You won't see Zoe Tay in a new show for a while and it's because of her sons

For the rest of the year, local 'Ah Jie' Zoe Tay will be playing one role only and it won't be for telly.

In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, the veteran actress revealed that she'll be stepping back from acting so she can help her three sons prepare for their examinations — especially her second child Ashton who entered secondary school this year.

She also has Brayden, 15, and Nathan, nine, with her husband Philip Chionh.

The earliest we'll probably see her on our television screens again will be next year. Not too long a wait for the eager fans if you ask us.

In the meantime, apart from prepping her children for their exams, the 52-year-old will be using the downtime to focus on her fitness. She said: "After sending my children to school, I'll occasionally go to MacRitchie Reservoir for a walk."

"The old [Mediacorp] station was located opposite the reservoir but for over 30 years, I rarely explored the area, though we would shoot there occasionally. Recently, my friend brought me to this paradise (MacRitchie Reservoir) and I love the natural scenery. I can breathe the fresh air and train my body, it kills two birds with one stone," she added.

Performing an Indian dance for the President's Star Charity

While she's not taking on acting roles, she will still be working. Apart from her editorial shoots, she'll be part of this year's President's Star Charity where she'll perform a modern Indian dance routine with six beneficiaries of the annual fundraiser.

Her fellow performers have all trained for a while and one of them even competed overseas. She said: "They're the teachers, I'm the student. They have given a lot for their performance but one of them recently went overseas and has to be quarantined so they can't join us. It's unfortunate."

No chance to work with Alien

The recent death of Taiwanese celebrity Alien Huang has a ripple effect that can be acutely felt on our shores and he has a strong connection to many local celebrities.

For Zoe, though, she didn't get a chance to work with him.

She said: "He was a very adorable person. I met him occasionally in the make-up room and he didn't feel like some of the Hong Kong and Taiwanese celebrities who went around with a strong aura. He was quite a warm person.

"I've also heard from crew and colleagues that he was very easy to work with. He was very easygoing and professional on set. It hurts reading news like that and it's very unfortunate."

bryanlim@asiaone.com