'Some artistes have an old way of thinking': Quan Yi Fong on being rejected when inviting local guests to Hear U Out

It's the age of social media where celebrities post about their lives publicly, but some are still hesitant when it comes to airing their thoughts on talk shows.

Local veteran host Quan Yi Fong spoke to Lianhe Zaobao recently about the upcoming Season 4 of her talk show Hear U Out, where she chats with Hong Kong and Taiwan celebrities instead of local ones like in the first three seasons.

The 49-year-old talked about the challenges encountered in the process of inviting local guests.

"I also wonder why some Singapore celebrities don't dare to appear on my show. It should be easier in modern times — in the past, celebs were more careful with their words, but now they post freely on social media and mistakes are not uncommon," Yi Fong said to the Chinese daily.

"Some artistes may have an old way of thinking, and don't want to speak on the show. I feel that they may have to reflect on themselves. It's not that we don't want to invite them — we invited them, but got rejected.

"I also want to thank those who have appeared on our show — even those who have had bad press appeared on our show, and which guest didn't benefit from the appearance?"

Yi Fong also elaborated on how she helped her foreign guests feel comfortable even if they didn't know her well.

She helped the artistes and their managers understand that the purpose of the show is to benefit the artistes. They were treated with respect and if they felt uncomfortable at any point, they were free to speak out.

In the filming process, she said none of the guests requested for the filming to stop at any point.

'I like Ruby so much!'

Yi Fong also gave us a glimpse of her interactions with and impressions of her guests.

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Actress-producer Ruby Lin has an intimidating aura, but Yi Fong found her big-hearted, easygoing and responsive to her questions.

"I like her so much, even more now!" she chirped.

Regarding Taiwanese singer-songwriter Eric Chou, Yi Fong said: "He seemed to be uneasy during filming and frequently lifted his cup to 'take a sip'. But when the crew topped up his cup, they realised he didn't drink much water.

"I had the wrong assumption that he was melancholic but he was just reserved and is really humorous and open."

Hong Kong celebrity couple Julian Cheung and Anita Yuen were interviewed separately.

"Julian has a wicked sense of humour, and usually Anita is at the receiving end. But he showed that he loves his wife too, and shared many stories about them," she commented.

Hong Kong actor Him Law's interview was filmed in Singapore and Yi Fong said many crew members became his fans after the recording.

Yi Fong added: "He showed the authentic 'Him' and we understand his charm now. He trusted me and I am grateful to him."

Grasshopper was interviewed the day before their concert in Singapore. However, member Calvin Choy was down with flu-like symptoms.

"It turned out that it was not Covid-19 and Calvin still attended the filming despite being tired. The three of them shared their stories in an engaging manner, as professional as always."

You can watch the past three seasons of Hear U Out on meWATCH and Hear U Out 4 will be shown on meWATCH from Sep 7 onwards.

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jolynn.chia@asiaone.com