Disappointment.
That was what Channel 8 actress Ya Hui was dealing with when she did not clinch a coveted spot in this year’s Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes category.
She had already seen it coming when she failed to rank among the top-10 female artists in some weeks, based on weekly consolidated fan votes on Mediacorp’s Toggle website.
But she could not help feeling upset when she was omitted from the list featuring the likes of Rebecca Lim, Felicia Chin, Joanne Peh, Belinda Lee and first-timer Jayley Woo, especially since she was expected to make the list on the strength of her breakout role in long-form drama 118, for which she also scored a Best Actress nomination.
DISAPPOINTED
The 28-year-old told TNP: “I would be bluffing if I said I wasn’t disappointed. My fans have been working so hard, I’m sure they are heartbroken. I was slightly emotional because who wouldn’t want to be in the Top 10? It’s tough, even after nine years in the industry. Those in the top-10 have a lot of determination and perseverance.”
Added Ya Hui, who bagged her first Top 10 award in 2014: “I think it would have been nice if both (my good friend) Paige Chua and I receive the award together. We’ve never been on stage together so I hope it happens in 2017.”
Chua was also surprisingly left out of this year’s Top 10, after winning in 2012 and 2015.
“I wonder how long it would take for me to clinch the All-Time Favourite Artiste. I have so much respect for Rui En and Qi Yuwu (who received that award at Show 1),” mused Ya Hui, who felt that her loss has spurred her on to work even harder in future to prove her worth.
“I want to prove people wrong by focusing on acting and giving it my all. I hope in future they can see that I put my heart and soul into this. I’m going to convert this disappointment into a greater source of energy for a better performance,” she said.
The Straits Times, The New Paper, Shin Min Daily News
This article was first published on April 19, 2016.
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