Jay Chou's girlfriend Patty Hou

Early this year, pictures of popular Taiwanese singer Jay Chow (Initial D) and TV host Patty Hou, 27, behaving like a couple in Tokyo surfaced in Taiwan tabloids and with that, throwing Jay's denials that they are 'just friends' right out the window.

The pictures by Hong Kong's Sudden Weekly show the couple smiling and strolling, with Jay's arm around Patty's shoulder, holding her hand and whispering in her ear. News of their sighting in Tokyo first surfaced when tourists spotted them at the hip shopping district of Daikanyama.

Patty's manager spoke up. She had earlier told reporters that Patty 'bumped' into Jay by chance in Tokyo, and they didn't even have time for coffee... which was a lie. She claimed she had lied to protect Patty's privacy, and she hoped that fans would not blame Patty.

Jay met Patty last year on E-News@Asia, the daily entertainment news programme she hosts on Asia Plus cable channel. Following that, Patty showed up at his concert in Taipei last October, and the couple first shared the stage during a tsunami charity concert held in Taiwan. Patty sang, while Jay tickled the ivories.

The Jay-Patty pairing has come as a surprise to many because of the couple's seeming incompatibile. She graduated from University Of Southern California with a degree in communications and clinical psychology, while he completed only high school. Furthermore, she is poised, eloquent and hails from a well-to-do family, while he is shy, reticent and is a middle-class kid made good.

No wonder Patty's mum, Madam Lin Yue-yun, was angry at the news of her daughter's secret Tokyo date, reported by Taiwan's Liberty Times. Her mum said she was not informed of Patty's romantic getaway and that she does not approve of them dating. Jay's family, however, seems more than happy with Jay's choice. His mother and grandmother have both previously praised Patty's sweet TV personality.