10 Sep 2005 - Issue 24
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NEWS ROUNDUP - 04/09/05-11/09/05
Esther is Pregnant
Nick Cheung and wife Esther Kwan have openly wished to have children and with the reports suggesting that they have successfully 'created a baby', it seems that the year of the dog will bring for them the joys of parenthood.
Dubbed in showbiz as "the perfect couple", Nick and Esther have never had any negative press about them through the dating years or after their marriage. In 2003, they finally ended their 13 year marathon of love and were married in a simple ceremony in Australia. After their wedding, they have openly spoken of their plans to have children, but as they have both been apart and busy filming, there has been not been much news. However, after nearly two years of 'hard work', Nick and Esther's wish has come true and there is news of a baby on the way.
Nick has been for a health check earlier and found that he is a thalassaemia carrier. Despite the risk, this is a small problem and has not affected their plans to have a family. Esther has also been preparing herself for the pregnancy, reducing her workload and regulating her nutrition with Chinese herbs to keep her body in the best shape for the baby.
Esther currently has a contract with a slimming company, but there is no conflict as the company has offered to look after her health before and after the birth. Esther says she will support the calls of Hong Kong Chief Executive Mr Tsang and have at least three children.
The Sun 04/09/05
Tracy's Fanbase Not up to Shermon
This year's Miss Hong Kong winners Tracy Ip, Sharon Luk, Carrie Lam, Shermon Tang and Natalie Khoo took part in an environmental event and from the crowd's response, winner Tracy did not seem as popular as Shermon, who had plenty of fans asking to be photographed with her and she admits that having a famous father helps a lot: "Maybe it is to do with my dad, but every contestant had her own fans and usually it is not me who has the most."
Despite losing out to Shermon, Tracy was not bitter at all: "Maybe Shermon is full of sunshine and very friendly, but I think it is to do with her father too." The five girls will be heading out to Sabah on a goodwill trip soon and Tracy has been preparing for the harsh sunshine there: "Last time I went to South Asia, I did not bring enough sunscreen and I got all tanned, so this time I will be taking four or five tubes with me, just in case."
The Sun 04/09/05
Maggie Falls Ill with Thyroid Problem
Having taken on a role in TVB's new series "Shanghai Legend" (aka "Shanghai Turbulence") and after just one day of filming, Maggie Cheung has resigned from the role to rest after suffering from a thyroid condition called Graves' Disease. She says: "Yes, I have been working too hard and has caused this condition. Luckily it is not too serious at the moment, but if I continue to work late into the night or suffer too much stress, then I will have insomnia, irregular heartbeat and shaking hands and I may even need an operation."
Luckily, Maggie's condition is now under control, but in order to get better sooner, she has had to stop all her current work and follow the doctors instructions to take a vacation and relax: "I can only do some light work at the moment, like openings or stage work. (Is it from too much partying?) No, I just can't work 27 hours a day!"
The Sun 04/09/05
Bernice at HH3 Event
Bernice Liu joined cast members from "Healing Hands III" at a charity pen sale and seeing so many fans there with their banners, she was very happy, saying that her fans are all very good: "They know that it is a charity event today, so they have all paid for the pens and given me their scrapbooks. So good of them!"
Also, some fans brought a CD from over ten years ago for Raymond Cho to autograph and he laughed: "Seeing my dorky look from the past makes me shudder!" He adds: "The storyline next week tells of me having an extra-marital affair and there are already posts about this on the internet scolding me, but it is better to have that than for no-one to care!"
The Sun 04/09/05
Who Will be New Shanghai Dumpling Queen?
With the departure of Maggie Cheung after the first day of filming for new series "Shanghai Turbulence", producer Cheung Kin Man is currently looking for a replacement female lead. Producer Cheung had wanted Kenix Kwok to take her place, but she is fully booked up and could not spare the time to film the show. Kenix says: "After finishing 'The Sze Kung Files', I wanted to take a rest and I have recently taken on some odd jobs on the mainland and the schedules are quite tight, so I can't take on this project." As Kenix is busy and Esther Kwan's recent pregnancy announcement, the producer can only look elsewhere and he says: "I have thought about asking Cecilia Yip and I am trying to contact her now, in the hope of catching up with schedules."
The Sun 05/09/05
Erica Quizzed about Father's Rumours
Erica Yuen, Tracy Ip and Shermon Tang have set off for Singapore and Sabah on a goodwill tour and when asked about the rumours of her father being in a lot of debt trouble, Erica says she only knows that her father deals in electronic components and natural foods. She says that she rarely discusses business with her father, but from what she knows, he is not in any financial trouble. She adds that he is not in Hong Kong at the moment and has not seen the reports.
The Sun 05/09/05
MHK Goodwill Tour
The Miss Hong Kong winners continued on their goodwill tour of Sabah enjoying watersports such as jetskis, underwater walking and paragliding. In their two-piece swimsuits, the rather heavily endowed girls such as Natalie Khoo, Sharon Look and Erica Yuen seemed to overshadow winner Tracy Ip somewhat. As there is an element of danger in these sports, they had all signed a waiver of responsibility before taking part.
During the jetski ride, Carrie Lam, who cannot swim fell in the water and was very scared: "I was very frightened and took a few gulps of seawater, but I had a lifejacket on and there were a lot of crew on hand to help me, so I was fine." Natalie suffered breathing problems when she went snorkelling and had to return to the surface to recover: "I had asthma when I was young, but I am a lot better now."
Upon their arrival, the girls were treated to a seafood banquet and invited to do a bamboo dance, where the rather unrhythmic Tracy couldn't keep up and had her feet trapped on several occasions, making her giggle endlessly.
The Sun 06/09/05
Queenie All Set for Miss International
After representing Hong Kong at Miss World, last year's Miss Hong Kong runner up Queenie Chu has been sent out to the 'Miss International' contest on September 26th in Japan. Usually, the second runner up from the current year is sent, but because this year's Miss Hong Kong contest was a little later than usual and Miss International was earlier, then they have asked Queenie to go out once again.
Trying her national dress and evening dress earlier, TVB have chosen a Qing Dynasty princess costume for Queenie. Taking it all in her stride, she says: "I am not nervous as I have had the experience and I will treat it as a trip to promote Hong Kong tourism."
The Sun 06/09/05
'Ah Wong' is Anniversary Series
TVB has announced its three Anniversary Series for this year as "The Charm Beneath", "Legend of Ah Wong" and "Mr Chan of Foshan". Each series has its own distinction and TVB is confident that they will do well.
Originally, "Mr Chan" was due to begin airing after "Revolving Doors of Vengeance" finishes airing on 26th September, but as some lines need to be recorded again and they are waiting for lead Yuen Biao to return from Canada, then this has been postponed and "Disappearance" will ba aired in its place, starring Michael Miu, Melissa Ng and Bernice Liu.
Lead star of "Ah Wong" Roger Kwok was very happy that his series has been selected as an anniversary show and this makes him even more excited than winning an award because this proves that his series is high quality. Recording the theme song with Jessica Hsuan earlier, the support of TVB Production Department Assistant Chief Tommy Leung has allowed him to show off once again the great personality of Ah Wong and he is very pleased about this. He believes that the audience will not be let down.
The Sun 06/09/05
Kenix Digs at Maggie
Maggie Cheung resigned her role in "Shanghai Turbulence" earlier, leaving Producer Cheung Kin Man with the task of finding a new female lead. Kenix Kwok then refused the offer, citing rest as an excuse and further firing the rumours about the animoscity between the two women and bringing back referrals to last year's anniversary awards.
At a beauty event earlier, Kenix was asked about why she turned down the part and she insisted once again that she wants to rest and it was not on the grounds of picking up a 'second hand part': "The producer had asked me first anyway, but I was still filming for 'Sze Kung' at the time and if you want to put it like that, then it was her who was the second choice. I have been busy appearing at various functions and filming ads and have not had time to go on vacation. I have filmed a lot of series this year and turned down a lot of work from the mainland, so I really do want to take a rest."
As for the producer looking to ask Cecilia Yip to take the role, Kenix says that she is very elegant: "It's good! I have watched her on stage before and her 50's/60's image is very beautiful and will suit Michael Miu. (How about you and him?) Yes, we go well too - he is so handsome, I would like to work with him!" Asked if she would ask after Maggie, she syas: "We don't know each other very wel and I think she needs to rest!" As for the news about Esther Kwan's pregnancy, will she be working hard to have children too? She says: "They really like kids. I like them too, but not as much. I don't mind if we have them, because it is a happy occasion after all."
The Sun 07/09/05
Maggie finds reports Amusing
Despite taking time out to rest, Maggie Cheung still seems to attract the rumours and with report appearing in magazines that she needs to take early retirement because of her illness, Maggie laughs out loud, saying: "Come on Baby! Everyone knows the style of the magazine reports! My condition is not that series, I went for blood tests earlier and the excess in hormones has fallen from 40% to just 10%, so the doctor says I will be better in three or four months. I am eating well and keeping active, I just need to rest and relax. I can still do some lighter work and in November I will be filming an ad in Malaysia. It is just a condition of modern life and there is nothing to worry about."
The Sun 07/09/05
Akina Causes a Stir in Ap Liu Street
Bobby Au Yeung, Shirley Yeung and Akina Hong were promoting series "Hidden Treasures" in Ap Liu Street earlier and wearing a low cut top, Akina was continuously heckled by the men in the street, whilst she pretended to be friendly with the kids and allowed people to pat her shoulder whilst posing for photos. During the games, she was touched on the arms in the confusion, but she smiled: "They didn't mean to!"
On the other hand, Bobby was scolded by the stall holder for 'messing about' and one local holding a copy of the racing post asked him to autograph it and give him some betting tops. Bobby's mood was not affected by this and he says: "I was not messing about, just having fun! I don't know anything about horses though, so I didn't give him any tips!"
The Sun 08/09/05
Miss HK in Sabah
Miss Hong Kong winners Tracy Ip, Sharon Luk, Carrie Lam, Shermon Tang and Natalie Khor together with Tourism Ambassador Erica Yuen continued on their goodwill tour of Saha and wearing bikinis, they were joined by three strapping young men Martin Lau and Mr Hong Kong finalists Stephen Wong and Michael Tang in a beach shoot. However, apart from Erica, the girls kept themselved rather covered up, especially Sharon who had a towel on hand whenever the cameras stopped rolling, but in her haste, she accidentally injured herself when she fell over.
The men seemed to keep their distance from the girls during the shoot, preferring to play ball at the other end of the beach whilst waiting to be called. Surely they can't be afraid of stealing the girls' thunder with their 40" chests?
Over the several days of filming, Carrie has been causing many NG's and she explains: "I think I have been speaking my lines too quickly and the timing is wrong, so there are some NG's. I have not had many performance opportunities, so I will try to train myself." Tracy shows her support for Carrie and does not feel she is causing many NG's. She does her bit of smooth talking and adds that the shoot is going extremely well.
Later, they went onto visit Sabah's renowned 'Teh and Roti' shop and as well as trying out the local cuisine, the group have been trying their hand at making the 'Teh Tarik' and 'Roti Prata', but they were all rather clumsy and caused a lot of laughs from the onlookers.
Tracy seemed to be rather fatigued by the trip and has been suffering from migraines and nausea and taking medication to help, but she is thankful for the care shown to her by the other girls: "Sometimes when I wake up in the car, I will find that my aircon vent has been switched off and there are four or five coats placed over me because they know I am unwell and are worried about me catching cold." Carrie praises Tracy for being very professional and continuing to film despite being unwell.
Shermon Tang laughs that as she will be carrying out her Miss Hong Kong duties in the coming year, her income will be unstable and she will have to depend on her father English Tang for now! Natalie has not decided on her future yet, she may continue her studies to get her auditors licence. The group will be heading over to Singapore for five days after leaving Sabah.
The Sun 08/09/05 Ta Kung Pao 09/09/05
The Two Faces of Maggie
In the recent hit "Healing Hands III", Maggie Siu plays a cool doctor image, very different from her bubbly and outgoing breast enhancement ad character, but for Maggie, to pull off these extreme personalities is no difficulty and easily done! Since signing as spokesperson for the beauty ad, Maggie's confidence has rocketed and at her perfect figure, 34C,24,34, she has designed an image for herself in her latest ad, selecting a chiffon mini-dress to show her delectable figure to its best.
The Sun 08/09/05
Sir Run Run Checks out Disneyland
with the forthcoming opening of Disneyland Hong Kong, several preview sessions were held and even 97-year old Sir Run Run Shaw was there to share the fun. Travelling in a wheelchair, he was accompanied by his wife Mona Fong and some friends. Wearing a cap and enjoying the parade, Sir Run Run seemed to be in high spirits and was smiling throughout. Mona was wearing a bright red t-shirt and as she walked along, she enjoyed some freshly baked Disneyland bread. As the press took their photos, a friend commented: "You are making me feel rather embarrassed, you have already shot so much!" After Sir Run Run watched the Lion King show, the actor playing the Lion King went up to him to shake his hand.
The Sun 09/09/05
Niki's Birthday Party
For Niki Chow's birthday her fans arranged a special surprise party for her and she was so happy that she cried tears of joy! The party was attended by 120 fans, each one bringing along a gift for her, filling six big boxes. Niki said: "I have always had an agreement with the fans for them not to spend too much money on gifts as long as the thought is there, so many of their presents are handmade. Someone made a 'Sap Yee Mui' cushion for me to put in my living room and another fan made a model house for me with its own gardens." Niki will choose some of her gifts every year and donate them to charitable organisations to share her happiness with less fortunate children.
The Sun 09/09/05
Sheren Suffers from High Cholesterol
Sheren Tang was taking part in a healthy heart event and had a cholesterol test. She was rather worried as she said: "I was spoiled as a child and had large meals with meat and fish, moreover my favourite foods such as duck liver, cheese and luncheon meat are all high in cholesterol, so it should be really high." The results showed that she is slighly above the recommended limit and this put her mind at rest. However, the doctors suggested that she should eat more fish and beans. With the recent news about fish contamination, this leaves Sheren with a slight dilemma: "I have tried to cut out egg yolk and luncheon meat lately and I daren't even eat mooncake, but when I am working, I eat take away meals and we can't eat fish at the moment, so I have to supplement my food with tablets."
The Sun 10/09/05
Belinda Complains at TVB Salary Freezes
Belinda Hamnett attended a fashion show earlier and flaunted all her sponsored designer labels, commenting that thanks to her sponsors, she has saved a lot of money on her clothes. Belinda has been negotiating a new contract recently with TVB and she immediately looked rather sorry for herself as she said that her salary has been frozen for four years now, but she is happy with her work and she has more and more appearances every year, so she hopes to continue working with them. Women can be so fickle sometimes!
The Sun 10/09/05
Joyce Looks Forward to Mr HK Guest Stars
Currently busy filming for "Women on the Run", Joyce Tang was very excited to hear that Mr Hong Kong winners Matthew Ko and Rocky Cheng will be making guest appearances on the show and asking who would be acting opposite her. Asked if she is eager to act opposite Rocky, she says: "Let me try! I will treat him well!! (Who do you prefer out of the two men?) Of course it is Rocky, becuase he can make me feel small!" No wonder she has chosen Marco Ngai as her boyfreind, but Joyce corrects: "No, he chose me, not the other way round!"
The Sun 10/09/05
Bernice Keeps in Touch with her Family
Bernice Liu was the guest of honour at a "My Dream Home" art competition earlier and after seeing the creations from the children, she praised their imagination because some of the pictures were full of childish innocence, giving her a warm fuzzy feeling. Bernice says: "My dream home would be somewhere that I could live with all my family and my dog, but my sister and brother are working in different places and my parents are always flying around to visit us, so we can't live together as a family for most of the time."
Bernice reveals that the last time that the family were together was last Christmas and this was the first time they had been together in four years. She says: "Luckily, we live in the age of technology and have email, SMS and videophone, so you can still keep in touch even if you don't see each other all the time."
The Sun 11/09/05
Jessica Sympathises with Sonija
There have been reports that whilst filming in the mainland, Sonija Kwok has been secretly filmed having a wee in the bushes and having worked with her in "A Step into the Past", Jessica Hsuan was asked about this and she smiles: "It is very normal! I am an actor and I know that when you are filming out in the middle of nowhere, then you are miles away from a toilet and driving back to the town is a waste of time, so the fastest thing to do is to sort it out there and then." As for being filmed, Jessica offers endless sympathy: "Let hergo! Maybe she didn't want to delay the filming and just wanted to save time."
Jessica was attending a fashion show eith Anne Heung, Rain Li, Joyce Tang and Belinda Hamnett and she indicated that she had just been to Holland with Sunny Chan to promote the series "Just Love" before heading over to England to visit some old schoolfriends before returning to Hong Kong to film for a skincare ad. This week she will be flying out to Australia for her cousin's wedding, where she will stay for a week. As there will be a huge family reunion there, she is quite excited. After taht, she will be going for a vacation in Hokkaido because she will begin filming for "Triumph in the Skies 2" in January for about six months including filming on location and she needs to get some rest in before she starts work on that.
Ta Kung Pao 11/09/05
'Women on the Run' Support Sonija
A group of cast members from "Women on the Run" including Christine Ng, Joyce Tang, Belinda Hamnett, Kingdom Yuen, Ken Wong and Louis Yuen took part in a charity lottery event where they set about selling draw tickets to the public.
As Christine arrived late, Kingdom made her buy a ticket herself first and she agreed. It turns out that it was the wedding day of Christine's brother-in-law, so she was very busy and could only take a little time out to attend the event and this was why she was late. In the evening, she had to return for the reception and would be singing on the stage for him. She laughed that she has been rehearsing hard and she is preparing to discuss appearing on TVB's next album.
Talking of Sonija Kwok's invasion of privacy, Kingdom is full of support for her and says that when you are filming in the mainland, then the hardest thing to overcome is the toilet problem and artistes on location find it particularly tough. She feels really sorry for Sonija and feels that for this kind of incident to become headline news is very wrong. She also reveals that she had tummy trouble once and had to go in the bushes, but this is a very common thing and it would be worse to hold it in as this could lead to kidney problems.
Ta Kung Pao 11/09/05
Jerry and Ka Lok in Opposition
Jerry Lam and Chin Ka Lok were invited onto Carol Cheng's legal quiz show earlier as guests and before the shoot, Ka Lok was showing off the watch that he had been presented with by Jackie Chan for taking part in the 'Jackie Chan Cup Charity Rally'. He jokes that this is matching with Cecilia Cheung, but it was quickly revealed that all fifty guests all received one too.
In the Jackie Chan Cup competition, Ka Lok was navigator for Eric Tsang's daughter Bowie Tsang, but not long after the race started, she was forced to pull out because of engine trouble. Ka Lok says he wasn't too disappointed and praised Bowie's driving skills, adding that the audience atmosphere was electric and this made him very happy. He laughs: "It was better than being in pole position!"
Talking of the quiz, the debate was on whether the administrators were allowed to take the possessions of the mother if her son was bankrupt. Ka Lok reckons that if the items belong to his mother, then they have no right to take it, but Jerry felt that they have be able to prove ownership first and the two good partners displayed a difference of opinion, each standing by their point of view.
The Sun 09/09/05
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Esther is Pregnant
Nick Cheung and wife Esther Kwan have openly wished to have children and with the reports suggesting that they have successfully 'created a baby', it seems that the year of the dog will bring for them the joys of parenthood.
Dubbed in showbiz as "the perfect couple", Nick and Esther have never had any negative press about them through the dating years or after their marriage. In 2003, they finally ended their 13 year marathon of love and were married in a simple ceremony in Australia. After their wedding, they have openly spoken of their plans to have children, but as they have both been apart and busy filming, there has been not been much news. However, after nearly two years of 'hard work', Nick and Esther's wish has come true and there is news of a baby on the way.
Nick has been for a health check earlier and found that he is a thalassaemia carrier. Despite the risk, this is a small problem and has not affected their plans to have a family. Esther has also been preparing herself for the pregnancy, reducing her workload and regulating her nutrition with Chinese herbs to keep her body in the best shape for the baby.
Esther currently has a contract with a slimming company, but there is no conflict as the company has offered to look after her health before and after the birth. Esther says she will support the calls of Hong Kong Chief Executive Mr Tsang and have at least three children.
The Sun 04/09/05
Tracy's Fanbase Not up to Shermon
This year's Miss Hong Kong winners Tracy Ip, Sharon Luk, Carrie Lam, Shermon Tang and Natalie Khoo took part in an environmental event and from the crowd's response, winner Tracy did not seem as popular as Shermon, who had plenty of fans asking to be photographed with her and she admits that having a famous father helps a lot: "Maybe it is to do with my dad, but every contestant had her own fans and usually it is not me who has the most."
Despite losing out to Shermon, Tracy was not bitter at all: "Maybe Shermon is full of sunshine and very friendly, but I think it is to do with her father too." The five girls will be heading out to Sabah on a goodwill trip soon and Tracy has been preparing for the harsh sunshine there: "Last time I went to South Asia, I did not bring enough sunscreen and I got all tanned, so this time I will be taking four or five tubes with me, just in case."
The Sun 04/09/05
Maggie Falls Ill with Thyroid Problem
Having taken on a role in TVB's new series "Shanghai Legend" (aka "Shanghai Turbulence") and after just one day of filming, Maggie Cheung has resigned from the role to rest after suffering from a thyroid condition called Graves' Disease. She says: "Yes, I have been working too hard and has caused this condition. Luckily it is not too serious at the moment, but if I continue to work late into the night or suffer too much stress, then I will have insomnia, irregular heartbeat and shaking hands and I may even need an operation."
Luckily, Maggie's condition is now under control, but in order to get better sooner, she has had to stop all her current work and follow the doctors instructions to take a vacation and relax: "I can only do some light work at the moment, like openings or stage work. (Is it from too much partying?) No, I just can't work 27 hours a day!"
The Sun 04/09/05
Bernice at HH3 Event
Bernice Liu joined cast members from "Healing Hands III" at a charity pen sale and seeing so many fans there with their banners, she was very happy, saying that her fans are all very good: "They know that it is a charity event today, so they have all paid for the pens and given me their scrapbooks. So good of them!"
Also, some fans brought a CD from over ten years ago for Raymond Cho to autograph and he laughed: "Seeing my dorky look from the past makes me shudder!" He adds: "The storyline next week tells of me having an extra-marital affair and there are already posts about this on the internet scolding me, but it is better to have that than for no-one to care!"
The Sun 04/09/05
Who Will be New Shanghai Dumpling Queen?
With the departure of Maggie Cheung after the first day of filming for new series "Shanghai Turbulence", producer Cheung Kin Man is currently looking for a replacement female lead. Producer Cheung had wanted Kenix Kwok to take her place, but she is fully booked up and could not spare the time to film the show. Kenix says: "After finishing 'The Sze Kung Files', I wanted to take a rest and I have recently taken on some odd jobs on the mainland and the schedules are quite tight, so I can't take on this project." As Kenix is busy and Esther Kwan's recent pregnancy announcement, the producer can only look elsewhere and he says: "I have thought about asking Cecilia Yip and I am trying to contact her now, in the hope of catching up with schedules."
The Sun 05/09/05
Erica Quizzed about Father's Rumours
Erica Yuen, Tracy Ip and Shermon Tang have set off for Singapore and Sabah on a goodwill tour and when asked about the rumours of her father being in a lot of debt trouble, Erica says she only knows that her father deals in electronic components and natural foods. She says that she rarely discusses business with her father, but from what she knows, he is not in any financial trouble. She adds that he is not in Hong Kong at the moment and has not seen the reports.
The Sun 05/09/05
MHK Goodwill Tour
The Miss Hong Kong winners continued on their goodwill tour of Sabah enjoying watersports such as jetskis, underwater walking and paragliding. In their two-piece swimsuits, the rather heavily endowed girls such as Natalie Khoo, Sharon Look and Erica Yuen seemed to overshadow winner Tracy Ip somewhat. As there is an element of danger in these sports, they had all signed a waiver of responsibility before taking part.
During the jetski ride, Carrie Lam, who cannot swim fell in the water and was very scared: "I was very frightened and took a few gulps of seawater, but I had a lifejacket on and there were a lot of crew on hand to help me, so I was fine." Natalie suffered breathing problems when she went snorkelling and had to return to the surface to recover: "I had asthma when I was young, but I am a lot better now."
Upon their arrival, the girls were treated to a seafood banquet and invited to do a bamboo dance, where the rather unrhythmic Tracy couldn't keep up and had her feet trapped on several occasions, making her giggle endlessly.
The Sun 06/09/05
Queenie All Set for Miss International
After representing Hong Kong at Miss World, last year's Miss Hong Kong runner up Queenie Chu has been sent out to the 'Miss International' contest on September 26th in Japan. Usually, the second runner up from the current year is sent, but because this year's Miss Hong Kong contest was a little later than usual and Miss International was earlier, then they have asked Queenie to go out once again.
Trying her national dress and evening dress earlier, TVB have chosen a Qing Dynasty princess costume for Queenie. Taking it all in her stride, she says: "I am not nervous as I have had the experience and I will treat it as a trip to promote Hong Kong tourism."
The Sun 06/09/05
'Ah Wong' is Anniversary Series
TVB has announced its three Anniversary Series for this year as "The Charm Beneath", "Legend of Ah Wong" and "Mr Chan of Foshan". Each series has its own distinction and TVB is confident that they will do well.
Originally, "Mr Chan" was due to begin airing after "Revolving Doors of Vengeance" finishes airing on 26th September, but as some lines need to be recorded again and they are waiting for lead Yuen Biao to return from Canada, then this has been postponed and "Disappearance" will ba aired in its place, starring Michael Miu, Melissa Ng and Bernice Liu.
Lead star of "Ah Wong" Roger Kwok was very happy that his series has been selected as an anniversary show and this makes him even more excited than winning an award because this proves that his series is high quality. Recording the theme song with Jessica Hsuan earlier, the support of TVB Production Department Assistant Chief Tommy Leung has allowed him to show off once again the great personality of Ah Wong and he is very pleased about this. He believes that the audience will not be let down.
The Sun 06/09/05
Kenix Digs at Maggie
Maggie Cheung resigned her role in "Shanghai Turbulence" earlier, leaving Producer Cheung Kin Man with the task of finding a new female lead. Kenix Kwok then refused the offer, citing rest as an excuse and further firing the rumours about the animoscity between the two women and bringing back referrals to last year's anniversary awards.
At a beauty event earlier, Kenix was asked about why she turned down the part and she insisted once again that she wants to rest and it was not on the grounds of picking up a 'second hand part': "The producer had asked me first anyway, but I was still filming for 'Sze Kung' at the time and if you want to put it like that, then it was her who was the second choice. I have been busy appearing at various functions and filming ads and have not had time to go on vacation. I have filmed a lot of series this year and turned down a lot of work from the mainland, so I really do want to take a rest."
As for the producer looking to ask Cecilia Yip to take the role, Kenix says that she is very elegant: "It's good! I have watched her on stage before and her 50's/60's image is very beautiful and will suit Michael Miu. (How about you and him?) Yes, we go well too - he is so handsome, I would like to work with him!" Asked if she would ask after Maggie, she syas: "We don't know each other very wel and I think she needs to rest!" As for the news about Esther Kwan's pregnancy, will she be working hard to have children too? She says: "They really like kids. I like them too, but not as much. I don't mind if we have them, because it is a happy occasion after all."
The Sun 07/09/05
Maggie finds reports Amusing
Despite taking time out to rest, Maggie Cheung still seems to attract the rumours and with report appearing in magazines that she needs to take early retirement because of her illness, Maggie laughs out loud, saying: "Come on Baby! Everyone knows the style of the magazine reports! My condition is not that series, I went for blood tests earlier and the excess in hormones has fallen from 40% to just 10%, so the doctor says I will be better in three or four months. I am eating well and keeping active, I just need to rest and relax. I can still do some lighter work and in November I will be filming an ad in Malaysia. It is just a condition of modern life and there is nothing to worry about."
The Sun 07/09/05
Akina Causes a Stir in Ap Liu Street
Bobby Au Yeung, Shirley Yeung and Akina Hong were promoting series "Hidden Treasures" in Ap Liu Street earlier and wearing a low cut top, Akina was continuously heckled by the men in the street, whilst she pretended to be friendly with the kids and allowed people to pat her shoulder whilst posing for photos. During the games, she was touched on the arms in the confusion, but she smiled: "They didn't mean to!"
On the other hand, Bobby was scolded by the stall holder for 'messing about' and one local holding a copy of the racing post asked him to autograph it and give him some betting tops. Bobby's mood was not affected by this and he says: "I was not messing about, just having fun! I don't know anything about horses though, so I didn't give him any tips!"
The Sun 08/09/05
Miss HK in Sabah
Miss Hong Kong winners Tracy Ip, Sharon Luk, Carrie Lam, Shermon Tang and Natalie Khor together with Tourism Ambassador Erica Yuen continued on their goodwill tour of Saha and wearing bikinis, they were joined by three strapping young men Martin Lau and Mr Hong Kong finalists Stephen Wong and Michael Tang in a beach shoot. However, apart from Erica, the girls kept themselved rather covered up, especially Sharon who had a towel on hand whenever the cameras stopped rolling, but in her haste, she accidentally injured herself when she fell over.
The men seemed to keep their distance from the girls during the shoot, preferring to play ball at the other end of the beach whilst waiting to be called. Surely they can't be afraid of stealing the girls' thunder with their 40" chests?
Over the several days of filming, Carrie has been causing many NG's and she explains: "I think I have been speaking my lines too quickly and the timing is wrong, so there are some NG's. I have not had many performance opportunities, so I will try to train myself." Tracy shows her support for Carrie and does not feel she is causing many NG's. She does her bit of smooth talking and adds that the shoot is going extremely well.
Later, they went onto visit Sabah's renowned 'Teh and Roti' shop and as well as trying out the local cuisine, the group have been trying their hand at making the 'Teh Tarik' and 'Roti Prata', but they were all rather clumsy and caused a lot of laughs from the onlookers.
Tracy seemed to be rather fatigued by the trip and has been suffering from migraines and nausea and taking medication to help, but she is thankful for the care shown to her by the other girls: "Sometimes when I wake up in the car, I will find that my aircon vent has been switched off and there are four or five coats placed over me because they know I am unwell and are worried about me catching cold." Carrie praises Tracy for being very professional and continuing to film despite being unwell.
Shermon Tang laughs that as she will be carrying out her Miss Hong Kong duties in the coming year, her income will be unstable and she will have to depend on her father English Tang for now! Natalie has not decided on her future yet, she may continue her studies to get her auditors licence. The group will be heading over to Singapore for five days after leaving Sabah.
The Sun 08/09/05 Ta Kung Pao 09/09/05
The Two Faces of Maggie
In the recent hit "Healing Hands III", Maggie Siu plays a cool doctor image, very different from her bubbly and outgoing breast enhancement ad character, but for Maggie, to pull off these extreme personalities is no difficulty and easily done! Since signing as spokesperson for the beauty ad, Maggie's confidence has rocketed and at her perfect figure, 34C,24,34, she has designed an image for herself in her latest ad, selecting a chiffon mini-dress to show her delectable figure to its best.
The Sun 08/09/05
Sir Run Run Checks out Disneyland
with the forthcoming opening of Disneyland Hong Kong, several preview sessions were held and even 97-year old Sir Run Run Shaw was there to share the fun. Travelling in a wheelchair, he was accompanied by his wife Mona Fong and some friends. Wearing a cap and enjoying the parade, Sir Run Run seemed to be in high spirits and was smiling throughout. Mona was wearing a bright red t-shirt and as she walked along, she enjoyed some freshly baked Disneyland bread. As the press took their photos, a friend commented: "You are making me feel rather embarrassed, you have already shot so much!" After Sir Run Run watched the Lion King show, the actor playing the Lion King went up to him to shake his hand.
The Sun 09/09/05
Niki's Birthday Party
For Niki Chow's birthday her fans arranged a special surprise party for her and she was so happy that she cried tears of joy! The party was attended by 120 fans, each one bringing along a gift for her, filling six big boxes. Niki said: "I have always had an agreement with the fans for them not to spend too much money on gifts as long as the thought is there, so many of their presents are handmade. Someone made a 'Sap Yee Mui' cushion for me to put in my living room and another fan made a model house for me with its own gardens." Niki will choose some of her gifts every year and donate them to charitable organisations to share her happiness with less fortunate children.
The Sun 09/09/05
Sheren Suffers from High Cholesterol
Sheren Tang was taking part in a healthy heart event and had a cholesterol test. She was rather worried as she said: "I was spoiled as a child and had large meals with meat and fish, moreover my favourite foods such as duck liver, cheese and luncheon meat are all high in cholesterol, so it should be really high." The results showed that she is slighly above the recommended limit and this put her mind at rest. However, the doctors suggested that she should eat more fish and beans. With the recent news about fish contamination, this leaves Sheren with a slight dilemma: "I have tried to cut out egg yolk and luncheon meat lately and I daren't even eat mooncake, but when I am working, I eat take away meals and we can't eat fish at the moment, so I have to supplement my food with tablets."
The Sun 10/09/05
Belinda Complains at TVB Salary Freezes
Belinda Hamnett attended a fashion show earlier and flaunted all her sponsored designer labels, commenting that thanks to her sponsors, she has saved a lot of money on her clothes. Belinda has been negotiating a new contract recently with TVB and she immediately looked rather sorry for herself as she said that her salary has been frozen for four years now, but she is happy with her work and she has more and more appearances every year, so she hopes to continue working with them. Women can be so fickle sometimes!
The Sun 10/09/05
Joyce Looks Forward to Mr HK Guest Stars
Currently busy filming for "Women on the Run", Joyce Tang was very excited to hear that Mr Hong Kong winners Matthew Ko and Rocky Cheng will be making guest appearances on the show and asking who would be acting opposite her. Asked if she is eager to act opposite Rocky, she says: "Let me try! I will treat him well!! (Who do you prefer out of the two men?) Of course it is Rocky, becuase he can make me feel small!" No wonder she has chosen Marco Ngai as her boyfreind, but Joyce corrects: "No, he chose me, not the other way round!"
The Sun 10/09/05
Bernice Keeps in Touch with her Family
Bernice Liu was the guest of honour at a "My Dream Home" art competition earlier and after seeing the creations from the children, she praised their imagination because some of the pictures were full of childish innocence, giving her a warm fuzzy feeling. Bernice says: "My dream home would be somewhere that I could live with all my family and my dog, but my sister and brother are working in different places and my parents are always flying around to visit us, so we can't live together as a family for most of the time."
Bernice reveals that the last time that the family were together was last Christmas and this was the first time they had been together in four years. She says: "Luckily, we live in the age of technology and have email, SMS and videophone, so you can still keep in touch even if you don't see each other all the time."
The Sun 11/09/05
Jessica Sympathises with Sonija
There have been reports that whilst filming in the mainland, Sonija Kwok has been secretly filmed having a wee in the bushes and having worked with her in "A Step into the Past", Jessica Hsuan was asked about this and she smiles: "It is very normal! I am an actor and I know that when you are filming out in the middle of nowhere, then you are miles away from a toilet and driving back to the town is a waste of time, so the fastest thing to do is to sort it out there and then." As for being filmed, Jessica offers endless sympathy: "Let hergo! Maybe she didn't want to delay the filming and just wanted to save time."
Jessica was attending a fashion show eith Anne Heung, Rain Li, Joyce Tang and Belinda Hamnett and she indicated that she had just been to Holland with Sunny Chan to promote the series "Just Love" before heading over to England to visit some old schoolfriends before returning to Hong Kong to film for a skincare ad. This week she will be flying out to Australia for her cousin's wedding, where she will stay for a week. As there will be a huge family reunion there, she is quite excited. After taht, she will be going for a vacation in Hokkaido because she will begin filming for "Triumph in the Skies 2" in January for about six months including filming on location and she needs to get some rest in before she starts work on that.
Ta Kung Pao 11/09/05
'Women on the Run' Support Sonija
A group of cast members from "Women on the Run" including Christine Ng, Joyce Tang, Belinda Hamnett, Kingdom Yuen, Ken Wong and Louis Yuen took part in a charity lottery event where they set about selling draw tickets to the public.
As Christine arrived late, Kingdom made her buy a ticket herself first and she agreed. It turns out that it was the wedding day of Christine's brother-in-law, so she was very busy and could only take a little time out to attend the event and this was why she was late. In the evening, she had to return for the reception and would be singing on the stage for him. She laughed that she has been rehearsing hard and she is preparing to discuss appearing on TVB's next album.
Talking of Sonija Kwok's invasion of privacy, Kingdom is full of support for her and says that when you are filming in the mainland, then the hardest thing to overcome is the toilet problem and artistes on location find it particularly tough. She feels really sorry for Sonija and feels that for this kind of incident to become headline news is very wrong. She also reveals that she had tummy trouble once and had to go in the bushes, but this is a very common thing and it would be worse to hold it in as this could lead to kidney problems.
Ta Kung Pao 11/09/05
Jerry and Ka Lok in Opposition
Jerry Lam and Chin Ka Lok were invited onto Carol Cheng's legal quiz show earlier as guests and before the shoot, Ka Lok was showing off the watch that he had been presented with by Jackie Chan for taking part in the 'Jackie Chan Cup Charity Rally'. He jokes that this is matching with Cecilia Cheung, but it was quickly revealed that all fifty guests all received one too.
In the Jackie Chan Cup competition, Ka Lok was navigator for Eric Tsang's daughter Bowie Tsang, but not long after the race started, she was forced to pull out because of engine trouble. Ka Lok says he wasn't too disappointed and praised Bowie's driving skills, adding that the audience atmosphere was electric and this made him very happy. He laughs: "It was better than being in pole position!"
Talking of the quiz, the debate was on whether the administrators were allowed to take the possessions of the mother if her son was bankrupt. Ka Lok reckons that if the items belong to his mother, then they have no right to take it, but Jerry felt that they have be able to prove ownership first and the two good partners displayed a difference of opinion, each standing by their point of view.
The Sun 09/09/05
News sources: The Sun
Translations: Em