Gossip mill: Shye represents Singapore in idol survival show Chuang Asia, legendary TV presenter Zeng Yueli retires, Mayday's Ashin suffers vocal problems in Singapore concert

Shye represents Singapore in idol survival show Chuang Asia

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Singaporean singer Shye-Anne Brown, 21, has been selected as a finalist in upcoming Thai idol survival show Chuang Asia, one of the lucky 70 out of over 9,000 applicants from Thailand and abroad.

The show is set to broadcast February 2024 on WeTV and features Jackson Wang as its lead mentor. His company Ryce Entertainment also co-produces the show.

"We gathered all the talented and potential candidates from the East. I'll share my experience and assist them in their journey to find themselves," the 29-year-old said.

Joining him are other industry heavyweights from Thailand: Singer-actor Mike Angelo, singer Jeff Satur, Ten (from K-pop group WayV) and Nene Pornnappan, a Thai artiste who was previously the fourth runner-up for Chuang Asia 2020.

Shye previously impressed Chinese audiences during music competition Youth π Plan, where she advanced to the finals and was noted for being a lookalike of Thai K-pop idol Lisa from Blackpink. She is the only Singaporean contestant in Chuang Asia.

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Legendary TV presenter Zeng Yueli retires

If you've watched Channel 8 over the last three decades, chances are you've seen Zeng Yueli.

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The veteran TV presenter was well-known for hosting current affairs programme Focus since 1999, but stepped down as a host in 2017 and remained an executive producer.

She is retiring after 34 years in Mediacorp, news editor Eg Yik Fan shared in a Facebook post today (Jan 15).

Echoing the classic line from sitcom Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, Eg called her "a household name in broadcast journalism in Singapore, JB and some say Malacca" and wished her a happy retirement.

Mayday's Ashin suffers vocal problems in Singapore concert

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Taiwanese rock band Mayday concluded their 12 years-long Nowhere Re: Live 2024 tour in Singapore over the last two nights (Jan 13 and 14), a gargantuan feat that saw the band visit us twice before, in 2012 and 2013.

Unfortunately, lead singer Ashin suffered vocal problems during the show on Jan 14 and was unable to hit the high notes of the song Cangjie and had to sing You Are Truly Not Happy an octave lower, reported The Straits Times.

The 48-year-old told the audience that he was contemplating between singing less and "torturing" the crowd less or singing more, which was what he wanted to do.

The audience sang loudly to help Ashin out, with bassist Masa and drummer Ming pitching in on vocals for a few songs.

"Despite Ashin's voice, the concert was still 1000/10 to me," a fan shared on TikTok. "Loved the energy of the crowd and how humble and authentic the band is!"

A netizen commented: "It was so touching when everyone cheered him on despite the zao xia (offkey singing). He could've chosen the easier way but he didn't. Proud of him!"

"Both heartwarming and heartache concert," commented another.

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drimac@asiaone.com