Latest news with #Jul6
CNA
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
The best timepieces at Star Awards 2025: From necklace watches to blinged-out bezels
Star Awards 2025, Singapore's biggest night in television, returned in full glamour and grandeur on Jul 6, celebrating the brightest talents of local Chinese entertainment. The annual event, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, brought together actors, hosts, musicians and more for an evening of emotional speeches and striking (and sometimes questionable) fashion. Beyond the dramatic gowns and tailored suits, it was the accessories that added extra flourish – and none more so than the watches. Here's a closer look at the standout timepieces that graced the wrists (and necks) of Singapore's biggest stars. CHANTALLE NG Ng had a big role to play as host of the night, and the actress hit the red carpet wearing the Hublot Big Bang One Click in a delicate shade of mint green, adding a pop of colour to her cream gown. DESMOND TAN Tan had the honour of being the first in Singapore to wear the Zenith GFJ Watch, which launched this year at Watches & Wonders 2025. The timepiece is limited to 160 pieces worldwide in celebration of Zenith's 160th anniversary. FELICIA CHIN Perhaps inspired by Taylor Swift's Grammys look, Chin wore a timepiece around her neck, dazzling the night in the Jacob & Co Ashoka Diamond Boutique Necklace Watch. RICHIE KOH Decked out in a grey ensemble, Richie Koh kept things modern with the IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 in black. ROMEO TAN Xu Bin's Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph paired nicely with his cream ensemble. YE JIAYUN The model and actress paired her leather bustier look with the Cartier Clash [Un]limited bracelet watch. Pierre Png looked dapper with the Jacob & Co The World Is Yours Dual Time Zone in a striking shade of blue and rose gold on his wrist. QI YUWU The actor stood out in a sharply tailored checked suit, but it was the Jacob & Co Bugatti Tourbillon Baguette on his wrist that stole the spotlight – a jaw-dropping timepiece set with over 300 baguette-cut white diamonds. GRACE TEO JIA XUAN
CNA
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Actor and radio DJ Marcus Chin was worried he might have heart attack during Star Awards Top 10 win
When veteran actor and radio DJ Marcus Chin went on stage to accept his fifth Top 10 Most Popular Award at the Star Awards Sunday night (Jul 6), we couldn't help but notice he looked a little pale. It turns out the 71-year-old had been experiencing heart palpitations moments before his name was announced. Having suffered a heart attack in October last year, Chin admitted he was 'scared' about what might happen. 'The first name called out wasn't mine, neither was the second, third… so my heart beat [sic] very fast and I felt discomfort and a lot of pressure,' he told backstage. He was the seventh actor to be announced. 'Even when I was standing on stage, my heart was still beating very fast. It only calmed down after I gave my speech and sat down,' he shared. Chin noted that he never used to feel this way during past wins, but big events like awards shows and performances now trigger stress for him. Just a week ago, Chin sparked health concerns when his gums bled when he was giving a speech during the Resilient Hearts 2025 charity show. The bleeding was a side effect of his heart medication. 'So if I win again next year, please call my name first,' he joked. As for what was going through his mind on stage? 'I was worried I would forget my acceptance speech. I spoke more quickly this time 'cos I was worried I would run out of time and miss out on my punchline – thanking the two women in my life: [Mediacorp] CEO and the woman who has been [supporting] me, my girlfriend May,' he laughed. 'We live together, and she is the one looking after me. Not that she wants to stick to me all the time, but she is worried that something will happen to me, so she is always by my side.'
CNA
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Inside Star Awards 2025's fan zone, where the most diehard showed up 8 hours early
Towards the end of the red carpet segment of Star Awards 2025 on Sunday (Jul 6) evening, a fan next to me – let's call him Overzealous Fan – remarked that he was considering hanging around at Mediacorp till midnight. It would mean waiting for six hours, mind you – around the time that he estimated the post-event party would end. He didn't have a ticket for the main show in The Theatre at Mediacorp, which was taking place after the red carpet, and staying late would mean an expensive cab ride home. But for the mere possibility of glimpsing the artistes as they left for the night? Why, it should be an easy call. Earlier in the evening, I'd spotted him setting up a stool to prop his camera tripod, allowing him to film the entire red carpet show from the back of the crowd. He stood in the same spot for the whole hour, probably willing to be sooner burnt by the sweltering heat than miss personally capturing a second of the show … which he could watch live on his mobile device. And yet, Overzealous Fan's mild hesitation to remain till the post-event party wrapped up rendered him less of a devotee than another I shall call Even More Overzealous Fan. The latter scoffed when asked whether he was staying till midnight. He had shown up at 9am, even though the first segment began at 5pm, and there was no way he was leaving before he got what I reckon he came for: Some selfies and shoulder-rubbing. 'Yes of course I will stay! There are over 200 celebrities here! We must wait! It's worth it! How dare we not stay?' Even More Overzealous Fan declared in Mandarin, seemingly indignant that an alternative was suggested at all. 'There is no reward without hard work!' CAMPING FOR CELEBRITIES Forgive my apparent befuddlement. I understand strategising to score Taylor Swift tickets, hanging out at the airport to spot K-pop idols, and perhaps even queuing outside the Apple Store before a new iPhone drops. To arrive at Star Awards eight hours ahead of time, though? I doubted there was a need to 'chope' or reserve one's spot when I was certain that supply would far exceed demand. I ate my words at 4pm – an hour before the red carpet segment began – when I came face to face with around 200 fans happy to bake in the heat while awaiting their idols. There was a dizzying array of fan clubs, including some of celebrities whose existence I was learning about for the first time that evening. Among the more creative club names on display were Elvinology (Elvin Ng), The Beckers Team (Rebecca Lim), Carrieteristic (Carrie Wong), DesTheWay (Desmond Ng), Felicity (Felicia Chin) and The Juliet Club (Romeo Tan). Then there were fan clubs whose coordinated signs and T-shirts simply showed their idol's name: Zoe Tay, Ya Hui, Yvonne Lim, Joanne Peh, Bonnie Loo, Lee Teng, Tyler Ten and Paige Chua, to name a few. But like any interviewee, they were more than happy to talk about their passion. It just so happened this passion was a person, in this instance. Olivia Lee, a first-time Star Awards attendee and new member of Elvinology, said she just discovered the fan club this year. The 38-year-old started watching Elvin Ng's shows eight years ago, and found him 'very natural'. She has since met Ng twice in person, including once on a fan club outing to Melaka, and remembers him to be 'very gentlemanly' in how he spoke. 'When you interact with him, you can feel the warmth. He's very down-to-earth. You don't feel like he's a celebrity.' If anything, it seems having no airs is why other fan clubs like their celebrity idols too. Some members of the Yverlasting Yvonne fan club – for Yvonne Lim, who else? – expressed similar reasons they were enamoured with the 48-year-old actress who took home the All-Time Favourite Artiste trophy on Sunday night. Part-time administrative worker in her 60s Catherine Pang has always watched Lim's movies but only recently started being more invested in her career. Lim is 'very sincere' when interacting with fans online too, said Pang. With her on Sunday was Tan Lay Tin, who has attended Star Awards five times as Lim's fan. The actress is 'very thoughtful' towards her fans, Tan said, recalling the time Lim bought her Milo when she wasn't feeling well, despite it being their first meeting. And when I caught up with a small group from The Beckers Team, one of the fan club's longest-serving members Louisa Tan said she's lost count of the number of times she attended Star Awards as Rebecca Lim's fan. Although the actress received the All-Time Favourite Artiste trophy in 2023 and wasn't up for any award on Sunday night, 'we just come support', said Tan, 28, who joined the fan club when she was in secondary school. Lim is 'very easygoing', putting her 'whole heart' into fan interactions, Tan added. 'You won't feel like there's a gap between fans and her.' Still, apart from the sporadic cheer whenever fan clubs heard their respective celebrity's names being announced, the red carpet reception felt considerably muted. Many seemed happier to watch the event livestream from their phones – as it was happening, yes, right in front of them. That is, until nominee and eventual winner of the Best Rising Star award Tyler Ten showed up. Judging by the deafening screams for this man who – despite his evidently strong fanbase – I wouldn't recognise if my life depended on it, I realised I was officially out of touch with this new generation of Mediacorp artistes. I was no longer in primary school, when the daily 7pm and 9pm dramas on Channel 8 were my reward for finishing my homework; when I could depend on the one and only Ivy Lee to helm every show worth following; when local celebrity culture was revered, not ridiculed. But I swear I felt nine again, the minute I saw OG legends Fann Wong, Christopher Lee, Zoe Tay and Li Nanxing walk the red carpet – and once more when most recipients of the All-Time Favourite Artiste award since 2004 gathered on stage to kick off the Star Awards main show. Then I understood the diehard fans around me. Kind of. I, too, held my own reverence for the celebrities whose works I loved. The subject of our affection may differ, but the essence of our admiration remains universal. In the end, how different were modern Mediacorp celebrity fans, really, from Swifties, political party advocates, football supporters or even myself? Maybe not so, for the American writer Mark Twain once famously said: 'Fame is a vapour, popularity an accident; the only earthly certainty is oblivion.' Maybe every fandom is, at its core, about seeking something greater than oneself to stave off such oblivion. An hour before the show ended yesterday, I spotted fans who didn't manage to get tickets still milling around the theatre lobby. Among them was Even More Overzealous Fan from earlier, apparently keeping his promise to stay until midnight. Another was 21-year-old Vincent Lim, an F&B worker who'd specifically requested a day off to attend Star Awards, he'd told me earlier in the evening. He wasn't there for any particular celebrity; he carried no signboard or elaborate gear, just excitement at finally attending the event he'd only ever watched on TV as a child.
CNA
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Melvyn Lee is first chef in the running for Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Artiste
We've seen the Top 10 Most Popular Artistes categories at Star Awards expand to include DJs and influencers in the last two years. But who knew it would one day include chefs too. Chef Melvyn Lee is now the first cook to be up for the popularity award at the annual ceremony on Jul 6. The announcement was a surprise for the Makan On Wheels host, who told 8world he was in complete disbelief when his manager first told him about the nomination. "You're kidding right," was his immediate response. Lee didn't give the nomination much thought until he told his family about it. They gave him a hug and said: "We've always been proud of you". It hit Lee then that it's been 16 years since he hosted his first show: Mediacorp travel and cooking show Accidental Chef. "My heart was filled with gratitude. I told myself, since I've been nominated, then I should enjoy this entire process," he shared. Till now, Lee still thinks the nomimation is a dream. "As the first and only chef nominated for this award – one that many celebrities I've respected since young have gotten before – this is a great form of recognition already," he said. He has since asked his friends and family to vote for him, and has taken to his socials to canvass for votes. He also hopes to thank his fans for taking the initiative to rally votes for him. "To be honest, I don't know how to canvass for votes either 'cos this is my first nomination. I'm grateful for every single vote my supporters have given me," said Lee. On top of hosting food shows, Lee has also ventured into acting and had a cameo role in 2024 drama King Of Hawkers. "Acting is like cooking a dish. It is a form of art, which also requires knowledge and preparation," preached the chef. If given a chance, Lee hopes to play a villain next as he wants to show his range. This chef really enjoys having a lot on his plate, doesn't he?
CNA
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Actress Dawn Yeoh hopes Emerald Hill role will finally earn her a Star Awards trophy after 20-year career
By now, you should know that Dawn Yeoh's evil role as Kang Si Li in Emerald Hill is one of the most prominent characters from the Mediacorp blockbuster. But is the hype surrounding the 39-year-old actress' character enough for her to bag a trophy at the upcoming Star Awards on Jul 6? Yeoh sure hopes so. Despite being in the industry for two decades, Yeoh has not snagged a single award at the annual ceremony. This year, she's in the running for Top 10 Most Popular Female Artiste. "Actually I really yearn for it, but I dare not harbour too much hope because I'm afraid the disappointment will only be bigger," she told Yeoh, however, thinks it will be very heartwarming if she clinches her first Top 10 trophy while her Emerald Hill husband Romeo Tan wins his final one at the same time. If Tan wins his 10th Top 10 this year, he will move on to become an All-Time Favourite Artiste at the next Star Awards. According to Yeoh, playing Kang Si Li was a turning point in her career as it helped her gain attention from audiences outside of Singapore. "That day I was at a forum and went to the booth for Chinese media company Tencent. The staff all could recognise me and said: 'San Shao Nai Nai (third young mistress, Yeoh's other title in the show) is here'," she recalled excitedly. Yeoh was so overwhelmed by that incident that she was moved to tears. "To be finally seen after being in the industry for 20 years feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest," she said. She is now hoping to take on even more baddie roles in the future, especially after seeing the change in how the audience perceive such characters. "In the past the villains were all criticised and hated on, but nowadays people are able to appreciate the complexities and charm of the characters. I don't mind playing villain roles at all, as long as I can have a breakthrough and unleash my potential," said Yeoh. Besides acting, Yeoh is currently also a live streamer under director Jack Neo's Star Live Mall. She previously co-founded e-commerce platform Sibay Shiok with Terence Cao in 2021 before they both joined forces with Jack. When asked about balancing acting and being an entrepreneur, Yeoh then emphasised that she "doesn't want to let go of either" sides of her career. "If I have the ability and luck, I hope that I can go steady and far in both areas," she said, adding that more clients have taken interest in content involving her recently. At the same time, Yeoh, who has received invitations to star in other upcoming Mediacorp dramas, is sieving through scripts and looking to go for auditions in the near future. San Shao Nai Nai may not have had a good ending in Emerald Hill, but it seems like her real life is turning out great.
