Singapore may be known for delicious local food and expansive greenery, but will it soon be known for handsome men too?

TC Candler, which publishes a list of the top 100 most beautiful or handsome faces every year, has also included the likes of Singapore actors Zhang Zetong, Tyler Ten and Shawn Thia for 2022.

This isn't the first time Singapore has been represented in TC Candler's lists, though.

In 2019, Singaporean Mandopop star JJ Lin placed 35th in the list of Asia's most handsome faces, with actor Lawrence Wong ranking 91st.

Here's a little more about 2022's Singapore nominees.

Zhang Zetong

Zetong is the winner of the Best Newcomer award at the Star Awards 2021 for his role in the Mediacorp office drama, A Jungle Survivor.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News in a recent interview about his nomination, Zetong, 29, expressed his thanks towards his fans, also adding that his parents are responsible for his "good genes".

Explaining that his features are more similar to his mother's, Zetong said: "My father gave me my good physique and wisdom in life."

Zetong's latest work is Healing Hands, a long-form local drama following the lives of doctors and nurses in a hospital. 

Tyler Ten

Being charming doesn't equate to being thick-skinned or extroverted, as 26-year-old Tyler will be able to vouch for.

In an interview with 8Days, Tyler explained that he would never pursue a woman until he knew feelings were mutual, and would never ask a woman for her number on the streets.

"I'm worried about losing face, it would hurt my pride," he admitted. "I also wouldn't go for it unless I'm sure the girl has feelings for me too."

Though Tyler may be an introvert, he's certainly not shy.

Responding to his fans' admiration, Tyler said: "I feel very honoured because not everyone can be a thirst trap. I'd take it as a compliment. If I can show [my body], why not?"

Tyler's most recent drama is When Duty Calls 2, where he dons the Singapore Armed Forces' uniform and navigates love as an introvert.

Shawn Thia

Surprisingly, this 26-year-old dropped out of school at the age of 15, and although his path in life was different, he's still managed to find success.

"Back then, because my mum's a single working mum, she had to come pick me up every day [because of disciplinary incidents]," Shawn told 8Days in an interview. "My mother was busy at that time and she couldn't take it."

While Shawn admitted to being rebellious, he also felt like the school's discipline committee was picking on him.

During one instance when his mother came to his secondary school to pick him up, she chewed the discipline master out in "Hokkien, Cantonese, English and Mandarin" before telling him: "Son, let's not be here anymore."

His breakthrough role was in the 2019 drama Titoudao, which also starred famous actress Fann Wong, as well as young actors like Joel Choo and Tasha Low. 

Alas, this hottie is off the shelf as he is engaged to Xenia Tan, his co-star in his latest drama Sunny Side Up.

BTS' RM over Henry Cavill?

The controversial nature of competitive lists also means that drama is sometimes unavoidable.

In August this year, rumours circulated alleging that the handsome Hollywood icon Henry Cavill came in second place behind BTS' Kim Nam-joon, aka RM.

While many users on social media platforms questioned the integrity of the list due to this rumour, others instead began flaming Nam-joon, claiming that Henry's face without makeup already looks better than a fully-beautified Nam-joon.

Many racist, homophobic, xenophobic and transphobic remarks were also made, reported Koreaboo.

Responding to these complaints, TC Candler released a statement on Facebook to say that the final list of top 100 contestants was not yet released.

"As much as we like Kim Nam-joon (RM) and Henry Cavill, neither of them has ever been crowned the winner or even been in the Top Five. Nothing has been decided in 2022 and nothing will be until we hold a vote in December."

Contestants in Candler's list are nominated by members of the public who gain access to TC Candler via the latter's Patreon account, which allows them up to five nominations depending on the tier of subscription.

To vote, the public can leave comments on Candler's Facebook page, tweeting their votes at them on Twitter, tagging them on Instagram or voting via their website.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com

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