Quan Yi Fong initially wanted to brand herself as a 'good woman'

Before she became the Quan Yi Fong we're familiar with today, the local TV host wanted to pursue a different niche for herself.

On the latest episode of the meWATCH talk show Hear U Out, Yi Fong, 47, told local actor Ben Yeo what kind of image she had intended to build for herself at the start of her career.

Ben said he didn't think about carving a niche for himself initially as a comedian and he would simply "be awed by the skills of a host or the stellar performance of an artiste".

It was only during the negotiations for his contract renewal that he got a wake-up call. According to Ben, his boss said he wasn't matching up to the job and advised him to find a niche for himself.

In response, Yi Fong shared: "When I first joined Channel U, my image wasn't good. I just had a baby. I had long hair and was very fair. I wanted to project the image of a good woman, but struggled to carve a niche for myself all year.

"Finally I had my hair cut short and dyed, and used a sunbed to get a tan. I wanted to become an outspoken and outstanding host. That was how I made my mark."

As for Ben, he eventually carved a niche for himself after pondering over his "hidden talents and passions".

"It came down to cooking," he said. "So I focused on cooking proactively."

ALSO READ: We tried Ben Yeo's 'sold out in minutes' chee cheong fun and would buy it again for the sauces

bryanlim@asiaone.com