Host Quan Yi Fong says Hear U Out isn't intended to make celebrities cry
The Singapore host also revealed that not all interviews went smoothly, and shared which celeb she felt was the toughest to interview yet.
It’s a running gag that celebrities who go on the local talkshow Hear U Out end up crying - something you may have also heard among friends during watercooler chats.
However, host Quan Yi Fong is clearing the air on the misconception that the show is aimed at doing that.
Hear U Out is an interview talkshow that gives viewers a more intimate look at some of our local celebrities. It’s known for going deep and being very emotionally heavy as these celebrities share some of their toughest moments in life.
Now in season four, the show is going overseas and their lineup of interviewees include Taiwanese actress Ruby Lin, singer Eric Chou, Hong Kong celebrity power couple Julian Cheung and Anita Yuen, and actor Him Law.
In an email interview with The Straits Times, the national broadsheet asked Quan, 49, if the show tries to get its guests to cry.
The host, in response, pointed out that “that’s a limiting question that has a subjective view that we're doing this on purpose, which isn't true”.
She added, “There's a long discussion before any interview, and we're trying to help the artistes open up gradually and feel comfortable sharing their stories with us. Who has a completely smooth-sailing life? Who doesn't have grievances or regrets? It's all genuine when they get emotional.”
Quan also shared that she has become more prone to crying in recent years, and feels the artiste’s pain when she talks to them in person.
She also said she sees the younger crop of actors “the way I see my own daughter”, and gets touched easily “when I see them try hard at something, or when something bad happens to them, or when they're really mature for their age”.
The veteran host has a 23-year-old daughter, Eleanor Lee, with former husband Peter Yu. The pair had a high profile divorce in 2008 but have resolved things between them amicably.
Hardest celeb to interview
Quan, who is renowned for her interviewing skills and won awards for Hear U Out, admitted that not all interviews go smoothly.
There were three guests “who are usually really humorous and entertaining” but there was something “off” about the pacing of the interview which made Quan really disappointed in herself.
She did not disclose their identities.
One of her toughest interviews, she revealed, was with actress Huang Biren.
She told The Straits Times, “She's a very cool and frank person, but on the finer points of acting, her views took me some time to understand, so she's the only one I interviewed from day till night. You can see the sky going dark through the windows of our set.”
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