Ya Hui, Ch8’s fledgling “little sister” grows up and kicks butt

Text & Photos: Joanna Goh
Video: Fiona Lin

After appearing on Ch8's Double Bonus during Lunar New Year this year, Ya Hui been out of the spotlight, thanks to a four-month-long overseas stint in Malaysia for a co-production called The Enchanted.

While her fellow Star Search 2007 peers Desmond Tan, Andie Chen, and Zhou Ying have gone on to headline drama serials, Ya Hui has yet to experience the same degree of success.

The actress recently admitted in an interview with xinmsn that it can be "a bit saddening" when people think that "I'm no longer with MediaCorp."

That said, she remains optimistic and has focused on doing her best at work. The 25-year-old actress is on the cusp of a "packed year," as she will return to TV in 2013 with not one, but three shows.

The first on the list would be the year-end Ch5 police drama, Point of Entry 3, where she gets to kick butt as Team Epsilon's newest kid on the block, Melissa. The next would be The Enchanted, followed by Marry Me, an upcoming WaWa show that she is currently preparing for.

The svelte starlet, who is constantly snubbed for having "baby fat", now has a new acting challenge ahead of her: to pile on five to eight kilograms for Marry Me. And she's not shying away from the difficult task.

"It's another challenge and quite fun. I enjoy food and I don't mind putting on weight. But the later part [of losing weight] is another big challenge," Ya Hui said.