n a November morning last year, former Baywatch babe Carmen Electra and basketball badboy Dennis Rodman arrived at the Las Vegas' Little Chapel of the Flowers at dawn with the intention of getting married.

It was a good two hours before the chapel officially opened, but the owner, Barbara Taylor, greeted the couple and sent them off to sort out their papers. She then conducted a basic $75 wedding service on their return. Their guests numbered three - two bodyguards and an unidentified woman.

Nine days later, 6ft 8in Dennis, who was once linked with Madonna, filed for an anulment, claiming he was of unsound mind when he took his vows. In February, however, Carmen was spotted cheering the LA Laker at several tournaments, and Dennis was quoted in the press as saying that he and Carmen were happily married.

Unfortunately, that happiness was to be short-lived. After just five months of matrimony, the couple filed for divorce. Shortly afterward, Dennis was axed from the Lakers.

It was, by her own account, and episode of her life Carmen now wishes to put behind her. Relieved to be once again a free spirit, she hopes to use the next few years of her life concentrating on herself and her career.

It is a career which is primarily centered around acting and presenting - she became the Pamela Anderson of Baywatch after the blonde beauty left the series, and hosted MTV's Singled Out. But she would now like to focus more on singing and dancing, to build upon her training and the experience she had when she first came to Los Angeles with The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.

As far as love is concerned, 27-year-old Carmen, who lives in Beverly Hills, is an optimist, believing somewhere the ideal man exists - the question is whether she will ever get to meet him.

A little older and a little wiser after her first foray into marriage, Carmen talks to Hello! about her sense of liberation and hopes for the future.

Is your marriage completely over now?

"I'm separated, and I've filed for a divorce."
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You're free then?

"Yes, yes! I'm free! Free! For me it's been a liberation. It's like starting over again."

So you're happy?

"I'm happy now. I've made some changes in my life. We all control our own destiny and if we surround ourselves with negative people, bad things are bound to happen. We only have ourselves to blame. And that's why I've had to make those changes. I made a list of things that I had to do to be a better and happier person."

What is your view now of love?

"I think you are lucky if you meet someone you click with. That's what it is to be 'lucky in love'. But I don't think love in itself is luck. It's more like something natural. When you meet someone who understands you and respects you that's special, and something we all should have."

Do you think the ideal man exists?

"I think there's definitely someone for everyone. But who knows if I'll ever meet him?"

Do you think people should follow their heads or their hearts in a relationship?

"Maybe it's not the right answer, but I've always said that you should follow your heart, although often when I do I put my foot in it. On other occasions, I think too much and give the other person the benefit of the doubt. If we know ourselves properly and follow our hearts, we should end up on the right path."

You call yourself Carmen Electra, but your real name is Tara Patrick, isn't it?

"Really, my name is Carmen Electra because that's what everyone calls me nowadays - my friends and family - but I was christened Tara Patrick.

"I changed my name because I had an album out which was produced by The Artist in 1991, and another recording of mine got to number one around that time, and both were called Carmen. So we decided I should change my name to Carmen. Only I needed a surname which would describe my personality and so we looked in a list of Greek names and thought that Electra was one that suited me."

It's a name from a Greek tragedy.

"At the time, I didn't know it had anything to do with tragedy, but I thought it had a certain pull to it. The way I dance is very energetic and we thought it sounded a bit like 'electric'."

Together, the names have a very Spanish ring to them.

"A lot of people say I'm like the Carmen you read about in literature, but I don't have any Spanish connections. My roots can be traced back to Turkey, Ireland and Germany."

What is the personality difference between Carmen Electra and Tara Patrick?

"Tara is more innocent, more shy, maybe more frightened, sadder, and she's a bit sweeter. Carmen Electra is more open, stronger, she knows what she wants and goes out and gets it."

How did you start out in showbusiness?

"I began dancing when I was five. I had great parents who were keen for me to be a part of that world. My dad played guitar and my mom was a singer, and they spent all their money on my dance classes.

"At school I took part in more that 30 different musicals, like The King and I. My goal at the time was to dance in public, maybe even act on Broadway. I saved some money working on a magic show, and I decided to go to Los Angeles. And that's where I met The Artist and danced for one of his videos.

"Since then, everything has gone like a dream for me. I was contacted by MTV, and I did Baywatch and other programs. But my ambition was still to dance, because dancing is the thing which allows me to express myself best. Acting is just something that came my way. Nowadays, I'm more used to it and I want to be in front of the camera all the time. But in the beginning, I was very nervous."

You are generally considered a sex symbol. How does that make you feel?

"I'm not scared of my sexuality and I'm not afraid of expressing it. When someone in attractive, people tend to label them. But there's more to me than people think.

"Sometimes I go out in casual clothes without putting on make-up. People are surprised when they see me and say, "You're so different!"

"In the world I'm in, it's easy to be turned into a stereotype. But I don't just stick to one look. I have lots of different facets and I'm not afraid of showing them."

But you feel people often don't see beyond your appearance?

"A lot of people judge me by the way I look, or they judge me on a role they've seen me do on TV. But really, they don't know me at all. They don't have a clue. That's why, sometimes, people get to know me and they say, 'Carmen, you are so sensitive! And you've got your feet on the ground!' It's hard as well because I've appeared in a lot of tabloid press, and much of what was said wasn't true. A lot of people believe it though. And that's how people get the wrong impression what I'm like."

Who is the person you have felt closest to in your life?

"I lost my mother last summer and she meant everything to me. When she died, she took part of me with her. I don't have any children, and the only thing I had left when she went was a relationship… I think, more than anything, I have a lot of love inside me and it's difficult when you don't have someone to give it to. That's why I try to be generous with my friends and have a good time."

Do you enjoy your own company?

"Sometimes I feel lonely, and that bothers me."

What are your dreams?

"I hope to continue my career and an actress and also record a successful album. As a person I hope to have health, happiness, a family and lots of children.

"Sometimes I think it's children I miss in my life, because I love kids, and I have a lot of love to offer. It's not the ideal moment to have then though because right now I want to concentrate on myself and my career."

Do you find the showbiz world a bit mad?

"It's a hard path to take. When you start, people support you and tell you you can do it and you feel great. Later, when you get where you want to be, they do everything possible to bring you down. Then, once you're down, they're trying to help you up again. That's why I think it's important to be balanced, to know yourself, and to have good friends and people you trust around you."

Do you get hooked on fame?

"I think everybody would like to be famous. When people are telling you they love you, it makes you feel good about yourself. But then things can change overnight.

"People have the world at their feet for four of five years, an then it ends and what do they do? There are a lot of people that aren't strong enough to deal with that kind of change."

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