27 Aug 2005 - Issue 22
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NEWS ROUNDUP - 21/08/05-27/08/05
Tracy Ip crowned Miss HK 2005
The Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2005 has successfully completed in front of a packed auditorium despite the rainstorm warning. Hot favourite number 8 Tracy Ip came away with the Miss Hong Kong crown, whilst number 15 Sharon Luk and number 16 Carrie Lam took first and second runner up respectively.
With the golden palatial backdrop, the girls appeared and introduced themselves and after the swimsuit and question and answer rounds, two hot favourites Tracy and Carrie fought it out for the crown. Sharon emerged as a rather surprising second place and asked if she was shocked at the win, she said: "I never thought I would, but I just performed confidently and you'll have to ask the judges what I lost out on." Settling for third place, Carrie was obviously rather disappointed, but held on saying: "I'm not disappointed, I was just not feeling very well today."
Twenty-three year old Tracy has been surrounded by reports alleging cosmetic surgery lately, but this did not seem to affect her performance. An excellent Q&A session showed off her skills gained as a part time VIP PR receptionist at the Jockey Club. Asked about her win later, she said: "I am very surprised! I was thinking maybe coming second or third. When I hugged my father, I thought I was dreaming."
Two stages of elimination were held on teh night with the top five being number 8 Tracy Ip, number 13 Lee Sze Nga, number 15 Sharon Luk, number 16 Carrie Lam and number 18 Erica Yuen. Miss Photogenic was won by number 14 Shermon Tang and number 7 Khoo Pei Kee was awarded Miss International Goodwill. In an unusual result for the overseas contestants, they did not win anything this year. Shermon said: "I was a little disappointed not to get into the top five, but this is the way it was meant to be."
A couple of slight mishaps occurred on the night as retiring Miss Hong Kong Kate Tsui tripped slightly as she made her farewell speech and when the contestants were raised onto a five foot tall platform, it suddenly tilted forward, causing a few frightened faces.
The Sun 21/08/05
Miss Hong Kong Prizegiving
With the completion of this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant, winner Tracy Ip can breathe a sigh of relief over her recent negative press, saying openly: "You can come close and check for yourself."
After the show, Tracy's father joined her at the post-show celebrations and then she was rushed off to shoot the cover for TVB Weekly until 4am, but she was still very excited and smiling constantly. At the press conference the following day, she was still very spritely and was calmly tackling the awkward questions fired to her by the press. She refuted the allegations of having had surgery, saying: "I just know that I have lost a lot of weight from my face and body since taking part in the contest. I am not as stunning as Michelle Reis and you are welcome to take a look for yourself. Please don't believe all these reports."
After her success, there has been an unending string of rumours about her private life, ranging from her personality and employment status to her love life, but she sees these as pointless gossip and says: "My contract with the modelling company ended two years ago and I have always been living with my family. Those who know me will know what kind of person I am. If I was that bad, then I would not have received 150 congratulatory texts after I won. (How about two-timing?) I am not that kind of person. When I was a model, everyone went out a lot, but that is in the past now."
For Miss Photogenic Shermon Tang, she has been heartily congratulated by her family and boyfriend and her father, artiste English Tang responded to the comments that her award was 'fixed'. He said: "My daughter has the criteria to win any award and this was the judges decision. In over thirty years of pageants there have been many respected people in the judges panel and you cannot say that any of them have been biased."
The Sun 22/08/05
Sir Run Run in Good Spirits
TVB's Administrative Chairman Sir Run Run Shaw attended the Miss Hong Kong Pageant with his wife Mona Fong and arrived at around 7:15 with an hour to spare. As it was raining heavily outside, the ninety-six year old got a little wet as he stepped out of the car into the Coliseum. Making rare appearances nowadays, Sir Run Run seemed to be in high spirits and was holding hands with Ms Fong very lovingly. Asked by reporters if he had met the contestants, he just smiled and Ms Fong replied: "This is the first time tonight, we just watched them on TV beforehand."
The Sun 21/08/05
Myolie Gets New TV for New Home
Myolie Wu was a guest at the opening of a new electrical showroom earlier and although she has already moved into her new house, she has been busy filming and not had time to buy a new television set yet. "I have moved in, but I am still using the old 21 inch TV, where you have to stoop forward to watch. When the boss here found out, he very generously gave me a free TV. (How many inches was it?) I don't know, I hope it is 37 inches!"
With recent rumours linking her with Bosco Wong, Myolie reveals that they will be appearing on stage shows as a partnership: "At the moment, my career comes first, so I have not thought about dating just yet. After finishing filming for 'Troubled Worlds', I will be doing some stage shows with Bosco."
The Sun 21/08/05
Sammul is Nauseous after Chinese Medicine
When Sammul Chan arrived at a gaming promotion earlier, he immediately indicated that he wasn't feeling too well, so this may affect his singing. He explains that his friend had introduced him to a Chinese Herbalist, who had indicated that there was still some bruising in his hip section after his earlier car accidents. With pressure point treatment and herbal medicine, the stored illness is being released and this has made him feel a little nauseous and unwell. He says that he has a fear of using vacuum cup treatment because it leaves bruises for several days and this makes him look bad when he goes swimming or sunbathing.
The Sun 22/08/05
Mandy is Disappointed with MHK results
Mandy Cho has been busy filming for "Troubled Worlds" lately, but hailing from Miss Hong Kong herself, she has been watching this year's pageant carefully. Working at TKO TVB city, she indicated that she was disappointed that her choice of Erica Yuen and Man Kin Yee did not make it into the top three and said: "The standards of the performances were very good and they were very calm and elegant. (Do you know about the negative press surrounding winner Tracy Ip?) I haven't really paid attention to it and I don't know if it is true or not. I do think that if the judges can select her, then they must have their reasons. I trust their decision."
The Sun 22/08/05
Bondy Admits Fallout with Cutie
During filming for "Virtues of Harmony" Bondy Chiu was rumoured to have fallen out with Cutie Mui and during an earlier interview, she silently admitted that there had been arguments, Bondy indicated that she still saw Cutie as a friend and said: "The past is the past and it was only something minor, just that some people thought it was a major issue. In my eyes, she is still a friend. (Have you thuoght about settling your differences?) Just go with the flow!"
Talking about her love affairs, she was asked about her relationship with Nic Tse and she just referred to him as her 'good friend'. As for him leaving the music industry for a year, she says: "Sun Yanzi was the same. Everyone has their own expectations of themselves and the most important thing is that you are comfortable. You don't need other people's opinions. (Has he offered you advice on your return to the music industry?) Not saying!" Bondy says that when good friends meet, they still chat to each other: "It's like when you see a dress in the window you like, but it doesn't fit you, then you can't forcefully alter it, because after you alter it, then it will not be the original dress. Sometimes you don't have to have all the nice things."
The Sun 22/08/05
Bosco Forks Out on his Beloved
Bosco Wong's popularity has risen since the success of "Wars of In-Laws" and this has brought him many chances to make some more money, but he says with resignation: "I make money on one hand but then I have to spend money with the other. For some reason, the axles broke on my car and I had to spend about $10,000 on fixing them, so it was painful and I have to work harder to make money now."
Also, after the news breaking about the poisoned eels, even the Chinese fisheries have reported contamination and Bosco says: "My mum and I both love eating fish, but we have cut down lately. When we go out, we won't intentionally avoid it, but last time when I went out with some friends for a seafood meal, we ended up eating shellfish, prawns and crab and not eating fish because we were a little worried."
Bosco is currently filming for "Lovers Under Sky Curtains" and will soon begin filming for "Shanghai Turbulence", so he really is a busy man."
The Sun 23/08/05
Erica Yuen signs for TVB
This year's Miss Hong Kong winners Tracy Ip, Sharon Luk and Carrie Lam, together with award winners Erica Yuen, Shermon Tang and Natalie Khoo received their awards from Hong Thai Travel earlier. Although she didn't win a major award, 'Tourism Ambassador' Erica says that she is still interested in staying on in showbiz and has already signed with TVB: "I am very interested in acting, but I am not naturally talented like Cecilia Cheung, so I hope to work up from the bit parts and enhance my skills."
Miss Hong Kong Tracy Ip was awarded with a $20,000 travel voucher and as she studied in England, she hopes to go and visit her guardian family there. She adds that although she has been extremely busy since winning the pageant, she does not find it hard work because the feelings of happiness shadow the feelings of tiredness.
The Sun 23/08/05
Ron Signs Record Deal and Does JSG with Ella
After showing off his singing skills on TVB's soundtrack album "All About Men", Ron Ng has become the target signing for many record companies and it was revealed yesterday that BMA has beaten the other favourite Universal to sign Ron and a welcoming press conference will be held at the end of the month to welcome him. BMA have also agreed to treat Ron as well as their other leading male, Ekin Cheng.
BMA executive Sandy Lam openly admitted that Ron will be joining them, but she denies that they have fought off Universal, saying modestly: "Don't say that. Our negotiations with Ron went very smoothly and we hit it off straight away. I know many companies have had their eyes on him, we watched him closely as well. Our musical direction is very similar to Ron's and we can give him a very large degree of freedom.
As Ron was once a dancer, Sandy indicates that they will be pushing him towards the faster beat songs: "He started out as a dancer, so I would like him to go along the dancer/singer route to show off his sunshine feel. (BMA has Ekin Cheng already?) They are two very different artistes and you cannot compare them. Ron is still a newcomer and Ekin isnt." When Ekin heard that BMA had signed Ron, he says they have done well.
After joining BMA, Sandy Lam has been developing the record department and as well as signing Ron, other stars on their books include Grasshopper, Ekin, Jade Kwan and Niki Chow. Later, she will also be signing her brother Jerry Lamb and his wife Lily Hong as well as some other great female singers.
Ron and rumoured girlfriend Ella Koon appeared on 'Jade Solid Gold' earlier where they sung three love songs together, but they seemed to be avoiding each other and not only did they not hold hands, they seemed to be keeping quite a distance and not creating much of an atmosphere at all. Afterwards, Ella explained: "We are just promoting 'Revolving Doors of Vengeance'. Our rumours are getting boring and when the show finishes airing, they will end. On th stage, it was just like when we were filming. (How is Ron's singing?) Not bad, but I am just a newcomer myself, so I don't have the status to criticise or comment."
The Sun 23/08/05
The Sun 23/08/05
Halina Burns Wig in Accident
Halina Tam was filming earlier for "Troubled Worlds" when she had an accident during a fire scene, where she had to dive into the burning room to rescue the ancestral plaques. In order to keep the reality, Halina refused a body double as she did the scene herself, but just as she ran into the flames, her hair caught fire and as it burned, she screamed for help and the crew quickly put it out, but a third of the hairpiece had been burned to a crisp.
Little wonder that Halina was very shocked by this and said: "At first, I felt that my hair was a little warm and then I realised it was already burning and nearly reaching my real hair. This really was a brush with death and after filming for so long, this is particularly memorable." Asked if she had burned incense before filming, she said: "Now that you mention it, I didn't do it today. After the accident, I said a few prayers to pray for a smooth shoot."
The Sun 23/08/05
Raymond Cho Seeks Love Nest
Thanks to the airing of "Healing Hands III", Raymond Cho has had a series of stage appearances and maybe he now has enough 'ammo', so he was spotted earlier with girlfriend Elaine Chiang (daughter of veteran actor John Chiang) house hunting in the rain in Sai Kung, where they first met with an agent and agreeing on a price, they headed out to look at the properties.
The couple seemed particularly interested in a ground floor apartment that included a garden and a sea view, on the market at $2.3 million. As they shared a few hugs and kisses, Elaine seemed to he putting the pressure on for her boyfriend to take the plunge. Raymond and Elaine have been dating for three years and with a stable, public relationship, are they planning to get married soon? Asked in a telephone interview, Raymond does not deny this: "I already see her as my wife, so buying a home is a target that I give myself and I will work hard to make even more money." As for whether he likes the house in Sai Kung, he says: "We have three dogs, so if we do buy a home, then a garden and sea view would be better."
The Sun 23/08/05
Bernice Can't Spend Mid-Autumn with Moses
Bernice Liu was taking part in a supermarket promotional event for the mid-autumn festival earlier and when asked by the MC how she would be spending the festival, a man in the crowd shouted out: "Spending it with Mr Chan!". This stunned Bernice into silence as she just smiled awkwardly. Afterwards, she insisted: "I didn't know what he said. I though he said I looked good! (Will you be spending mid-autumn with Moses?) No, I probably won't be in Hong Kong. (Will you be giving mooncakes to his mother as a mark of respect for your elders?) She isn't that old, but I know that it is polite to give mooncakes to your friends and family."
The Sun 24/08/05
Ron Denies being Miserable
At the premiere for new movie "Moments of Love", the female stars pulled party poppers at the male stars and Ron Ng was caught out with nowhere to run and covered with streamers that seemed to annoy him. Afterwards, he looked a little wooden-faced as he cleared away the pieces and only 2R's Race helped him out. However, Ron insisted that he was 'extremely happy' and refuted the 'black-faced' incident: "I did laugh, but maybe I don't look too good when I smile. There's nothing I can do if people want to say these thing about me, but it is better than when I first started. I have been practising smiling at home." As for Race inviting rumoured girlfriend Ella Koon to the venue, Ron says: "I will not avoid her, I don't want to be accused of being ungracious."
The Sun 13/08/05
Bobby & Yoyo New Series
Bobby Au Yeung and Yoyo Mung have been working together on "Forensic Pioneers" recently and reports suggest that they will be having marathon kissing scenes. When Yoyo found out, she did not seem embarrassed in the slightest and even said boldly: "If you come close, I will bite hold of you." When Bobby heard this, he replied smiling: "I have kissed you before, she only has a short tongue!" With such friendly banter, you could tell what good friends they are and Bobby even praises Yoyo for her straight talking and directness, saying he has no qualms about kissing her. As for Yoyo, she has put a lot of thought into this series, putting on an extra 10 lbs to play her senior inspector role in the hope that she looks broader and more in line with the character.
The Sun 24/08/05
Jessica is Latest Face of Estee Lauder
Jessica Hsuan has been invited by international cosmetics brand to shoot their latest set of ads in a breakthrough move. In the past, the company has usually used foreign models for their campaigns, including Elizabeth Hurley and Oscar Winner Gwyneth Paltrow, so in a move to showing a local celebrity, this has been an honour for Jessica. The sponsors provided her with over ten designer gowns in the hope of showing off Jessica's elegant and healthy immage. Jessica herself has done plenty of preparation, looking at the international models for inspiration on poses to show off her most alluring side.
The Sun 25/08/05
TVB to launch Childrens Songs Album
After the earlier success of all-male album "All About Men", TVB is building on this and will soon be releasing an album of children's songs, featuring home-grown stars such as Shirley Yeung, Bosco Wong and Charles Szeto as well as singers Ivana Wong and Patrick Tang. TVB's Production Resources Dept Deputy Chief Lok Yee Ling says: "We will be working with other record companies as well, such as BMA, who will be releasing an EP for Ron Ng and have chosen a song for him to plug that will show off his dancing talent. We are not out to make money from the records, but rather to give our artistes the chance to develop in different fields."
The Sun 25/08/05
'Shanghai Turbulence' Preparation
Maggie Cheung, Michael Miu and Shirley Yeung were at a restaurant learning how to make dumplings earlier and for Maggie, who plays a 'dumpling queen' in the show, she was not worried at all about using pork for the filling and joked: "I am mixing the fish poison with the pork germs, that should counteract each other. I think if there was a problem with the pork, then the government would not let it in, so I am not worried." She hopes that she can learn the skill well and be convincing in the series.
As for Shirley, she made sure that there were no wounds on her hands: "I think I should be okay if there are no wounds, you just have to be careful." Asked if she will be making some dumplings for her boyfriend to try, she says directly: "I'd rather we went out and ate them together!"
The Sun 25/08/05
Niki Rides Segway in Short Skirt
With many engagements lately, Niki Chow was out and about again earlier after landing a six-figure deal to be the spokesperson for Segway human transporter scooters. She says excitedly: "To be the first spokesperson for this product is a great honour." The organisers had arranged for her to enter the venue riding a Segway, which U.S President George Bush also has, and asked if she was afraid of revealing herself, she says: "This is the first time I have tried this, so don't scare me. I have put something on underneath!"
Coinciding with the release of Niki's album, Niki is so nervouse that she has not been able to sleep. She says she will be buying her own album in the shops and if it does well, then she will take her colleagues out for dinner. At the moment, she is saving up to buy an apartment: "When I am rehearsing my singing or violin, I get complaints of people, so I hope that I can buy somewhere in the mid-levels that is around 1000 ft."
The Sun 25/08/05
Kevin's Ankle SwellS Up like a Ball
Whilst filming for "Lovers Under Sky Curtains", Kevin Cheng accidentally sprained his ankle as he went down some steps and had to be taken to hospital, where he underwent an X-Ray to make sure there were no broken bones. After resting for three days, he was back at work and indicated on the telephone: "I didn't know how serious it was at the time and when the crew lifted my trouser leg to see, the found that my ankle had swollen up to the size of a tennis ball and I could not walk." Studio filming has been held up slightly due to Kevin's injury and the scenes will need to be made up by borrowing studio time from other series schedules.
The Sun 26/08/05
Kenix Profits from "Revolving Doors"
In the first week of airing for new series "Revolving Doors of Vengeance", the show has reached ratings of 30 points and as female lead, Kenix Kwok has been reaping the rewards: "I have had a lot of offers of work and I have a function nearly every day with a good response. When I go out, I meet many viewers who ask me about the plot, but I can only tell them to keep watching!"
Kenix says that in order to play the antagonist role, she has put a lot of work into it and the deepest impression from the show was where she split up from Joe Ma. Kenix says: "In that scene, I had to hide my schemes by kissing Joe, so you could call it the 'Plotting Kiss' and it is a little unusual and different from normal kisses."
The Sun 26/08/05
Mandy Works Hard with Her Dance
In new series "Troubled Worlds", Mandy Cho plays a singing and dancing spy and in order to give a convincing performance, she has been working hard with her dancing practice. However, she admits that she lacks rhythm and musical talent, so she has to work even harder to make up for it: "Although I can remember the dance steps quite easily, I have no feel for beat or rhythm, so no matter how nice it looks, I still have to practice hard."
In the show, Mandy has to give up her modesty to reach her targets, but in real life, she says that you cannot get anywhere on looks alone: "I will not go off looks, the most important thing is skills and talent, therefore I will never fall in love at first sight and I prefer people to get to know the real me. Even for a boyfriend, I will not look at appearance alone, the most important thing is that he is a good person, witty and gallant. As long as he looks okay, it is enough."
The Sun 26/08/05
'Triumph in the Skies 2' on the Cards
TVB has confirmed that it will begin filming the sequel to "Triumph in the Skies" next year, but as they were unable to book time with Francis Ng to reprise his role, Alex Fong Chung Shun will be taking his place and other confirmed cast members will include Jessica Hsuan and Liza Wang.
In 2003, the original series was aired, a pilot craze took off, propelling stars Francis Ng, Joe Ma and Flora Chan to greater heights as well as bringing 'S4' Ron Ng, Bosco Wong, Sammul Chan and Kenneth Ma into the spotlight. Following on from this, TVB have always planned to film a sequel with the original cast and crew to revive the public interest, but for the openly materialistic Francis, this was a doomed project from the start, so TVB have had to settle with 'Hong Kong Richard Gere' Alex to take his place. The new show will be filming on location in Moscow and England.
Contacting Alex to confirm this, he admitted that TVB has offered him this show and as for whether he will be playing a 'hunky pilot', he laughs: "I thought I would be playing a pilot too, but they have offered me a role of ground staff, I was so disappointed! Unless TVB change the title of the show to 'Triumph in the Skies - The Engineer's Story', then it would be different. My schedule is quite full next year,so I don't know if I can do it, but I am quite interested in the part."
Alex also reveals that TVB have also been negotiating a salaried contract with him as well as inviting him to film for them: "I will consider it, but I am used to making my own decisions for things and I am very ambitious. I am quite comfortable with my work at the moment and I don't want to work too hard, so the chances aren't very high."
As for Jessica, she confirms that she had agreed to do this series a long time ago because she felt that the love story between Francis and Flora in the last series was very successful. She does not feel any pressure from this and will just treat it like any other job.
The Sun 26/08/05
Fiona on Cookery
Fiona Yuen often invites her friends around for dinner parties and she feels that cooking ties in with your emotions, so if you are in a good mood, then your food will taste better. She says that once, she was feeling a little unhappy and cooked a meal for her boyfriend that changed the atmosphere from a happy one to a dull one and this may have caused them to split up: "I once made some spaghetti for a boyfriend, but it turned out bad and then we split up, so maybe it was caused by that." Fiona joined Kathy Chow as guests of a kitchen appliance company earlier and Kathy feels that a large and modern kitchen will help to create special foods.
The Sun 27/08/05
Queenie at SPCA
Queenie Chu and Anna Yau were guests at an SPCA event earlier and Queenie reveals that at her peak, she owned over ten cats, but she doesn't have time to look after any pets any more. With all the news surrounding this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant, she says that she has seen the girls and they are all very nice.
Anna says that she had wanted to find a mate for her dog, but it got jealous and she had to scrap the idea and just wish it a long life. Asked if she will follow in Gigi Fu's footsteps and have a huge funeral for it, she says she will keep it low profile because this is the way she wants it for herself in the future.
The Sun 27/08/05
Catherine Request for 'Women' to become 'Ladies'
With four leading females, Belinda Hamnett, Joyce Tang, Kingdom Yuen and Christine Ng in sitcom "Women on the Run", they have not only been showing off their sexier side, but also promoting the show off set with their constant banter. On a surprise visit from TVB production department Assistant Chief Catherine Tsang, she seemed a little unhappy at the constant abuse from the women on the set and scolded them directly for using vulgarities and not acting at all like 'ladies'. She has passed the order for them to be more gracious and not act like wives in a market.
Originally, the show was planned to move into the Monday to Friday prime time slot from its current Sunday evening position after the first 13 episodes, but this plan has been shelved for the moment. Producer Tsui Ding Hong emphasises: "Catherine was half joking when she scolded everyone and just asked them to be more mature. I think she was just trying another promotional tactic. (Have you been moved from the prime time slot?) The show has been doing quite well on Sundays and the company felt that as it needs some strong ratings on a Sunday. If it was to move to Monday-Friday, the creative department would have problems, so they decided to keep it in the Sunday slot."
Asked about Catherine's visit, Belinda Hamnett says: "Yes, we all got into trouble, but it is because we all know each other so well and having such a lot of fun. Catherine did not scold us, just pointed out that we needed to be more graceful." She seemed a little disappointed about being ousted from prime time: "The airing time is constantly changing for the show and for those who want to record it, then they don't know when to set their videos. Only appearing once a week makes it hard to leave a lasting impression."
As for Joyce, she says: "Catherine always visits us and we go for meals together. It's good she keeps an eye on us because it means she can give us tips all the time." She adds: "I am a little disappointed we didn't make prime time, but the show has had good reviews and I believe there will be opportunities in the future."
The Sun 27/08/05
Kiss for Ron from Joyce
Ron Ng and Joyce Cheng appeared at the TVB "Childrens Songs Awards Ceremony" in a short play as the prince and princess and Joyce has given her first stage kiss to Ron. During rehersals, the press were gathered around waiting for the perfect photo opportunity, but they were disappointed to find that she was not really kissing him. Joyce says: "When we do it for real, then I will kiss him on the cheek. (Are you shy?) A little. (What do you think of Ron?) He is very nice, very funny and has not given me any pressure. (Do you think he is good looking?) Yes. Was that answer rather quick?) As for Ron, he says that Joyce has become much prettier after losing weight and she is a very talented singer and dancer.
The Sun 25/08/05
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Tracy Ip crowned Miss HK 2005
The Miss Hong Kong Pageant 2005 has successfully completed in front of a packed auditorium despite the rainstorm warning. Hot favourite number 8 Tracy Ip came away with the Miss Hong Kong crown, whilst number 15 Sharon Luk and number 16 Carrie Lam took first and second runner up respectively.
With the golden palatial backdrop, the girls appeared and introduced themselves and after the swimsuit and question and answer rounds, two hot favourites Tracy and Carrie fought it out for the crown. Sharon emerged as a rather surprising second place and asked if she was shocked at the win, she said: "I never thought I would, but I just performed confidently and you'll have to ask the judges what I lost out on." Settling for third place, Carrie was obviously rather disappointed, but held on saying: "I'm not disappointed, I was just not feeling very well today."
Twenty-three year old Tracy has been surrounded by reports alleging cosmetic surgery lately, but this did not seem to affect her performance. An excellent Q&A session showed off her skills gained as a part time VIP PR receptionist at the Jockey Club. Asked about her win later, she said: "I am very surprised! I was thinking maybe coming second or third. When I hugged my father, I thought I was dreaming."
Two stages of elimination were held on teh night with the top five being number 8 Tracy Ip, number 13 Lee Sze Nga, number 15 Sharon Luk, number 16 Carrie Lam and number 18 Erica Yuen. Miss Photogenic was won by number 14 Shermon Tang and number 7 Khoo Pei Kee was awarded Miss International Goodwill. In an unusual result for the overseas contestants, they did not win anything this year. Shermon said: "I was a little disappointed not to get into the top five, but this is the way it was meant to be."
A couple of slight mishaps occurred on the night as retiring Miss Hong Kong Kate Tsui tripped slightly as she made her farewell speech and when the contestants were raised onto a five foot tall platform, it suddenly tilted forward, causing a few frightened faces.
The Sun 21/08/05
Miss Hong Kong Prizegiving
With the completion of this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant, winner Tracy Ip can breathe a sigh of relief over her recent negative press, saying openly: "You can come close and check for yourself."
After the show, Tracy's father joined her at the post-show celebrations and then she was rushed off to shoot the cover for TVB Weekly until 4am, but she was still very excited and smiling constantly. At the press conference the following day, she was still very spritely and was calmly tackling the awkward questions fired to her by the press. She refuted the allegations of having had surgery, saying: "I just know that I have lost a lot of weight from my face and body since taking part in the contest. I am not as stunning as Michelle Reis and you are welcome to take a look for yourself. Please don't believe all these reports."
After her success, there has been an unending string of rumours about her private life, ranging from her personality and employment status to her love life, but she sees these as pointless gossip and says: "My contract with the modelling company ended two years ago and I have always been living with my family. Those who know me will know what kind of person I am. If I was that bad, then I would not have received 150 congratulatory texts after I won. (How about two-timing?) I am not that kind of person. When I was a model, everyone went out a lot, but that is in the past now."
For Miss Photogenic Shermon Tang, she has been heartily congratulated by her family and boyfriend and her father, artiste English Tang responded to the comments that her award was 'fixed'. He said: "My daughter has the criteria to win any award and this was the judges decision. In over thirty years of pageants there have been many respected people in the judges panel and you cannot say that any of them have been biased."
The Sun 22/08/05
Sir Run Run in Good Spirits
TVB's Administrative Chairman Sir Run Run Shaw attended the Miss Hong Kong Pageant with his wife Mona Fong and arrived at around 7:15 with an hour to spare. As it was raining heavily outside, the ninety-six year old got a little wet as he stepped out of the car into the Coliseum. Making rare appearances nowadays, Sir Run Run seemed to be in high spirits and was holding hands with Ms Fong very lovingly. Asked by reporters if he had met the contestants, he just smiled and Ms Fong replied: "This is the first time tonight, we just watched them on TV beforehand."
The Sun 21/08/05
Myolie Gets New TV for New Home
Myolie Wu was a guest at the opening of a new electrical showroom earlier and although she has already moved into her new house, she has been busy filming and not had time to buy a new television set yet. "I have moved in, but I am still using the old 21 inch TV, where you have to stoop forward to watch. When the boss here found out, he very generously gave me a free TV. (How many inches was it?) I don't know, I hope it is 37 inches!"
With recent rumours linking her with Bosco Wong, Myolie reveals that they will be appearing on stage shows as a partnership: "At the moment, my career comes first, so I have not thought about dating just yet. After finishing filming for 'Troubled Worlds', I will be doing some stage shows with Bosco."
The Sun 21/08/05
Sammul is Nauseous after Chinese Medicine
When Sammul Chan arrived at a gaming promotion earlier, he immediately indicated that he wasn't feeling too well, so this may affect his singing. He explains that his friend had introduced him to a Chinese Herbalist, who had indicated that there was still some bruising in his hip section after his earlier car accidents. With pressure point treatment and herbal medicine, the stored illness is being released and this has made him feel a little nauseous and unwell. He says that he has a fear of using vacuum cup treatment because it leaves bruises for several days and this makes him look bad when he goes swimming or sunbathing.
The Sun 22/08/05
Mandy is Disappointed with MHK results
Mandy Cho has been busy filming for "Troubled Worlds" lately, but hailing from Miss Hong Kong herself, she has been watching this year's pageant carefully. Working at TKO TVB city, she indicated that she was disappointed that her choice of Erica Yuen and Man Kin Yee did not make it into the top three and said: "The standards of the performances were very good and they were very calm and elegant. (Do you know about the negative press surrounding winner Tracy Ip?) I haven't really paid attention to it and I don't know if it is true or not. I do think that if the judges can select her, then they must have their reasons. I trust their decision."
The Sun 22/08/05
Bondy Admits Fallout with Cutie
During filming for "Virtues of Harmony" Bondy Chiu was rumoured to have fallen out with Cutie Mui and during an earlier interview, she silently admitted that there had been arguments, Bondy indicated that she still saw Cutie as a friend and said: "The past is the past and it was only something minor, just that some people thought it was a major issue. In my eyes, she is still a friend. (Have you thuoght about settling your differences?) Just go with the flow!"
Talking about her love affairs, she was asked about her relationship with Nic Tse and she just referred to him as her 'good friend'. As for him leaving the music industry for a year, she says: "Sun Yanzi was the same. Everyone has their own expectations of themselves and the most important thing is that you are comfortable. You don't need other people's opinions. (Has he offered you advice on your return to the music industry?) Not saying!" Bondy says that when good friends meet, they still chat to each other: "It's like when you see a dress in the window you like, but it doesn't fit you, then you can't forcefully alter it, because after you alter it, then it will not be the original dress. Sometimes you don't have to have all the nice things."
The Sun 22/08/05
Bosco Forks Out on his Beloved
Bosco Wong's popularity has risen since the success of "Wars of In-Laws" and this has brought him many chances to make some more money, but he says with resignation: "I make money on one hand but then I have to spend money with the other. For some reason, the axles broke on my car and I had to spend about $10,000 on fixing them, so it was painful and I have to work harder to make money now."
Also, after the news breaking about the poisoned eels, even the Chinese fisheries have reported contamination and Bosco says: "My mum and I both love eating fish, but we have cut down lately. When we go out, we won't intentionally avoid it, but last time when I went out with some friends for a seafood meal, we ended up eating shellfish, prawns and crab and not eating fish because we were a little worried."
Bosco is currently filming for "Lovers Under Sky Curtains" and will soon begin filming for "Shanghai Turbulence", so he really is a busy man."
The Sun 23/08/05
Erica Yuen signs for TVB
This year's Miss Hong Kong winners Tracy Ip, Sharon Luk and Carrie Lam, together with award winners Erica Yuen, Shermon Tang and Natalie Khoo received their awards from Hong Thai Travel earlier. Although she didn't win a major award, 'Tourism Ambassador' Erica says that she is still interested in staying on in showbiz and has already signed with TVB: "I am very interested in acting, but I am not naturally talented like Cecilia Cheung, so I hope to work up from the bit parts and enhance my skills."
Miss Hong Kong Tracy Ip was awarded with a $20,000 travel voucher and as she studied in England, she hopes to go and visit her guardian family there. She adds that although she has been extremely busy since winning the pageant, she does not find it hard work because the feelings of happiness shadow the feelings of tiredness.
The Sun 23/08/05
Ron Signs Record Deal and Does JSG with Ella
After showing off his singing skills on TVB's soundtrack album "All About Men", Ron Ng has become the target signing for many record companies and it was revealed yesterday that BMA has beaten the other favourite Universal to sign Ron and a welcoming press conference will be held at the end of the month to welcome him. BMA have also agreed to treat Ron as well as their other leading male, Ekin Cheng.
BMA executive Sandy Lam openly admitted that Ron will be joining them, but she denies that they have fought off Universal, saying modestly: "Don't say that. Our negotiations with Ron went very smoothly and we hit it off straight away. I know many companies have had their eyes on him, we watched him closely as well. Our musical direction is very similar to Ron's and we can give him a very large degree of freedom.
As Ron was once a dancer, Sandy indicates that they will be pushing him towards the faster beat songs: "He started out as a dancer, so I would like him to go along the dancer/singer route to show off his sunshine feel. (BMA has Ekin Cheng already?) They are two very different artistes and you cannot compare them. Ron is still a newcomer and Ekin isnt." When Ekin heard that BMA had signed Ron, he says they have done well.
After joining BMA, Sandy Lam has been developing the record department and as well as signing Ron, other stars on their books include Grasshopper, Ekin, Jade Kwan and Niki Chow. Later, she will also be signing her brother Jerry Lamb and his wife Lily Hong as well as some other great female singers.
Ron and rumoured girlfriend Ella Koon appeared on 'Jade Solid Gold' earlier where they sung three love songs together, but they seemed to be avoiding each other and not only did they not hold hands, they seemed to be keeping quite a distance and not creating much of an atmosphere at all. Afterwards, Ella explained: "We are just promoting 'Revolving Doors of Vengeance'. Our rumours are getting boring and when the show finishes airing, they will end. On th stage, it was just like when we were filming. (How is Ron's singing?) Not bad, but I am just a newcomer myself, so I don't have the status to criticise or comment."
The Sun 23/08/05
The Sun 23/08/05
Halina Burns Wig in Accident
Halina Tam was filming earlier for "Troubled Worlds" when she had an accident during a fire scene, where she had to dive into the burning room to rescue the ancestral plaques. In order to keep the reality, Halina refused a body double as she did the scene herself, but just as she ran into the flames, her hair caught fire and as it burned, she screamed for help and the crew quickly put it out, but a third of the hairpiece had been burned to a crisp.
Little wonder that Halina was very shocked by this and said: "At first, I felt that my hair was a little warm and then I realised it was already burning and nearly reaching my real hair. This really was a brush with death and after filming for so long, this is particularly memorable." Asked if she had burned incense before filming, she said: "Now that you mention it, I didn't do it today. After the accident, I said a few prayers to pray for a smooth shoot."
The Sun 23/08/05
Raymond Cho Seeks Love Nest
Thanks to the airing of "Healing Hands III", Raymond Cho has had a series of stage appearances and maybe he now has enough 'ammo', so he was spotted earlier with girlfriend Elaine Chiang (daughter of veteran actor John Chiang) house hunting in the rain in Sai Kung, where they first met with an agent and agreeing on a price, they headed out to look at the properties.
The couple seemed particularly interested in a ground floor apartment that included a garden and a sea view, on the market at $2.3 million. As they shared a few hugs and kisses, Elaine seemed to he putting the pressure on for her boyfriend to take the plunge. Raymond and Elaine have been dating for three years and with a stable, public relationship, are they planning to get married soon? Asked in a telephone interview, Raymond does not deny this: "I already see her as my wife, so buying a home is a target that I give myself and I will work hard to make even more money." As for whether he likes the house in Sai Kung, he says: "We have three dogs, so if we do buy a home, then a garden and sea view would be better."
The Sun 23/08/05
Bernice Can't Spend Mid-Autumn with Moses
Bernice Liu was taking part in a supermarket promotional event for the mid-autumn festival earlier and when asked by the MC how she would be spending the festival, a man in the crowd shouted out: "Spending it with Mr Chan!". This stunned Bernice into silence as she just smiled awkwardly. Afterwards, she insisted: "I didn't know what he said. I though he said I looked good! (Will you be spending mid-autumn with Moses?) No, I probably won't be in Hong Kong. (Will you be giving mooncakes to his mother as a mark of respect for your elders?) She isn't that old, but I know that it is polite to give mooncakes to your friends and family."
The Sun 24/08/05
Ron Denies being Miserable
At the premiere for new movie "Moments of Love", the female stars pulled party poppers at the male stars and Ron Ng was caught out with nowhere to run and covered with streamers that seemed to annoy him. Afterwards, he looked a little wooden-faced as he cleared away the pieces and only 2R's Race helped him out. However, Ron insisted that he was 'extremely happy' and refuted the 'black-faced' incident: "I did laugh, but maybe I don't look too good when I smile. There's nothing I can do if people want to say these thing about me, but it is better than when I first started. I have been practising smiling at home." As for Race inviting rumoured girlfriend Ella Koon to the venue, Ron says: "I will not avoid her, I don't want to be accused of being ungracious."
The Sun 13/08/05
Bobby & Yoyo New Series
Bobby Au Yeung and Yoyo Mung have been working together on "Forensic Pioneers" recently and reports suggest that they will be having marathon kissing scenes. When Yoyo found out, she did not seem embarrassed in the slightest and even said boldly: "If you come close, I will bite hold of you." When Bobby heard this, he replied smiling: "I have kissed you before, she only has a short tongue!" With such friendly banter, you could tell what good friends they are and Bobby even praises Yoyo for her straight talking and directness, saying he has no qualms about kissing her. As for Yoyo, she has put a lot of thought into this series, putting on an extra 10 lbs to play her senior inspector role in the hope that she looks broader and more in line with the character.
The Sun 24/08/05
Jessica is Latest Face of Estee Lauder
Jessica Hsuan has been invited by international cosmetics brand to shoot their latest set of ads in a breakthrough move. In the past, the company has usually used foreign models for their campaigns, including Elizabeth Hurley and Oscar Winner Gwyneth Paltrow, so in a move to showing a local celebrity, this has been an honour for Jessica. The sponsors provided her with over ten designer gowns in the hope of showing off Jessica's elegant and healthy immage. Jessica herself has done plenty of preparation, looking at the international models for inspiration on poses to show off her most alluring side.
The Sun 25/08/05
TVB to launch Childrens Songs Album
After the earlier success of all-male album "All About Men", TVB is building on this and will soon be releasing an album of children's songs, featuring home-grown stars such as Shirley Yeung, Bosco Wong and Charles Szeto as well as singers Ivana Wong and Patrick Tang. TVB's Production Resources Dept Deputy Chief Lok Yee Ling says: "We will be working with other record companies as well, such as BMA, who will be releasing an EP for Ron Ng and have chosen a song for him to plug that will show off his dancing talent. We are not out to make money from the records, but rather to give our artistes the chance to develop in different fields."
The Sun 25/08/05
'Shanghai Turbulence' Preparation
Maggie Cheung, Michael Miu and Shirley Yeung were at a restaurant learning how to make dumplings earlier and for Maggie, who plays a 'dumpling queen' in the show, she was not worried at all about using pork for the filling and joked: "I am mixing the fish poison with the pork germs, that should counteract each other. I think if there was a problem with the pork, then the government would not let it in, so I am not worried." She hopes that she can learn the skill well and be convincing in the series.
As for Shirley, she made sure that there were no wounds on her hands: "I think I should be okay if there are no wounds, you just have to be careful." Asked if she will be making some dumplings for her boyfriend to try, she says directly: "I'd rather we went out and ate them together!"
The Sun 25/08/05
Niki Rides Segway in Short Skirt
With many engagements lately, Niki Chow was out and about again earlier after landing a six-figure deal to be the spokesperson for Segway human transporter scooters. She says excitedly: "To be the first spokesperson for this product is a great honour." The organisers had arranged for her to enter the venue riding a Segway, which U.S President George Bush also has, and asked if she was afraid of revealing herself, she says: "This is the first time I have tried this, so don't scare me. I have put something on underneath!"
Coinciding with the release of Niki's album, Niki is so nervouse that she has not been able to sleep. She says she will be buying her own album in the shops and if it does well, then she will take her colleagues out for dinner. At the moment, she is saving up to buy an apartment: "When I am rehearsing my singing or violin, I get complaints of people, so I hope that I can buy somewhere in the mid-levels that is around 1000 ft."
The Sun 25/08/05
Kevin's Ankle SwellS Up like a Ball
Whilst filming for "Lovers Under Sky Curtains", Kevin Cheng accidentally sprained his ankle as he went down some steps and had to be taken to hospital, where he underwent an X-Ray to make sure there were no broken bones. After resting for three days, he was back at work and indicated on the telephone: "I didn't know how serious it was at the time and when the crew lifted my trouser leg to see, the found that my ankle had swollen up to the size of a tennis ball and I could not walk." Studio filming has been held up slightly due to Kevin's injury and the scenes will need to be made up by borrowing studio time from other series schedules.
The Sun 26/08/05
Kenix Profits from "Revolving Doors"
In the first week of airing for new series "Revolving Doors of Vengeance", the show has reached ratings of 30 points and as female lead, Kenix Kwok has been reaping the rewards: "I have had a lot of offers of work and I have a function nearly every day with a good response. When I go out, I meet many viewers who ask me about the plot, but I can only tell them to keep watching!"
Kenix says that in order to play the antagonist role, she has put a lot of work into it and the deepest impression from the show was where she split up from Joe Ma. Kenix says: "In that scene, I had to hide my schemes by kissing Joe, so you could call it the 'Plotting Kiss' and it is a little unusual and different from normal kisses."
The Sun 26/08/05
Mandy Works Hard with Her Dance
In new series "Troubled Worlds", Mandy Cho plays a singing and dancing spy and in order to give a convincing performance, she has been working hard with her dancing practice. However, she admits that she lacks rhythm and musical talent, so she has to work even harder to make up for it: "Although I can remember the dance steps quite easily, I have no feel for beat or rhythm, so no matter how nice it looks, I still have to practice hard."
In the show, Mandy has to give up her modesty to reach her targets, but in real life, she says that you cannot get anywhere on looks alone: "I will not go off looks, the most important thing is skills and talent, therefore I will never fall in love at first sight and I prefer people to get to know the real me. Even for a boyfriend, I will not look at appearance alone, the most important thing is that he is a good person, witty and gallant. As long as he looks okay, it is enough."
The Sun 26/08/05
'Triumph in the Skies 2' on the Cards
TVB has confirmed that it will begin filming the sequel to "Triumph in the Skies" next year, but as they were unable to book time with Francis Ng to reprise his role, Alex Fong Chung Shun will be taking his place and other confirmed cast members will include Jessica Hsuan and Liza Wang.
In 2003, the original series was aired, a pilot craze took off, propelling stars Francis Ng, Joe Ma and Flora Chan to greater heights as well as bringing 'S4' Ron Ng, Bosco Wong, Sammul Chan and Kenneth Ma into the spotlight. Following on from this, TVB have always planned to film a sequel with the original cast and crew to revive the public interest, but for the openly materialistic Francis, this was a doomed project from the start, so TVB have had to settle with 'Hong Kong Richard Gere' Alex to take his place. The new show will be filming on location in Moscow and England.
Contacting Alex to confirm this, he admitted that TVB has offered him this show and as for whether he will be playing a 'hunky pilot', he laughs: "I thought I would be playing a pilot too, but they have offered me a role of ground staff, I was so disappointed! Unless TVB change the title of the show to 'Triumph in the Skies - The Engineer's Story', then it would be different. My schedule is quite full next year,so I don't know if I can do it, but I am quite interested in the part."
Alex also reveals that TVB have also been negotiating a salaried contract with him as well as inviting him to film for them: "I will consider it, but I am used to making my own decisions for things and I am very ambitious. I am quite comfortable with my work at the moment and I don't want to work too hard, so the chances aren't very high."
As for Jessica, she confirms that she had agreed to do this series a long time ago because she felt that the love story between Francis and Flora in the last series was very successful. She does not feel any pressure from this and will just treat it like any other job.
The Sun 26/08/05
Fiona on Cookery
Fiona Yuen often invites her friends around for dinner parties and she feels that cooking ties in with your emotions, so if you are in a good mood, then your food will taste better. She says that once, she was feeling a little unhappy and cooked a meal for her boyfriend that changed the atmosphere from a happy one to a dull one and this may have caused them to split up: "I once made some spaghetti for a boyfriend, but it turned out bad and then we split up, so maybe it was caused by that." Fiona joined Kathy Chow as guests of a kitchen appliance company earlier and Kathy feels that a large and modern kitchen will help to create special foods.
The Sun 27/08/05
Queenie at SPCA
Queenie Chu and Anna Yau were guests at an SPCA event earlier and Queenie reveals that at her peak, she owned over ten cats, but she doesn't have time to look after any pets any more. With all the news surrounding this year's Miss Hong Kong pageant, she says that she has seen the girls and they are all very nice.
Anna says that she had wanted to find a mate for her dog, but it got jealous and she had to scrap the idea and just wish it a long life. Asked if she will follow in Gigi Fu's footsteps and have a huge funeral for it, she says she will keep it low profile because this is the way she wants it for herself in the future.
The Sun 27/08/05
Catherine Request for 'Women' to become 'Ladies'
With four leading females, Belinda Hamnett, Joyce Tang, Kingdom Yuen and Christine Ng in sitcom "Women on the Run", they have not only been showing off their sexier side, but also promoting the show off set with their constant banter. On a surprise visit from TVB production department Assistant Chief Catherine Tsang, she seemed a little unhappy at the constant abuse from the women on the set and scolded them directly for using vulgarities and not acting at all like 'ladies'. She has passed the order for them to be more gracious and not act like wives in a market.
Originally, the show was planned to move into the Monday to Friday prime time slot from its current Sunday evening position after the first 13 episodes, but this plan has been shelved for the moment. Producer Tsui Ding Hong emphasises: "Catherine was half joking when she scolded everyone and just asked them to be more mature. I think she was just trying another promotional tactic. (Have you been moved from the prime time slot?) The show has been doing quite well on Sundays and the company felt that as it needs some strong ratings on a Sunday. If it was to move to Monday-Friday, the creative department would have problems, so they decided to keep it in the Sunday slot."
Asked about Catherine's visit, Belinda Hamnett says: "Yes, we all got into trouble, but it is because we all know each other so well and having such a lot of fun. Catherine did not scold us, just pointed out that we needed to be more graceful." She seemed a little disappointed about being ousted from prime time: "The airing time is constantly changing for the show and for those who want to record it, then they don't know when to set their videos. Only appearing once a week makes it hard to leave a lasting impression."
As for Joyce, she says: "Catherine always visits us and we go for meals together. It's good she keeps an eye on us because it means she can give us tips all the time." She adds: "I am a little disappointed we didn't make prime time, but the show has had good reviews and I believe there will be opportunities in the future."
The Sun 27/08/05
Kiss for Ron from Joyce
Ron Ng and Joyce Cheng appeared at the TVB "Childrens Songs Awards Ceremony" in a short play as the prince and princess and Joyce has given her first stage kiss to Ron. During rehersals, the press were gathered around waiting for the perfect photo opportunity, but they were disappointed to find that she was not really kissing him. Joyce says: "When we do it for real, then I will kiss him on the cheek. (Are you shy?) A little. (What do you think of Ron?) He is very nice, very funny and has not given me any pressure. (Do you think he is good looking?) Yes. Was that answer rather quick?) As for Ron, he says that Joyce has become much prettier after losing weight and she is a very talented singer and dancer.
The Sun 25/08/05
News sources: The Sun
Translations: Em