The celebrity appeal of Canada’s new prime minister was on full display Thursday as men and women crowded around Trudeau, hoping for a glimpse, a handshake and a snippet of video on their phones.

“He so handsome,” said one young fan. “He’s like Superman,” said another.

His magnetic appeal to local residents appeared to have little to do with his government policies or his famous father. Instead, it seemed they just like his looks.

“He makes us swoon,” said Chin-Chin Domingo, who used the Tagalog word “kilig’ to describe Trudeau’s effect on the crowd. “It’s butterflies in the stomach. That’s how we feel.”

An enthusiastic Jono Lyn Cadayong was exuberant after getting a handshake from the prime minister. “I’m speechless. He has nice eyes. I will not wash my hand,” she said.

Squeals signalled Trudeau’s arrival at a media briefing room where he held a news conference to conclude his day at the APEC summit. He entered the room to a constellation of camera flashes.

When he left, the crowd of some journalists and yellow-shirted summit volunteers was even bigger. They swarmed around the prime minister, putting him at the centre of a blaze of television camera lights. His security detail was hard-pressed to keep the crowd at bay and keep the prime minister moving toward the exit of the convention centre where his motorcade awaited.

The stunning scene underscored the celebrity buzz that has surrounded Trudeau’s visit here.

The front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper featured a photo of Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and the headline, “Girls have only eyes for Trudeau, Nieto.”

The story said Trudeau has been dubbed the “sexiest leader for his boyish image and progressive and inclusive policies.” And it said police had warned local journalists awaiting Trudeau’s airport arrival “against shouting and making giddy shrieks.”

Although the scene that played out here Thursday was extraordinary, Trudeau’s celebrity appeal has been on display in Canada. Selfies with supporters became a staple of his election campaign, a trend that has continued after he became prime minister.

Trudeau said Thursday he’s pleased Canada is getting some attention “because it gives us a chance to highlight the issues that are important to us.

He became reflective when asked about his celebrity appeal, noting that he grew up in the spotlight of his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau. “By the time I became prime minister in Canada, it was sort of old hat for people,” he said.

“This is fresh on the world stage. We’ll take some interest right and convert that into the substance of what we’re talking about,”
Trudeau said.

His father “knew well” that the public role was part of being leader. “Keeping that balance right is really important.”

Still, a Filipino journalist — one of many local reporters who lined up for a seat inside the news conference — couldn’t resist asking Trudeau about his reputation as an “APEC hottie.”

“One of the things about growing up somewhat in the public is that I had to develop a capacity to separate people’s perceptions of me from who I really am,” he replied.

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