10 facts you might not know about Singaporean actress Ya Hui

Ya Hui competed in the talent scouting contest in 2007 and while she didn’t win (the winner was Andie Chen), she walked home with the Miss Telegenic Award and a contract with Mediacorp. A year later, she starred in her first show Love Blossoms.

Ya Hui has also jumped on the TikTok bandwagon like many others. Posting about a wide array of topics, the actress currently commands 43.6k followers and 190.8k likes and her most viewed video yet? The one above where she pranks her BFF and veteran actress Chen Liping.

Earlier in 2022 after getting her booster shot, Ya Hui shared that she went to play basketball with her nephew. She didn’t heed the warnings to not exercise for two weeks after getting the booster vaccine and she was struck with chest aches two days later. The actress described the pain to be so severe that she “couldn’t swallow or speak” and had to be checked at the A&E.

Ya Hui has been sporting a short crop for years, so much so that we reckon that it has become a part of her brand. In the 2021 Olympics, Ya Hui took to her Instagram to show support for South Korean gold medallist An San who was criticised by her countrymen for having short hair, questioning “Anything wrong with short hair? Why are we being criticised for that?”

Ya Hui added that she kept her hair purposely short due to the demands of her roles and called for people to be kinder. “Life is already very tough. Can we just be kinder to one another? What’s the point of making nasty comments over whatever news you see on social media? Does that make you happier?”

Scroll through her Instagram and you’ll quickly learn that Ya Hui is a foodie. But did you know that the actress is also a fan of cooking? Ya Hui learnt how to cook wanton mee for her role in long-form drama 118 (2014-15) and served mee hoon kueh she made herself for her fan club, Team Yahui, at the club’s seventh anniversary in 2019.

Remember when we said that Ya Hui learnt how to cook wanton mee? She later put that skill to good use to raise over three thousand dollars for a charity drive in 2018 by cooking over 200 plates of wanton mee. Further using her fame for the greater good, Ya Hui is also the ambassador for the Singapore Red Cross.

Fans who tuned into A Quest to Heal might know that the show was filmed in Hengdian, China. However, on a day that she was shopping with Chen Liping, who came to visit, Ya hui encountered a couple of stalkers that approached her when she was alone and wanted to scout her as an actress. Fortunately, Ya Hui managed to escape unscathed, relegating this to be a harrowing story to retell.

In an industry that prizess good looks, Ya Hui confessed to feeling inadequate. In a 2017 interview with 8days, Ya Hui revealed that she had actually thought of doing double eyelid surgery in Gangnam, Seoul. During the consultation, however, the plastic surgeon advised her against it as it would mess with her natural pretty looks. That boosted her confidence significantly and her double eyelids later formed thanks to repeated efforts by a makeup artist that used a hairpin to create a crease for her.

Since joining showbusiness, Ya Hui admitted that it took her a while to get used to politics on account of her open, straightforward nature. However, Ya Hui shared that she will not stop being honest and herself, even if it comes at the expense of having a reputation of having no friends.

“My fans all know that and they prefer me to stay real. I don’t put up an act in front of them. If you’re an artiste, you mingle but still have a shield. I don’t. I remove my shield and communicate with my heart. Because I feel that no matter what, when you use your heart, people can feel it. That’s enough.”

In a 2017 interview, Ya Hui shared her thoughts on being single. “My non-showbiz friends have tried to matchmake me. But you know, I don’t feel like going (to those matchmaking sessions). So I didn’t (in the end). They would keep asking me to come out (to meet guys), but I’m busy with work. Where got so much time?

I mean, let nature take its course. I think being single is also quite good. A lot of my friends who are attached have relationship problems. And after they get married, they quarrel over money and kids. So I think I’m fortunate.”

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