Scouted on Xiaohongshu? This 25-year-old is the 'first true blue Singaporean' contestant on popular Chinese dating show

Move over Single's Inferno, we have a new dating show to binge.

The sixth season of Youku's The Relationship, also known as Let's Fall in Love, started airing on Sept 10, and Singaporean viewers may have been pleasantly surprised to find a local in the cast.

The 25-year-old shared that he was "the first true blue Singaporean on a Chinese dating variety show" in a TikTok post showing his introduction clip.

"Hi everyone, my name is Chen Kang, you can call me Kang Kang or Jay," he said into the mic to applause from fellow contestants.

Jay — whose real name is Jaryl — continued that he's had three prior relationships over five years, and he was "quite a loyal person".

"I don't have a glib tongue, and I look like I'm slow at warming up to people. The more I like someone, the more I can't express it," he shared. "I don't know much about romance but I want to see you every day, multiple times a day.

"Do you want to come with me on a stroll along the beach?"

Comments on TikTok show Singaporeans wishing Jaryl the best, and even comparing his looks to Greg Hsu, Dai Xiangyu or Billkin Putthipong Assaratanakul, the lead actor from How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.

"As someone who watches a ton of these shows, I think your personality and looks really make Singapore proud! Jiayou," a comment read.

@n_p_c_j Very interesting experience #我们恋爱吧6 ♬ original sound - n_p_c_j

DM'd on Xiaohongshu

A clip of Jaryl and fellow contestant Pan Qianrong, who also goes by Pan Nailu, was posted by a viewer and gained traction on TikTok.

In it, Qianrong tells him she wants to visit Singapore and study at the business school Insead. Jaryl, amazed, responds that his house, as well as his primary and secondary schools, are right next to the campus.

In an interview with AsiaOne, Jaryl confirmed that he did go to school near Insead — to Fairfield Methodist Primary and Secondary — before majoring in International Business and Marketing at the University of Sydney.

He said he was scouted on Xiaohongshu through a DM and had to fly to China for filming, which was done between his graduation and Jaryl starting current job as a management trainee in the supply chain industry.

A look at Jaryl's Xiaohongshu page shows posts of him working out and travelling, the latter of which he also shares on his Instagram and TikTok page Off The Grid.

He described Off The Grid to AsiaOne as "a community of young travellers who are looking to unplug from information overload in life".

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by offthegrid (@offthegrid.sg)

Jaryl was also praised for his Mandarin skills on TikTok, with some netizens saying he sounded like a natural.

"I have spoken Chinese to my family since young and I had a lot of mainland [Chinese] friends in uni," he responded in comments, but added that his handwriting was terrible.

"I guess it's because I try to [have a neutral accent] when I'm speaking to mainland Chinese people," he told AsiaOne.

He also credited having mainland Chinese friends for learning to speak Mandarin "without a heavy Singaporean accent".

Jaryl told us that he would like to thank everyone for the support he has received, which he deemed "completely unexpected".

With a cry-laughing emoji, he added: "I didn't think that my appearance was anything noteworthy in Singapore."

@gg_aesthe HAHAHA #RELATIONSHIPS ⁶ #LETSFALLINLOVES ♬ original sound - GG ☘️

The Relationship airs on Youku TV. Episodes will also be available on Youku's YouTube channel on a delayed release schedule.

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drimac@asiaone.com

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