The queen of Caldecott Hill did not mind being regarded as “open-minded” by colleagues

Reported by: May Lim & Kymie Hwang
Photos: Angie Ng, May Lim & Kymie Hwang, Channel 8

At the 30th Drama Anniversary Show held last night, local newcomers and veteran Chinese artistes reunited and celebrated MediaCorp's 30 years in local drama productions.

Many artistes who have retired from the showbiz industry such as Huang Biren, Jazreel Low, Edmund Chen and Desmond Shen made special appearances at the event. Hosted by Guo Liang and Vivian Lai, it was a star-studded "old-school gathering" night filled with comical revival skits like Right Frequency, Don't Worry Be Happy and Neighbours; classic drama theme song performances; awards presentation, and games.

Queen of Caldecott Hill, Zoe Tay, became the highlight of the show when she reminisced about entering the local entertainment industry in 1988.

Zoe shared that as someone who has modeled since age 16, she grew comfortable with Western standards of dress at an early age. Tight-fitting tank tops and shorts were the norm for her. So imagine her surprise upon seeing her "seniors", local actresses Pan Ling Ling, Chen Xiu Huan, and Xiang Yun wore long sleeved tops and trousers to work.

Newcomer Jayley Woo and variety show host Kym Ng even reenacted a scene between Zoe and Ling Ling, where the two actresses were preparing to shoot the '90s drama Fei Yue Dian Feng. Upon seeing Zoe's revealing outfit, Ling Ling immediately wrapped her body with masking tape.

"[Ling Ling] would even use double-sided tape to seal her collar when wearing polo T-shirts in her dramas," Zoe said.

Veteran actor Chen Hanwei added, "It was torture acting intimate scenes with Ling Ling at that time. She was either using her hands or pillows to protect her chest!"


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