycat Dolls. The audience cheered when she was announced the winner; she cried. She performed with the Pussycat Dolls for the first time on stage. Her last words on the show were about her daughter: "Your mommy is a singer and performer...." She certainly proved to everyone that she has a strong character and she is able to provide her daughter with everything she needs.