'Not allowed to make mistakes': Quan Yi Fong's daughter Eleanor Lee thinks about quitting showbiz 'more times than you could ever imagine'

Showbiz is a cutthroat industry, and one celebrity has peeled back the curtains to discuss it frankly.

Singaporean singer-actress Eleanor Lee took to Instagram Stories yesterday (Nov 27) to answer some questions from her fans, including one who asked if she ever wanted to leave the industry due to mental pressure.

"More times than you could ever imagine," the 24-year-old, who is based in China, responded.

Eleanor added that it was not just her who thought of leaving multiple times, but almost every artiste she knew personally or knew of.

"It's the pressure and lack of freedom, the feeling of not being able to catch a breath and not have space to grow and learn from mistakes," she wrote.

She explained that it was because "everyone has their eyes on you 24/7" and judges celebrities so quickly that sometimes they start believing "all the bad things" others say about them.

"You're not allowed to make mistakes. At least not on camera," she wrote.

But taking "a good look" at the people who actually left showbiz, Eleanor — daughter of local host Quan Yi Fong and actor Peter Yu — realised that they can never really leave because their "whole life and social life" are already intertwined with it.

The reason she doesn't quit is her mother, she added.

"I look up to my mum, because god knows all the shit she has to put up with and go through," she wrote. "Then I think to myself, that woman never quit, not once, so how could I?"

Eleanor gained popularity for her lead role as Ye Muxi in the high school romance drama Big Boss, which she also recorded the original soundtrack for.

She plays Xia Xiaoman, a cheery and optimistic office employee in the upcoming China drama Why Is He Still Single?, which began production last Friday (Nov 24). The drama also stars Wallace Huo and Zhu Zhu.

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'Guys have it much easier'

When asked about her journey in showbiz, Eleanor responded that there have been "so many ups and downs".

She finds the industry to be unpredictable and "you never know who's gonna make it, who's the next star tomorrow" so she has learnt to view it neutrally, knowing that things are never as it seems on camera.

She added that she also doesn't listen to rumours as everyone has their own side to the story, and instead judges others on how they treat her personally.

Eleanor also believes it is more difficult for women in the industry and "guys have it much easier".

"For example, when I fall down, I hurt myself or I get bullied, I don't make a sound and just handle things quietly," she wrote.

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"I don't whine, I don't go around telling people, because they're only gonna say you don't work hard enough, you whine a lot, you can't endure hardships etc."

But when it comes to male celebrities, if they talk about such hardships, Eleanor believes "fans and colleagues will just give a standing ovation" and applaud how hardworking they are and how they can keep it professional "even through pain".

However, Eleanor added that this was not the case for every man as she's met male celebrities who are "so much more professional" than her and keep up positive appearances despite going through tough times.

"But one thing I know for sure is that everyone works just as hard, we sacrifice a lot, we give up most of our freedom - it's just the price we pay to be a part of this," she wrote.

She wishes people would be kinder and nicer to celebrities, as they are "also growing", just in front of the cameras.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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