The New And Improved Yang Sisters

SINGAPORE: Picking up from where they left off in the first season, Mediacorp Channel 5’s sitcom, “The Yang Sisters”, promises new looks, better stories, more laughs, and a good dose of heartfelt drama this time round.

Still revolving around the lives of the three Yang sisters, Honey (Cheng Pei Pei), Jasmine (Liow Shi Shuen) and Rose (Kym Ng), and the rest of their quirky family members, viewers can expect many moments of hilarity from the onscreen family, who claim that they bond like a family even when the cameras aren’t rolling.

“(Being family) really goes off screen as well. When I saw (Shi Shuen) just now, I (went), ‘Hey Mum!'” said Alaric Tay, who plays Jasmine’s younger son, Milton, in the show.

“It’s instinctive!” he added.

Playing the ‘big sister’ both on-screen and off-screen is veteran Chinese actress Cheng, who takes on the role of kung-fu loving sister, Honey, in the show.

“She has got no airs at all,” said Ng about Pei Pei, who is probably the most experienced of the cast.

Ng revealed that Cheng even went to great lengths to ensure that she was able to keep to her often hectic schedule when filming.

“She really looks after us, especially me, because sometimes I have other shows to go to and she will say (to the rest) ‘Hurry up! Hurry up! Kym Ng has to go somewhere else! Five minutes! Five minutes!'” recalled Ng laughingly, in her typical animated fashion. “She will count down for me like a floor manager! She’s really nice.”

On a more serious note, Tay too had only praises for Cheng.

“She’s very respectful even though she’s such a veteran… She doesn’t tell you how to act or anything like that. She lets you do your thing, and she does her thing, and we meet somewhere in the middle.”

As such, it is evident that filming has become more of a ‘family’ gathering for the cast of “The Yang Sisters”. Hence, it comes as no surprise that the cast are already eagerly awaiting to work together again on the third season of the sitcom.

“We are really looking forward to the third season,” said Kym, “it really is a happy working relationship!”

Catch the madcap adventures of “The Yang Sisters 2”, every Tuesday, 8.30pm on MediaCorp’s Channel 5.

– CNA/os

Channel News Asia

This Is For My Ex-Wife

SINGAPORE: Huang Yiliang did it again – made another controversial speech involving former wife Lin Meijiao.

At Sunday night’s Star Awards, which were held at the St James Power Station for the first time, Yiliang won the Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in the drama Women of Times.

When he went on stage to accept the award, he said he wanted to give the award to Meijiao. In the same speech, he also thanked his current wife. It was a speech that raised eyebrows, not least due to the little-known fact that he has remarried.

In 2003, when he won the same award, Yiliang mentioned Meijiao in his thank-you speech, comparing her to a giraffe and saying her neck had grown from yearning for an award.

Meijiao was not present at Sunday night’s show.

Backstage, Yiliang lost his cool when quizzed him about the speech.

“Meijiao is more talented than me but she doesn’t have my luck,” he said. “I’ve always wanted her to win something so I’d like to give this award to her.”

He claimed he was simply voicing the wish of his daughter with Meijiao. He has been married for three years to Lily Liu.

“When I made that speech in 2003, I only had good intentions. I regret that it’s a joke that fell flat, I shouldn’t have made it.”

Visibly annoyed, he added: “Do you know how influential the media is? If you write bad stuff about me, that’s the end of me. Please spare me. I don’t have any bad intentions.”

Meanwhile, the Best Actor and Actress Awards were won by Li Nanxing and Ivy Lee, respectively, while Hong Huifang nabbed the Best Supporting Actress Award. Bryan Wong won Best Variety Show Host, while Kelvin Tan won Most Popular Newcomer.

The top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes were: Christopher Lee, Gurmit Singh, Tay Ping Hui, Vincent Ng, Edmund Chen, Qi Yuwu, Mark Lee, Kelvin Tan, Elvin Ng and Bryan Wong.

As for the women, the top 10 were Kym Ng, Huang Biren, Xiang Yun, Rui En, Michelle Chia, Jeanette Aw, Felicia Chin, Fiona Xie, Quan Yifeng and Jesseca Liu. – TODAY

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Star Awards 2006 Nominees Unveiled, Event To Be Shown 'Live' On Dec 10

SINGAPORE : The list of nominees for this year’s Star Awards is out.

The names were announced on Thursday morning at a media conference where several stars were also present to get everyone to vote for them by calling in.

Among the most popular female stars are Kym Ng, Rui En, and Pan Ling Ling.

In the newcomer category are Elvin Ng and Tan Wei Lian. The Star Awards 2006 Most Popular list is available on MediaCorp TV’s

Channel News Asia