'I'm only human': Felicia Chin was tempted by Mediacorp's offer; boyfriend Jeffrey Xu not surprised by decision to quit

When Felicia Chin broke the news to boyfriend Jeffrey Xu that she would not be renewing her contract with Mediacorp, his reaction was muted, as expected.

Felicia shared how he immediately told her without a hint of surprise, "I knew it", reported Shin Min Daily News.

"After all he's known me for so many years and knows what I'm thinking, so he was fully supportive," said Felicia.

The actress of nearly two decades announced on Thursday (Jan 23) that she would be leaving the TV station and embarking on a new role with Chinese-language faith-based platform, Hai Hao Ma.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CfIjMD8vrcm/[/embed]

Her last day with Mediacorp will be on June 30, and she will start in her full-time role with Hai Hao Ma on Aug 1.

[embed]https://www.instagram.com/p/CfIjVBThycb/[/embed]

Felicia was said to have joked at the time that she would have to depend on Jeffrey as he would be earning more than her.

Not that she sees herself becoming a "heavy burden" to her boyfriend, who is also an actor with Mediacorp.

"I feel he has a greater sense of responsibility now, and he might even derive some joy from this because he will be earning more than me!" said the actress gleefully.

And would the change in direction afford the couple the opportunity to take their relationship to the next level?

"Nothing is impossible," shared Felicia with a laugh. She added that the pair have always had marriage as the end goal and are currently going through pre-marital counselling in church.

Not a spur-of-the-moment decision

Speaking with reporters on her reasons for quitting, Felicia shared that she had already come to the decision at the start of the year, and it was not made in the spur of the moment.

However, the actress admitted to being tempted by the terms of Mediacorp's new contract, stating "I'm only human".

She eventually chose to pursue a path to "discover life's meaning".


Replying to queries on whether the terms were satisfactory, Felicia said: "Of course, I was very satisfied. The increment was tempting and made me hesitate in my decision to leave. I'm only human after all.

"But when I calmed down, I decided to stick to my original intention, which is to seek a new direction in the search for meaning in life!"

The 37-year-old, who emerged champion in the 2003 Star Search competition as a fresh-faced 18-year-old, admitted to a period in her career where she felt lost and down in the dumps. She shared with CNA Lifestyle how she even "felt like a fraud" and was "empty inside". Her period of low self-confidence occurred just before she left to pursue a university education locally.

Upon her return in 2014 however, Felicia shared that she gained a renewed sense of satisfaction from acting.

"I did not lack self-confidence like before nor did I continue to underestimate myself as I felt myself improving," she said.

However, this might not be the last we see of Felicia onscreen, as she would be happy to take on some dramas and hosting gigs if the opportunity arises.

candicecai@asiaone.com