Selina Jen, 5 months pregnant, recounts her fear when her plane was struck by lightning en route to Bangkok

It's nerve-wracking to experience turbulence on a flight, but holding a loved one's hand can make a lot of difference.

On Monday (May 22), Taiwanese singer-host Selina Jen, shared on the latest episode of her podcast series, Selina-ing Problems, about her fears when she experienced strong turbulence on board her flight to Bangkok in April.

The 41-year-old, who is five months pregnant, was on her way to a holiday with her 33-year-old boyfriend and baby daddy, who's known by his nickname Xu.

Selina, who shot to fame as part of pop girl group S.H.E, recalled the turbulence occurred not long after the plane had taken flight.

"I thought the turbulence would stop after the plane broke through a layer of clouds in the troposphere [but it didnt]… When I opened the window, I couldn't see clear skies either," Selina shared.

To make matters worse, she was not seated next to Xu, so him being out of sight and out of touch made her "even more nervous".

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She explained: "He sat in front of me as I wanted to enjoy my own space on this flight. I usually sit in the middle seat, but this time I wanted to enjoy the experience of sitting next to the window.

"He was so thoughtful and stretched his hand towards mine, so I quickly grabbed it tightly. After I let go, the turbulence intensified again and he stretched his hand towards me once more, so I held onto it."

The turbulence passed after about 15 minutes.

Only when they touched down did Selina discover from the news that the intense turbulence was caused by lightning striking the plane, and she promptly informed her family of her safety.

Selina and Xu's relationship came to light in March last year when she was spotted walking arm-in-arm with him, going to supermarkets and hospitals and taking the taxi. She publicly acknowledged their relationship.

Xu's face was revealed for the first time during the baby's gender-reveal party in April this year. With a baby on the way, Selina said that wedding bells won't be ringing anytime soon as she's focused on the pregnancy.

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jolynn.chia@asiaone.com