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Living like Lydia Shum: I gave up on losing weight to look like Lydia

Singaporean Lee Lay Cheng, 43, has been impersonating as Hong Kong comedian Lydia Shum for about 15 years. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)
Singaporean Lee Lay Cheng, 43, has been impersonating Hong Kong comedian Lydia Shum for about 15 years. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

The late Lydia Shum may no longer be around but her spirit lives on in Singaporean Lee Lay Cheng, who has been impersonating the popular Hong Kong comedian for around 15 years. Shum, who appeared in popular Singaporean television series “Living with Lydia”, died at the age of 60 in 2008.

During a recent interview with Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore, 43-year-old Lee let us into her DBSS flat in Simei, where she keeps a treasure trove of colourful and elaborate costumes and accessories for her performances as an emcee, among others.

Dressed down in a long dress and with minimal makeup on, Lee told us that she began impersonating Lydia Shum after realising the likeness between them after donning a wig for a gig.

“I was hosting an event and the client wanted me to wear a wig, and I realised how similar we looked because of my size,” Lee said. “I always enjoyed watching Lydia’s shows while growing up, and I thought I could impersonate her since we’re both plump.”

Lee, who weighed around 90kg at the time, is one of the few successful impersonators in Singapore doing well enough to be able to quit her full-time job in human resources and still afford a flat and car. Other impersonators in Singapore include Keith Cheung, who does impressions of Hong Kong singer-actress Anita Mui.

To date, Lydia Shum impersonator Lee Lay Cheng, 43, owns about a dozen different gowns for her shows. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)
To date, Lydia Shum impersonator Lee Lay Cheng, 43, owns about a dozen different gowns for her shows. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

Lee performs an average of two events a week and makes a few hundred dollars per gig. During peak months between November and February, she can make several thousand dollars a month from hosting and impersonating alone.

She said, “I think one of the reasons why I managed to do this for so long is because I don’t just host at my gigs. I do basically everything – such as singing and dancing.”

“I only look like Lydia Shum, but my acts and performances are quite different from what she does. People might say that I ‘spoil market’, but I don’t mind. The industry is competitive, I have to do what I can.”

Her love for performing stemmed from childhood. In primary school, she would perform for Teachers’ Day concerts and take part in her school’s singing competitions.

The daughter to parents who are in the food business had always been fond of Cantonese and Japanese songs since young, and adored Lydia Shum for her cheerful look and personality.

These days, Lee’s three signature acts – “Happy Fei Fei” (which translates to “happy fatty”), “Happy Hippo” and “Comedy Magic Show” – are popular with clients, who hire her to host everything from birthday parties to corporate dinners, and even weddings.

Apart from Singapore, she has performed in Australia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Marketing herself as a Lydia Shum impersonator has its downsides. According to Lee Lay Cheng, 43, one of it being that she isn't allowed to lose weight. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)
Marketing herself as a Lydia Shum impersonator has its downsides. According to Lee Lay Cheng, 43, one is that she isn’t allowed to lose weight. (Photo: Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore)

Having impersonated Lydia Shum for more than a decade has turned Lee into quite an expert at dressing up as the late comedian. From vibrant and elaborate gowns to colourful makeup, props to accessories, these are all required of her to keep for her various shows.

To date, she has about a dozen different gowns stored at home. These gowns, typically made overseas for between $100 and $200 each, are also used at events when she is not impersonating Lydia Shum. When it comes to props and accessories, such as her wigs and quirky glasses, many of them could be seen lying about in her living room.

However, modelling herself after one of the most famous plus-sized celebrities in Asia has its downsides.

“About 10 years ago I slimmed down quite a lot – I went from 90kg to about 63kg. I was younger and vain, and wanted to lose weight to look better,” a process which took just about a year. “But, after losing the weight, I was worried that I didn’t look like Lydia Shum anymore,” Lee said. “I gave up on the weight loss, partly because I wanted to still look like her.”

“I’m very lucky to have regular clients who book me to host their events, because this industry really relies on word of mouth,” Lee said, “But that also means I have to constantly think of new creative ways to entertain the audience, because I can’t keep reusing the same jokes and punchline.”

Ensuring that audiences are entertained is the biggest challenge hosts and impersonators face, according to Lee. To combat this problem, she does her best to update her dozens of costumes and props, so that they get a fresh perspective even if they are repeat clients.

Said Lee, “I try and do my best to make sure that my performance is entertaining and my clients are satisfied and I think they appreciate it. I’ve had a client who had tears in his eyes by the end of the event, because he could tell how much effort I put into trying to engage the audience.”

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