Last week, ex-Mediacorp actress and award-winning child star Regene Lim, 25, took to her Instagram to announce that she got engaged to her boyfriend of six years, Sergul Toh.

Sergul is Regene's university sweetheart. They met while studying at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information in 2018 and he is assumed to be two years older than her.

Following the announcement, Regene and Sergul sat down with #JustSwipeLah to talk about the proposal and their relationship. 

According to the couple, the proposal happened on October 27, when they were in Jeju Island with their university friends.

Regene, who is also a host on #JustSwipeLah, said the proposal was supposed to happen on the 26th, but the plan fell through when she lost her wallet that day. 

"We were thrown into sudden chaos and only managed to find my wallet in the evening," she said.

"So when he proposed on the 27th, I remember he said a very romantic line. He said: 'Even if you lose your wallet a hundred times, I'll always look for it with you'," she gushed.

Regene didn't think Sergul was going to propose in Korea as she thought he would do it in Japan.

She had told him that it would have been nice to get engaged in Japan, not knowing had already been planning the proposal for half a year.  

So he told her to look for places in Japan where she would like to get engaged so as to throw her off his scent. 

Sergul went on to share that they took two separate cars to Jeju on the day of the proposal. He then asked his friend who was driving the car Regene was in to keep making wrong turns to buy him time.

"[They made] More than 20 wrong turns," Regene deadpanned.

Thankfully, the bride-to-be didn't sense anything amiss at all.

"We were wondering why she wasn't suspicious about the oddly long journey, turns out she was sleeping so we were worried for nothing," chuckled Sergul.

Regene then argued: "I didn't even know we went the wrong way! I thought that was just how Jeju Island is."

So how did the couple get together in 2018?

Sergul said they started dating about two months after entering university.

Regene added: "It was too fast. At that time, I even told my mother that I want to date one guy from each faculty."

She ended up dating Sergul all through uni.

Regene was the one who made the first move.

"One day after class, both of us were on the campus bus and when the sunlight suddenly hit his face, my heart throbbed. That was when I decided, 'Okay I'm going to go after him," she recalled.

Sergul joked that he only took a liking to Regene because she was wooing him. 

​Regene said she had Sergul straight up that she liked him and he replied with: "Me too".

It was an answer that confused her.

So she asked him to confirm that he liked her back and he said: "Yes, I do".  

When asked when he felt that Regene is the woman he should marry, Sergul said it was after their first major argument. 

"She didn't give me the cold shoulder. Around five to 10 minutes after we quarrelled, she told me: 'Can you apologise to me?'. I said sorry and she hugged me," he shared, adding that she's someone who's very easy to dote on and love.

Meanwhile, Regene felt that Sergul is a man she could trust her life to as he accepts her shortcomings and gives her a lot of security. 

"He made me believe that being in a relationship doesn't have to be a very exhausting thing. It can be fun, happy and comfortable," said Regene.

Family and fans of Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao are in mourning after the writer passed away in an apparent suicide at her home in Tamsui, New Taipei City. She was 86.

In her suicide note posted on Facebook, Chiung Yao shared she wanted to decide when and how she died instead of enduring the suffering that comes with old age.

“I am a ‘spark’ and I have burned as brightly as possible. Now, before the flames are extinguished, I choose to leave gracefully,” she wrote.

“Dear friends, do not be sad about my 'death', but be glad for me! The beauty of life lies in the ability to love, hate, laugh, cry, sing, speak, move, and live freely, passionately, and meaningfully. I have experienced all these joys, and I have truly lived.”

She also urged young people to cherish life and live with strength, and not to give up lightly.

Accompanying the note was a two-minute farewell video in which she said: "The time has come; life will not get better. While I can still smile, still sing, without burdening those I love, and transcending illness. My heart soars freely, with joy unbound."

According to TVBS, Chiung Yao had left a note instructing her secretary to check on her at noon on Dec 4.

Despite the secretary calling for an emergency services immediately after discovering her body, Chiung Yao was pronounced dead at the scene.

​Later reports revealed she had died from asphyxiation caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.

Born Chen Che in Chengdu in 1938, she later adopted the pen name Chiung Yao and moved to Taiwan with her parents in 1949.

A celebrated author, a number of her romance novels were adapted into popular films and TV dramas, such as 1998 period drama My Fair Princess, which turned actresses Vicki Zhao, Ruby Lin, and Fan Bingbing into major stars.

In recent years, Chiung Yao had rarely appeared in public. In 2017, she published an open letter to her son, now 63, and daughter-in-law on Facebook, detailing her final wishes.

Former Hong Kong singer Steven Cheung's life has taken a significant downturn in recent years due to his relationship scandals and financial struggles.

Once a member of Cantopop duo Boyz, the 40-year-old hasn’t been able to find stable work due to his negative public image.

He's had to take on odd jobs such as construction work and distributing condoms, and even resorted to online crowdfunding for donations to support his family of six.

Steven and his wife, model Au Man Man, 33, have four young sons aged between one and five.

Recently, Steven was spotted doing manual work on the streets of Hong Kong.

In a photo posted by a netizen on Xiaohongshu, Steven was seen in an orange uniform going about his job.

His dedication earned praise from the netizen, who described him as a "real man”.

Though the user said Steven was a sanitation worker, some netizens clarified he was likely doing cable wiring work.

Fans lamented about his current situation, saying it was “heartbreaking” to see how the former star had “squandered a promising career”.

​Others, however, felt there is nothing wrong with doing manual work as he is earning an honest living.

According to reports, his current job as a contract worker pays about HK$800 (S$138) per day.

Steven previously opened up about his work struggles, revealing that he’s had a tough time finding work due to his scandals and that the longest job he’s held was six months.

He's been fired due to concerns about the negative effect his bad reputation would have on the company. He also found himself turned away by potential employers when they learn of his identity.

Don’t we all just want to have a hot girl summer? Sophie Turner revealed the ways that she’s going to be enjoying the heat in a new interview with reporters. While the actress, 28, didn’t get into the nitty gritty about her split from Joe Jonas, 34, it’s clear that she’s ready for some summer fun with her friends and family.

Sophie opened up about her fondness for the Hugo Spritz, a cocktail comprised of St. Germain liqueur, mint, prosecco, and soda water, and she spoke about having a similar “flirty” nature about her as the cocktail. Drink recipes weren’t the only ones that the actress was cooking up though. “My recipe for a hot-girl summer is pretty much playing with my kids [Willa, 3, and Delphine, 1], hanging out with my best friends, drinking some cocktails—you know, which ones—and enjoying the sun, long may it last. As long as the sun’s out, I’m a happy chap,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.

Other than sharing her “hot girl summer” recipe, Sophie also revealed that she’s been spending a lot of time shopping on Depop and shared her thoughts on her summer looks. “My summer aesthetic is the three Cs: cool, chic, and comfy. I don’t want any underboob sweat,” she said.

This is the first summer since Sophie’s divorce from Joe. The pair revealed that they were getting a divorce in September 2023, and they briefly had a legal battle over custody of their daughters. Since the split, Sophie has started seeing Peregrine Pearson.

Since her and Joe’s split, Sophie has opened up  about the divorce a few times. Back in May, she opened up about having “mom guilt” in an interview with British Vogue. “I remember I was on set, I was contracted to be on set for another two weeks, so I couldn’t leave. My kids were in the States, and I couldn’t get to them because I had to finish Joan. And all these articles started coming out. It hurt because I really do completely torture myself over every move I make as a mother – mum guilt is so real! I just kept having to say to myself, ‘None of this is true. You are a good mum, and you’ve never been a partier,'” she said.

Kim Kardashian will be joined by Halle Berry and Glenn Close for a legal series drama created by Ryan Murphy, with all four serving as executive producers of the show.

Announced back in December, the series has a working title of All’s Fair, according to reporters. The show has been described as a “high-end, glossy, and sexy adult procedural.” It will feature Kardashian, 43, playing the most successful divorce lawyer in Los Angeles and the owner of an all-female law firm.

All’s Fair marks the first series for the megaproducer, 58, under his new deal at Disney, with 20th Television, part of Disney TV Studios, producing in association with Ryan Murphy Television. Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken, Jamie Pachino, Laura Greene, and Richard Levine executive produce alongside Murphy, Kardashian, and Berry alongside her producing partner Holly Jeter via their production company HalleHolly and Close through her Trillium Productions banner. Kris Jenner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, and Scott Robertson also EP. Murphy is also set to direct.

​Per usual with Murphy’s shows, details about the roles Berry and Close will play are being kept quiet for now.

Berry, 57, is an Academy Award-winning actress who took home Oscar gold for her performance in Monster’s Ball becoming the first, and only, African American woman to receive the accolade in the category of Best Actress. All’s Fair will be Berry’s first series role since CBS’ Extant in 2015. The Oscar winner’s recent credits include Moonfall, the MMA drama Bruised, John Wick: Chapter 3 and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

For 77-year-old Glenn Close, this role will mark a return to television legal dramas. She famously starred in the FX series Damages as notorious lawyer Patty Hewes. She earned two of her three Emmy Awards as well as a Golden Globe for her work on the show. Close is also a 14-time Emmy nominee and won her other statuette for the TV movie Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story.

Although Kim may not have an extensive background in TV and film, this will be the burgeoning reality TV star’s second time working with Murphy, the creator of AHS, as she previously appeared in the most recent season of American Horror Story: Delicate in a role specifically written for her.

Guess who was in South Korea when martial law was imposed by South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3?

NoonTalk Media head honcho Dasmond Koh.

It was the first time martial law was introduced in Korea since 1979 and it lasted six hours before lawmakers voted to lift it during a Cabinet meeting.

According to an interview with reporters, Dasmond, 52, was on a work trip in Seoul with his NoonTalk Media artistes Kevin Tan and Yang Yan.

They had just ended work and were having dinner with a few Korean friends who started whispering among themselves nervously all of a sudden.

"They looked very stern and one of them said the South Korean president had just imposed martial law," he recalled.

His friends were worried that a military strike would take place.

After assessing the situation, Dasmond decided to end the dinner early and head back to the hotel for safety reasons.

He immediately turned the news on when he reached his room.

Dasmond was watching the news while giving the interview, and he told the reporter that tear-gas grenades were thrown to disperse the crowd, most likely referring to the protests that took place outside the National Assembly in Seoul.

"There's a bit of commotion out there," added Dasmond.

Now that the crisis has been averted, Dasmond, together with Kevin and Yang Yan, will be returning to Singapore as planned tomorrow (Dec 5).

Hong Kong actress Kristal Tin revealed on her social media that she has been diagnosed with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, a common type of cancer.

In a picture posted on Tuesday (Dec 3), the 47-year-old former TVB actress is seen lying on a hospital bed and surrounded by healthcare workers.

​Kristal wrote that this is her first time having surgery and shared that the cancer was discovered during a routine health check.

According to her, the procedure only required surgical removal of the cancer as it is early stages.

It is not known if Kristal will need to undergo any sort of chemotherapy after her surgery.

The actress also shined the spotlight on her husband, Hong Kong actor Chapman To, whom she says tirelessly consulted multiple doctors before deciding on undergoing treatment in Taiwan.

Post surgery, Kristal praised the medical services in Taiwan and that she is now undergoing rehabilitation to restore lung function.

She also assured fans that she is recovering well.

In addition to netizens sending their blessings in the comments, celebrities such as Hong Kong fencing champ Cheung Ka Long, and Hong Kong actor Louis Cheung were also seen sending their wishes for a speedy recovery.

Nothing in life is a sure-win and Star Search 2024 second-runner up Jona Chung knows firsthand the pain of that.

Those who followed the competition would know that the 25-year-old Singaporean PR from Taiwan has the kind of the confidence that makes one run for class president.

The 1.87m-tall private swim coach was never shy to show how eager he is to win, and even declared that he thinks he "can be the one to get first place" during a behind-the-scenes interview on Mediacorp's The Dream Competition, a series documenting the journey of Star Search 2024 contestants.

But did that conviction turn into reality for Jona, whose full name is actually Jonathan, at the Star Search finals? Sadly, no.

As upfront as he was about wanting the top prize, Jona was also very candid about his disappointment at coming in third.

When reporters caught up with the Orchid Park Secondary School alum two days after the finals, he frankly admits that he's not sure if it hasn’t sunk in that he made the top three or that he just feels "okay" about it.

"I mean I'm grateful that I got Top 3 but as I've said, my goal for this competition was always first place," he tells us.

"Obviously if you’re in a competition you won’t say you’re happy with just Top 12. You’re here to win! Sure, I was a bit bummed out and felt like I was close."

Not that he was feeling salty towards champion Tiffany Ho, 19, and first-runner up Gladys Bay, 28, though.

"After the final show, I felt I didn’t perform as well as I should have for some parts,” he says.

He also looked back at Tiffany and Gladys’ performances, and says their wins were “really well deserved”.

“I wouldn’t be like: 'It should have been me!' because they really did an outstanding job,” he says while turning back to look at Tiffany who was on the other side of the room.

We get it. We, too, thought he had a chance after seeing how impressed the judges — Christopher Lee, Sandra Ng and Raymond Lam — were when he showed off his action star chops during the talent segment.

"I never felt like it was a sure win but that really boosted my ego (laughs). I would say I felt like there was a very good chance [of me winning]," he laughs.

Jona admits he "kinda fumbled during the eloquence test segment", which he thinks cost him his win.

"I could sense [celebrity mentor] Guo Liang's disappointed gaze. In class he pointed out that my problem was how I let my nerves get to me, and that day I felt that my mindset wasn’t fully there," he explains.

Jona is one of the more effectively bilingual contestants and his command of the Chinese language gives him an unassailable edge over his peers.

We guess that was why he was expecting himself to do well in a segment that pretty much just required him to, well, speak. 

Here's a fun fact: According to Jona, who was born in Singapore, his Mandarin was terrible as a kid until he had to move back to Taiwan at 14.

"My standard of Chinese was bad. It was worse than an average Singaporean and everything in Taiwan was taught in Traditional Chinese. I couldn’t even write my own name in Traditional Chinese. It took me so long to get the hang of it," he chuckles.

There is talk that having judges from Hong Kong played a part in Tiffany's victory. Were you at any point secretly thinking: “Why weren’t there judges from Taiwan?”?

JONA CHUNG: Honestly, that thought has never crossed my mind and I don’t think [having Hong Kong judges] affected the results as much as people would speculate.

I mean, come on, sure they’re from Hong Kong, but it’s Raymond Lam and Sandra Ng! Are you going to accuse them of rigging the results? I’m sure we all know they are very professional and I trust their judgement. 

Do you think your odds would have been bigger if there were Taiwanese judges?

No lah. And if the judges were all from Taiwan, I’d hate that as well because even if I were to win based on my skill sets, there would always be that nagging thought of: "Did I actually win because they let me?”.

You scraped your hand during the talent showcase and there was still fresh blood on your hand after the show. Did you feel it was a bad omen when it happened?

No. I only realised I was bleeding much later when someone pointed out: “Eh you’re bleeding". (Laughs) I just used a tissue to stop the bleeding and the only thing that was on my mind was: “Please don’t stain my shirt."

You mean it didn't hurt as you were performing? 

Yeah. I think it was because of all the adrenaline! It only hurt after the competition ended and there was a small burning sensation. But it’s okay lah. I got third place in the end so it’s worth it (chuckles).

You said your sisters, who are 14 and seven years older than you, were supporting you financially throughout the contest 'cos you stopped working entirely.

My mum was the one who straight up said: “It's okay, just borrow [money] from your sisters". She also told them: “Help your brother lah". But even if she didn’t say anything they would have offered because it’s a bit hard for me to ask for this kind of thing...

Even as I was prepping for the competition, my eldest sister took me out to buy clothes and she paid for everything. Everything you saw me wear on Star Search was bought that day (laughs), and I’m very thankful for that.

They gave you a monthly allowance for the four months you were in Star Search?

My mum told them to just give me some cash every month, but I would spend the money wisely knowing that I don’t even have an income.

Most of the time it’s just when I’m low on cash, my two sisters [who work in the marketing and project management sector] will transfer me money, usually in the hundreds. Or when they suddenly remember, they would say: "Oh sorry I forgot to send you money" and I would be like: "It’s okay it’s okay!".

Does coming in third make their financial sacrifices worth it?

Definitely (laughs). That car... I’m pretty sure it doesn’t belong to me anymore (laughs). Good investment on that part. I mean, I can’t even afford to survive. I’m not going to be able to afford the Certificate of Entitlement (COE).  

About that COE, how are you going to pay for it?

My sisters told me I can keep the car and offered to fork out money for the COE. But for me, I'm okay without a car. It’s not my priority right now. The COE is quite a huge amount of money. I checked online and it’s about S$90K?

My elder sister and her husband were talking about getting a new car, so we were saying that they can use this car for now. One day, when I can afford it, then maybe we can figure something out.  

Are you intending to pay your sisters back after you start making money again?

Maybe not straight up in cash 'cos we’re family and they are not calculative about how much I owe them. We have that kind of bond. If the roles were reversed, I would also support them without giving them any pressure [to pay back].

Your sisters must dote on you a lot.

It came at a price. I was bullied as a kid (chuckles) Okay, not bullied, but I was like a doll for them. And I grew up in a house full of girls ‘cos my dad was in Taiwan. It made me not like to hang out with girls for a while (laughs).

You previously said your mum wasn’t going to be in Singapore for the Star Search finals, but she managed to fly over in the end?

I’m not so sure what she was busy with but she managed to make it (laughs). She stayed at home to watch the finals because [such rowdy places] are not really her scene. So my sisters, my dad, my brother-in-law and some of their friends came down to watch it. 

Were you very happy that your mum could be in Singapore for the finals?

Okay leh, like the same. (Laughs) I don’t think it affected me that much either. I know some people will get more stressed with family watching them, but I think I’m over that.

You were born in Singapore and moved back to Taiwan. Why was your family moving around so much? 

I first moved back to Taiwan because my dad retired [from being a volleyball coach]. When I was studying in Singapore, he was mostly working in Taiwan because there was a better job opportunity there. When he retired, my mum decided it was better to move back to stay with my extended family.  

After high school, I had to come back for National Service though I had planned to stay in Taiwan for university since it’s cheaper. I was accepted into the agriculture course in National Pingtung University of Science and Technology but I took a two-year leave of absence to come back for army. 

Why did you decide to come back to Singapore after graduating then?  

I've already planned to try out for showbiz and to start out in Singapore before I graduated from university, but my parents insisted I finish my studies first.

Though both Singapore and Taiwan are considered home to me, I feel a stronger connection to Singapore since I was born here and I considered myself a Singaporean in my early years based on the environment I grew up in, the friends I made. 

Now that you and your sisters are all staying in Singapore. Are your parents, who are both in their mid 60s and retired, intending to relocate back here too? 

They don’t really have that in mind. The people in my family have always been more independent so they just do what they want lah. (Laughs) My dad prefers staying in Taiwan. 

Your mum was a freelance scriptwriter for Mediacorp and you acted in one of her dramas, Home Of United Nations, in 2012 when you were 13. Ever thought of asking her to write a script for you to act in again?

Yeah, I did and she’s open to it! One of my motivations is to act in something my mum wrote. I did that as a kid once but I didn’t know what acting was back then so I didn’t understand the importance of it. But now, I feel that it’s such an honour to do something with family.

Kesha is showing that “Please Please Please” by Sabrina Carpenter is a staple on her summer playlist. The Gag Order singer, 37, shared a video of herself listening to the track on her TikTok. She also spoke about how she’s so excited by the new music that women are putting out this year, as she gave a great co-sign to Sabrina, 25.

In the clip, Kesha gave a fit check to the viral section of the song where Sabrina sings, “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another/I beg you, don’t embarrass me, motherf**ker.” In the clip, the “Your Love is My Drug” singer was wearing a sequined, triangular-shaped top and black daisy dukes. She also got close to the camera to show her makeup.

Along with the video, Kesha also showed that she’s a fan. “The ladies are holding it down with new music this summer,” she wrote. “Proud to be a woman in music.”

In the comment section, tons of fans showed their love for Kesha’s latest single, but a few people left comments noting other singers that they wanted to see her work with. “You an chappel roan [sic] !!!! PLEASE COLLAB,” one person wrote. “You have to do a song with LADY GAGA,” another fan commented.

Besides showing that she’s a fan of Sabrina, Kesha was also seemingly referring to the fact that she also just put out her new single “Joyride” on Thursday, July 4. The dance song is Kesha’s first single since settling her abuse lawsuit against Dr. Luke in June 2023.

While the “Praying” singer was still able to release music after coming forward with the allegations in 2014, she was still signed to the producer’s label. “Joyride” was released on Kesha’s own label. Kesha’s final album for the label was May 2023’s Gag Order. After settling the legal battle, Kesha released the statement. “Only God knows what happened that night. As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened,” she said. “I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.”

Julia Fox seemingly came out as a lesbian in a new video shared on TikTok. The Down the Drain author, 34, didn’t provide many details, but she responded to a humorous clip of a creator talking about seeing women being mean to their boyfriends. Julia also appeared to explain that she doesn’t plan to date men again.

The original clip was made by a creator with the handle @emgwaciedawgie, and it’s received over 600,000 views. “I love when I see a lesbian with their boyfriend. It’s like ‘ah, you hate that man,'” the original TikToker said in the clip.

The video then cut to a stitch of Julia. She filmed it close to her face, while walking down the street. She rocked a huge pair of sunglasses, and her blonde look was seen behind her. She showed that she related to the video. “Hey, that was me! I was that lesbian. So sorry, boys. Won’t happen again,” she said.

While Julia’s new video seems to be her coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she’s previously been in relationships with men. Her first husband was Peter Artemiev, whom she shares her son with. She also notably dated Kanye West for a brief time in 2022.

Even though the new video seemed to be Julia’s coming out, she has not shied away from discussing sex or her sexuality in the past. Back in May, she revealed that she had been celibate for two and a half years, following her and Ye’s breakup.

Besides her celibacy, she’s been very open about her past career as a dominatrix before breaking into the acting world. In fact, she credited that line of work with helping her learn the ins and outs of acting during an appearance on The View in October 2023. “A lot of it is role-play. A lot of it is cosplay,” she said. “That’s where I learned to act. Let’s say I have five clients in a day, and each one of them wants something different. One wants the mean, popular girl in school. One wants a nun. One wants a neglectful mother.”