Rai Tahun Baru Cara Rafflesia

Oleh Zul Husni Abdul Hamid
zhusni@bharian.com.my

DATUK Jimmy Choo melukis di mata singa sebagai simbolik perasmian majlis sambil diperhatikan Winnie.

Majlis makan malam sebagai tanda persahabatan dihadiri selebriti dan artis popular

SUASANA ceria melatari Grand Sultan Ballroom, Hotel Le Meridian, Kuala Lumpur apabila himpunan nama terkenal berbilang bangsa bersatu pada majlis Makan Malam Gala Rafflesia dan Mandalay sempena sambutan Tahun Baru Cina, Ahad lalu.

Rakaman suasana gemilang itu seakan menterjemahkan kemakmuran dan keharmonian masyarakat Malaysia, memperlihatkan Tahun Baru Cina yang terus dirai sebagai platform mengukuhkan perpaduan serta mengeratkan persefahaman antara kaum.

Sudah menjadi tradisi bagi Rafflesia The Pearl Centre untuk meraikan mereka yang menyumbang kepada kejayaan empayar perniagaannya setiap kali tiba Tahun Baru Cina.

Andai tahun terdahulu, sambutan perayaan itu dilakukan penuh sederhana namun kedatangan Tahun Lembu yang melambangkan kemakmuran diraikan sedikit berbeza.

Pengarah Rafflesia The Pearl Centre, Winnie Sin berkata, mereka cuba mencipta kelainan dengan meraikan sambutan Tahun Baru Cina menerusi satu majlis penuh glamor dan berwarna-warni.

NASHA Aziz dan Chef Wan tampil penuh gaya.

Menjadikannya lebih bermakna, majlis itu turut dilimpahi kemilau cahaya dengan kehadiran nama popular dan anggun yang memahat kejayaan dalam industri hiburan.

“Ia bersesuaian kerana acara ini dibuat pada hari ketujuh sambutan Tahun Baru Cina yang menurut kepercayaan masyarakat Tionghua akan membawa tuah dan kebaikan.

“Mengambil keberkatan itu, kami menganjurkan majlis makan malam ini sebagai tanda penghargaan dan persahabatan di samping memperkenalkan rangkaian barangan terbaru daripada koleksi Mandalay,” katanya.

Dihadiri lebih 250 tetamu, acara eksklusif yang menyatukan elemen tradisi dan kontemporari itu bermula jam 6.30 petang dengan pengenalan rangkaian Chinese New Year Jadeite Bangles Collection.

NING Bai zura mengalunkan L.O.V.E. khusus untuk tetamu.

Koleksi terbaru yang dipamerkan sehingga 9 Februari ini diperagakan oleh nama masyhur dalam industri hiburan tempatan dan antarabangsa menerusi kemunculan bintang ternama seperti Anita Sarawak, Nasha Aziz, Eja, Syafinaz Selamat, Soo Wincci, Ning Baziura dan Rachel Tan di permaidani merah.

“Memiliki jed adalah satu kemestian bagi masyarakat Cina kerana ia membawakan tuah dan kemakmuran. Justeru, kami menerapkan kepercayaan itu menerusi rekaan kontemporari untuk disesuaikan dengan penampilan glamor mereka yang menggayakannya,” kata Winnie.

Biarpun diburu kesibukan, namun Winnie bertuah kerana majlis itu mendapat kerjasama empat pereka tempatan yang menghasilkan rekaan khas untuk digayakan selebriti pada majlis berkenaan.

Nama seperti Carven Ong, Bill Keith, Alvin Tay dan Michael Shu sememangnya sudah sinonim dengan industri fesyen tempatan dan akui Winnie, dia begitu berbangga dengan komitmen yang mereka berikan.

“Untuk acara penting seperti ini, peranan pereka fesyen sangat penting kerana sedikit sebanyak mereka membantu personaliti untuk tampil hebat dan mengagumkan. Paling penting saya mahu tetamu yang datang bergembira dan hadir bergaya kerana mereka ialah bintang yang menyinari langit industri hiburan.

“Saya mahu berkongsi kegembiraan ini bersama mereka, membuatkan tahun ini kami meraikan Tahun Baru Cina dengan lebih glamor namun menceriakan semua,” katanya.

Lebih istimewa, majlis makan malam itu turut diserikan dengan kehadiran penyanyi terkenal kelahiran Macau, Maria Cordero.

Pemilik vokal lantang serak basah yang mengahwini lelaki berdarah campuran Cina-Portugis itu memukau tetamu dalam rekaan Carven Ong diperindahkan dengan rantai tangan jed bernilai RM488,000.

“Kami sudah lama saling mengenali iaitu sejak dia menjayakan konsert 4 Asian Divas bersama Anita Sarawak, Elisa Chan dan Frances Yip di Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands, tiga tahun lalu.

“Bermula dari itu, persahabatan kami terus mekar. Bagai ada satu tarikan yang membuat kami dekat dan sejak itu, kami terus akrab seperti sudah berkawan lama,” katanya.

Majlis makan malam itu turut diserikan dengan persembahan daripada Anita yang menggayakan rekaan Bill Keith dan aksesori jed bernilai RM688,000.

Turut membuat persembahan ialah Ning Baizura, Syafinaz dan pemenang Sehati Berdansa musim kedua, Lisdawati dan Fauzi Nawawi yang menarikan tarian ballroom menerusi lagu Gema Rembulan.

Pereka untuk selebriti

Carven Ong:

Soo Wincci

Cindy Chen (Pemenang kedua Miss Malaysia/Dunia 2008)

Suki

Xandria Ooi

Jolene Chin (Miss Astro Chinese International 2004)

Maria Cordero

Puan Sri Chelsia Cheng

Rachel Tan (Miss Chinese International 2003)

Bill Keith:

Anita Sarawak

Andrea Fonseka

Ning Baizura

Eja

Maria Cordero

Pushpa Narayan

Levy Li Su Lin (Miss Malaysia/Universe 2008)

Alvin Tay:

Huang Mei Si (Miss Chinese Cosmos 2007)

Winnie K

Syafinaz Selamat

Michael Shu:

Lisdawati

Berita Harian

Mahu Susut 2kg Lagi

Oleh Fairul Asmaini Mohd Pilus
asmaini@hmetro.com.my

“SAYA bukan saja dilahirkan dengan keadaan fizikal yang agak gempal, tetapi dengan selera Melayu yang cukup kuat.

“Emak pula gemar memasak manakala masakannya terutama kari kepala ikan dan rendang yang memang sedap.

“Faham-faham sajalah masakan Melayu, kalau tidak cukup minyak, santan, gula, perisa dan perasa, memang tidak lengkap,” kata penyanyi, Noryn Aziz menceritakan pengalamannya ketika mula menjalani rawatan untuk mengurangkan berat badannya di sebuah cawangan pusat pelangsingan terkenal, Marie France Bodyline (Marie France), kira-kira tiga tahun lalu.

Dia yang kini dilantik sebagai jurucakap terbaru Marie France mengakui pernah melakukan pelbagai usaha untuk kurus termasuk mengambil pil diet serta memakai korset, tetapi semuanya memberi kesan seketika saja.

Kata Noryn, berat badannya pernah mencecah 65 kilogram (kg) dan usaha untuk mengubah bentuk badannya pernah gagal kerana dia tidak mengamalkan tabiat pemakanan sihat.

Semuanya berubah selepas diperkenalkan dengan produk rawatan Marie France kerana ia bukan saja melakukan rawatan kecantikan, tetapi turut memberi khidmat nasihat terutama membabitkan cara makan yang betul.

“Kini, berat saya adalah sekitar 49 kg dan ia memang ideal dengan ketinggian (160 sentimeter) namun untuk memastikan tubuh benar-benar tegap, saya perlu menghilangkan dua kilogram lagi.

“Selepas menjalani rawatan selama dua bulan, saya hilang berat badan sebanyak empat kilogram dan 34 inci di beberapa kawasan badan. Saya sungguh gembira dan berpuas hati dengan hasil berkenaan.

“Namun, selain rawatan, saya juga melakukan senaman seperti berenang serta berlari dan mengelak daripada mengambil makanan pada lewat malam. Itu semua untuk memastikan saya mendapat berat badan yang diinginkan,” katanya yang menjadi jurucakap Marie France selama setahun.

Dia turut melahirkan rasa bertuah kerana dipilih sebagai duta pusat pelangsingan terbabit yang sebelum ini memilih Datin Seri Normala Samsudin serta bekas ratu cantik Malaysia Universe 2004, Andrea Fonseka.

Menurutnya, pembabitannya sebagai jurucakap pusat itu diharapkan mampu membantu wanita seusianya berkongsi pengalaman mengenai cara menjaga kesihatan luaran dan dalaman.

Hadir sama pada majlis pengumuman pelantikan dirinya sebagai jurucakap terbaru Marie France di Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya baru-baru ini ialah Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Global Kecantikan Marie France, Benjamin Lo.

Majlis turut menyaksikan perasmian cawangan terbaru pusat pelangsingan itu di pusat beli-belah berkenaan.

Marie France, yang berasal dari Switzerland, sudah lebih 20 tahun berpengalaman dalam membantu individu untuk mengurangkan berat badan secara semula jadi.

Ia menawarkan penyelesaian untuk melangsing dan mengurangkan berat badan tanpa perlu memakan pil atau diet yang ketat serta tidak membabitkan senaman berat.

Perunding Marie France terdiri daripada pakar bertauliah manakala pusat itu menggunakan bahan semula jadi serta bebas daripada penggunaan pil atau suntikan yang boleh mendatangkan risiko.

Terbaru, Marie France memperkenalkan rawatan pelangsingan badan baru menggunakan kaedah BodyTech Perfectionist.

Ia turut menemui rumusan baru mengandungi tiga sebatian aktif yang dapat membantu menangani masalah berat badan termasuk tisu lemak berlebihan, selulit serta kulit kendur akibat kekenyalan kulit yang semakin berkurangan.

Harian Metro

Don't Forget Your Lyrics

SINGAPORE : Half a million dollars – that’s how much a forgotten lyric might cost you if you are a contestant on new Channel 5 game show, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”.

Hosted by local celebrity, Gurmit Singh, contestants are required to sing out – karaoke style – the words to fill in the blanks in the song. And if you can keep singing it right for 10 songs, you’ll walk away with S$500,000!

Easy peasy you say? Well, not quite.

“These people who come along thinking they know the song and when the music stops, the lyrics go away, they get stumped!” Gurmit said.

“My theory is this, when people see blanks, dashes, their minds go blank as well.”

Each game consists of three tiers which are divided into nine levels. The difficulty of the challenge increases with each tier and the tiers dictate how many blank lyrics contestants have to remember and sing within a stipulated time.

Contestants have to get every exact lyric correct to pass the stage, and like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, they can get help if they wish to.

Each contestant is entitled to three lifelines also known as “backups” that they can use when they are stuck at any point of the competition. But each backup can only be used once.

“Backup Singer” allows the contestant to bring a friend or family member on stage to help sing the missing lyrics.

If contestants opt for “Two Words”, they can choose any two words they have filled in to check if they are right.

The last, “3 Lines”, allows contestants to pick the correct answer from three multiple choice options.

“Every time you answer correctly, you keep going up (the different levels), higher and higher. But every time you lock in the words and they are wrong, any single word, any single punctuation is wrong, you go to either zero or S$10,000 threshold level,” Gurmit explained.

The game show also features celebrity contestants like MediaCorp actresses Fiona Xie and Jade Seah, characters from Channel 5 sitcoms such as Phua Chu Kang (Gurmit Singh), Sergeant Dollah (Suhaimi Yusof), Adrianna Wow and Barbarella Chanel (both played by Michelle Chong) and even “Singapore Idol” winners Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza, as well as runner-up Jonathan Leong.

But the one to look out for is actress Andrea Fonseka who is “really good”. “She knows many songs, she’s like a walking encyclopedia,” said Gurmit.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” premiered last year in the United States, and Singapore is the 30th country in the world to showcase the popular game show. It premieres Thursday, 27 November, at 8pm on MediaCorp’s Channel 5.

– CNA/km

Channel News Asia

Zahnita Tumpuan Kepada Peragaan

Oleh AQMAR ALLADAD

SEPI dalam bidang lakonan tidak bermakna Zahnita Dorothy Husein Wilson, 23, tidak berminat lagi untuk meneruskan kerjaya di kaca TV. Pelakon dan model jelita tinggi lampai ini sebenarnya mempunyai alasan tersendiri kenapa dia ‘bersembunyi’.

Zahnita yang berdarah kacukan New Zealand dan Melayu pernah membintangi dua buah filem berjudul Gila-Gila Pengantin Remaja dan Kuliah Cinta (2004), menyepi seketika dalam bidang lakonan setelah mendirikan rumah tangga pada 3 Jun 2005.

Tidak terlibat langsung dalam lakonan bukannya kerana kerana alasan dia tidak mendapat tawaran daripada penerbit dan pengarah.

Sebaliknya dia sendiri memilih untuk menolak tawaran yang datang. Keputusan itu dibuat kerana watak yang diberikan mungkin tidak bersesuaian dan dia sedang menginginkan watak yang lebih mencabar setelah muncul dengan dua peranan yang ‘biasa-biasa’ sahaja sebelum ini.

“Tawaran berlakon memang ada dan saya sebenarnya tidak kisah bagaimana watak yang diberikan. Tetapi kalau boleh saya tidak mahu melakonkan watak sebagai remaja gedik.

“Kalau boleh saya mahu watak yang lasak dan tidak terlalu stereotaip. Bila terlalu stereotaip ia membosankan,” katanya sambil ketawa kecil ketika ditanya ke mana dia menyepi selama ini.

Selain itu, jelas Zahnita faktor terkini dirinya juga banyak menjadi kekangan. Status ibu kepada Zahra Feena Zeckery yang kini berusia satu setengah tahun juga menjadikan komitmen personalnya tertumpah kepada rumah tangga. Dia terpaksa berfikir secara bijak sebelum menerima sesuatu tawaran yang datang.

Zahnita mengakui, sejak bergelar isteri dan ibu, kasih sayang dan perhatian terhadap keluarga semakin bertambah serta dia perlu teliti membahagikan masa antara kerjaya dan rumah tangga.

Ungkapnya, sudah tentu keluarga adalah segalanya-galanya dan perlu diutamakan memandangkan kini banyak pendedahan tentang kes perceraian. Itu yang membuatkan dirinya juga sentiasa berhati-hati.

“Sebab rumah tangga juga saya tolak tawaran untuk berlakon. Risau juga nanti, jika terlalu kejar kerjaya, anak dan suami entah ke mana.

“Jadi untuk kerjaya biarlah saya memilih untuk tawaran memperaga terlebih dahulu kerana ia lebih selesa, lagipun bidang ini lebih dekat di hati saya,” jelas Zahnita yang mengakui sesekali rasa rindunya kepada dunia lakonan, datang bertandang.

Kecewa modelling

Walaupun memiliki raut wajah yang seksi dan bentuk badan yang menawan, Zahnita tidak menafikan pernah mengalami kekecewaan dalam bidang peragaan disebabkan faktor berat badannya setelah melahirkan anak pertama.

Memang sukar untuk mengembalikan susuk tubuh seperti asal tetapi dengan membuat terapi dan senaman, akhirnya kekecewaannya terubat jua apabila selepas lapan bulan berpantang, Zahnita kembali dipanggil untuk memenuhi tawaran peragaan.

“Memang tiga bulan dalam pantang saya tak boleh kembalikan bentuk badan asal tetapi disebabkan ‘ghairah’ sangat untuk membuat peragaan saya tidak sedar waktu itu badan saya berisi.

“Dalam gambar memang tak perasaan saya gemuk, semasa mengandung berat saya bertambah sebanyak 30 kilogram, jadi pernah satu ketika, saya tidak mendapat sebarang tawaran,” jelasnya yang mampu menurunkan berat badan sehingga 55 kg dan mengekalkannya sehingga kini.

Untuk mengembalikan bentuk badan asal bukan mudah, Zahnita mengawal pemakanan dan mengamalkan senaman sebanyak tiga kali dalam seminggu sehingga lengannya kini sudah berotot.

Rahsia rumah tanggaJangan pandang mudah setelah mendirikan rumah tangga. Itulah konsep yang tekankan oleh Zahnita yang telah mengahwini seorang ahli perniagaan kereta mewah, Zackery Ghouse, 30, sejak tiga tahun lalu.

Walaupun berkahwin pada usia yang muda, Zahnita mengakui dia perlu mematangkan diri bagi memastikan rumah tangga yang dibina bersama orang tersayang kekal sehingga ke akhir hayat.

PERSONALITI lain yang turut memeriahkan acara.

Ditanya, adakah dia juga pernah berselisih faham dengan suaminya?

Lantas Zahnita mengakui, selisih faham memang wujud tetapi dia dan suami tidak akan berdiam diri dan terus berbincang dan masing-masing akan meluahkan apa yang terbuku di hati.

“Tipulah kalau tidak pernah ada masalah kan? Tetapi kami tidak ego, masing-masing akan duduk berbincang untuk selesaikan masalah tanpa bantuan pihak lain,” ujarnya yang sedar hanya dengan cara itu, hubungan antara suami dan isteri dapat berkekalan. Zahnita ditemui dalam majlis Anugerah Inspirasi Triumph 2008 di Pavilion, Bukit Bintang.

Selain Zahnita, seramai 11 orang selebriti popular yang hadir antaranya Nora Danish, Fazura, Nurul, Sazzy Falak, Nasha Aziz, Andrea Fonseka, Belinda Chee, Amber Chia dan Ezlynn.

Powered by Kosmo

Nine Faces Of Channel 5

SINGAPORE : Here’s a quick pop quiz: What do Gurmit Singh, Adrian Pang, Fiona Xie, Michelles Chia and Chong, Andrea Fonseka, Utt, Aaron Aziz and Jas Arora have in common?

If you don’t know, you’re obviously not watching enough TV. Suffice it to say, these are the nine faces of Channel 5 who are tasked with spearheading the channel’s latest re-branding exercise, which aims to put more home-grown talent on air.

Their faces certainly are familiar enough: Gurmit is a 13-year Channel 5 stalwart; you could say that Adrian has been in almost every drama, variety, comedy and game show; Andrea became TV’s “it” girl just after one season on Deal Or No Deal; Fiona and Michelle Chia have successfully crossed over from Channel 8; Michelle Chong is known for her comic turns on TV; Utt’s perennial hosting duties have given him a wider demographic; while Aaron and Jas had impressive outings on Heartlanders and Achar!, respectively.

So why then?

Powered by Channel News Asia

Monsieur, Would You Like My Carrot Cake?

SINGAPORE: When Michael Wang first attended the Cannes Film Festival in 2005, he moonlighted as a waiter selling drinks. This time around, he’s hoping to sell carrot cake.

The filmmaker will be part of the Singapore contingent to this year’s Marche du Film, the international film market component of the annual film festival in France, which runs from next Wednesday until May 25.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) is leading a delegation of six local companies and hosting Singapore Spotlight, an event at the market’s Producers Network segment on May 21.

The companies are Ascension Pictures, Axxis Group, Oak3 Films, OriginAsian Pictures/Sinema, Wormwood Films, and The Vintage Film Company, Wang’s two-year-old company.

Wang, whose short film “Talking in Black and White” was screened at the festival last year, is hoping to get an international distributor for his maiden full-length feature “The Carrot Cake Conversations”.

“Hopefully, in doing so, I can break even or make a profit to make my next film,” said Wang, 25.

The S$350,000-budget movie about four strangers bonding over a plate of carrot cake at Newton Hawker Centre stars Andrea Fonseka, Adrian Pang, Alaric Tay and Australian actress Danielle O’Malley.

Other films to be showcased at the Singapore Spotlight include “Brother No 2”, a documentary about the Khmer Rouge by Oak3 Films and The Gene Generation, a sci-fi production directed by Pearry Teo under Ascension Pictures.

This will be the MDA’s fifth foray into Marche du Film. Last year, it sent a delegation of 13 companies. Aside from the MDA delegation, Easternlight Film Productions will also hold separate promotions for Fann Wong’s recent flick, Dance of the Dragon.

Capping off the Singapore presence at Cannes this year is Eric Khoo’s new movie “My Magic”, which is in the running for the festival’s Palme d’Or award.

“We are proud to see our filmmakers gain recognition,” said MDA’s chief executive officer Christopher Chia.

Marketing films at the festival is important, said Oak3 Films’ head honcho Zaihirat Banu. “Everybody’s there and it’s a good place to network,” said Zaihirat, 35.

In 2005, the company signed a deal with two Italian companies and a French company to co-produce an 8-million-euro (S$17-million) film, “The Missing Star”.

Co-delegate Wang knows all about networking. His 2005 internship programme allowed him to watch movies while working as a waiter at the Kodak Pavilion where he met Davien Littlefield, who co-produces films with Academy Award-winning American actor Philip Seymour Hoffmann (“Capote”).

“She’s going this year because of my film, and she has a lot of weight,” said Wang. –

Channel News Asia

Five On Channel 5

SINGAPORE: Whoever said there wasn’t anything worth watching on TV obviously hasn’t, you know, been watching TV. But there’s still time to change your mind.

In fact, you’ve got a whole month to do so, as MediaCorp Channel 5 unveils five local shows this month. From the return of the smartest, smooth-talking kids in town to a new “neighbourly” drama series to a reality show featuring newlyweds, the diversity will make couch potatoes weep into their potato chips for joy.

But if the themes behind these shows still don’t seem to be much incentive to keep one glued to one’s screens, we firmly insist you still hold on to your remote.

Most of these will feature a bevy of hotties: From Andrea Fonseka and Rebecca Tan to Eunice Olsen and Jaymee Ong to Jason Chan and Utt.

So, deal or no deal?

Channel News Asia

One Is Never To Old To "Live The Dream"

Singapore Idol it sure isn’t, but a new singing competition will give closet singers a shot at fame, and a $40,000 cash prize to boot.

In a format reminiscent of past Talentime contests, Live The Dream aims to encourage the singing aspirations of warblers and crooners who might have shelved their singing aspirations for other careers.

And unlike Idol, which had a maximum age limit of 30, Live The Dream has no age limit. Its message is: You can never be too old to pick up that mic again.
It has a minimum age limit of 25, though.

Explaining, local pop icon Dick Lee, who will be a judge on the show said: “In Asia, the concept of an idol is someone who is young and cute, but not necessarily talented. Now we’re just looking for someone who’s always wanted that chance to be a great singer.”

Lee, 50, said the older crooners will be judged less on looks and styling than on their vocal quality. Besides Lee, the other judge will be Hype Records executive director Ken Lim, 42. Both were also judges on Singapore Idol.

MediaCorp TV Channel 5 vice president Selena Ho said: “A lot of professionals who didn’t fall into a certain age range (for the channel’s other contests), who’ve harboured dreams of singing but had to go and become a financial analyst or teacher (perhaps) – these are the people we want to come forward and audition.” The show will also have a separate category for groups, who stand to win $60,000.

Potential contestants may also be nominated by friends or family, or send a clip of themselves singing via 3G video call. A mobile crew will also be staking out shopping malls to identify possible participants.

“Logically speaking, the contestants should be more talented, because they’ll be more matured, more practical in their choices of songs,” said Lim.

Lee said it will be a “very Singaporean” show.

“It will be fun in a good oldfashioned way. We’ve forgotten about this kind of dream. Our only dream now is to live in an apartment that will go en bloc,” he added, laughing.

The hosts of the show will be Deal Or No Deal’s Andrea Fonseka, briefcase girl number 10 on the game show, actress Michelle Chia and former MTV VJ Utt.

Said Fonseka, 22: “I really want to see an uncle or auntie come on to the show and sing Chinese opera. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Auditions will be held June 2 and 3 at the Toa Payoh HDB Hub. Visit http://www.livethedream.com.sg for more information. –

Channel News Asia

Dealing With Pure Dumb Luck?

SINGAPORE: Win a cool $250,000 – without having to do much at all. That seems to be the premise of the new game show, Deal Or No Deal.

After years of needing at least a reasonably high IQ to win on The Pyramid Game, or having to be a repository of vast amounts of general knowledge to walk home with big money on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, MediaCorp TV Channel 5’s new game show offers a very attractive deal: Pick a briefcase containing anywhere from $1 to $250,000 and hope you’re lucky enough to get one that makes you rich.

The premise of the show – all money, no skills – puzzles some. A follower of local game shows, Tan Shi Jia, for one, thinks Deal Or No Deal looks “ridiculous”.

“Even The Pyramid Game required more intelligence than this,” said the 24-year-old graduate student, who feels that Channel 5 could have adopted a “smarter” show.

But reservations about the apparent “dumbing down” of TV aside, Deal Or No Deal may still have the makings of hit for a number of reasons.

For one thing, it has been five years since Singapore’s most recent blockbuster game show, The Weakest Link and, at its peak, Who Wants to be a Millionaire drew almost half a million viewers.

Although it is assumed to be a show where little or no talent is required, Deal Or No Deal feeds the enduring craze for get-rich-quick schemes here – which includes but is certainly not limited to the passion for Toto and 4D.

And its worldwide popularity speaks for itself: Deal Or No Deal has already been adopted by over 50 other countries and, in the US, it regularly rakes in over 16 million viewers a week.

This, and a predisposition for buying big-name franchises, is the reason why MediaCorp decided to adapt the show.

Said Channel vice-president Selena Ho: “As usual, Channel 5 prides itself on bringing in the most current, hottest, latest trends in TV.”

The fact that thousands turned out for the auditions seems to suggest that Deal Or No Deal is, indeed, an idea whose time has come.

But to find out whether it actually seals the deal as a bonafide hit-to-be, Today takes a closer look at the show and at Channel 5’s previous hits in the genre.

DRAMA, DRAMA, DRAMA

Contrary to what Deal Or No Deal may appear to be on the surface, the show’s executive producer, Jennifer Gwee, said emerging as a big-money winner isn’t a no-brainer.

“I think that’s one of the misconceptions of the show,” she said. “It’s not easy at all. You do need to know how to do some sums, and rely on gut instincts.”

However, according to the show’s host Adrian Pang, every contestant goes on the show with “some kind of a system”, before finding out that it all just boils down to “pure, dumb luck”.

Still, said one of the 26 women who hold the briefcases, during tapings that have been done so far, some of the contestants have become so emotional they’ve broken down.

“The reactions are all very real, and everything unravels as we go,” Gwee said. “They’re very real, very raw and very ordinary people.”

The contestants on the debut season are diverse: There’s a young social worker, a stockbroker and a retired teacher among others.

“When we were talking to them during the casting, we asked questions like: ‘How much of a risk taker are you’,” she said. “That they will make for interesting TV is a given.”

26 TIME THE EYE CANDY

Helping matters even more is the fact that Deal Or No Deal breaks with past precedent by featuring not one but more than two-dozen gorgeous hostesses.

In the first few years of local game show history, Singapore had only “man candy”: Benedict Goh, host of The Pyramid Game, was cute, but he was one person, and the show was sort of a dud and never made it to prime time.

Sure, there was former Miss Singapore Universe Eunice Olsen on Wheel of Fortune, but, like Vanna White, Olsen was more sweetie pie than vixen.

Deal Or No Deal, on the other hand, features Adrian backed by 26 women fitted out in skimpy dresses the colour of money. Almost all of them are professional models, and there’s even a former Miss Malaysia Universe, 22-year-old Andrea Fonseka, in the mix.

HOST WITH THE MOST

Considering there’ll be no nail-biting over tough questions or yelling at the TV when contestants can’t solve a puzzle, Deal Or No Deal will have to rely heavily on those women, nervy contestants and a host who can tie it together.

Going by the media preview – and whisperings from his 26 Vanna Whites – Adrian is very much his cheeky and sometimes erudite self on the show, which should come as a relief after the embarrassment that was Asha Gill’s pseudo-bitch persona on The Weakest Link.

But based on the initial tapings, Adrian said some contestants think he’s being mean. He said: “Part of my job is to lay out the facts and statistics to the contestants, and when I do that, they think I’m being insensitive.”

He admitted to teasing the contestants when they’re nervous, but only because it helps “relieve a bit of the tension”.

He added: “It’s about money, and people get really serious about money.” –

Channel News Asia