Ann Kok only got into the top 12 of Star Search 1993 because another contestant dropped out

Star Search season is finally upon us again, with the Top 20 contestants unveiled last week.
While we anticipate the next round of eliminations, which will happen on November 3, three of local showbiz’s most notable Star Search alums, Ann Kok, 51, Qi Yuwu, 47, and Vivian Lai, 47, spoke about their Star Search experience on the latest episode of #JustSwipeLah.
Speaking to host Juin Teh, 34, who was a Star Search 2019 finalist, the stars shared how they came to join the talent search in the first place. 
“It was accidental. I was unhappy at work, so I felt I should give it a try,” said Ann. 
Yuwu, who lived in Guangzhou then, said he was in his last year of university at that time. “I was contracted to a modelling agency. They signed me up for it, I didn’t know,” he added.
Vivian, who was also a student at that time, recounted: “I was the best in Mandarin in my class, and I followed my classmates to join in the fun. At that time, the auditions took place at the old TV station [in Caldecott Hill], and the queue stretched from upstairs all the way to the garden downstairs.”
She emerged as the overall female champ in Star Search 1999, which included contestants from other countries. Yuwu, who was a finalist that same year, was the Guangdong (China) male champion. 
Ann was a finalist in 1993 and she competed alongside Ivy Lee and Lina Ng, who came in first and second place respectively. 
“Was it very competitive? Or was everyone friends?” asked Juin. 
Ann candidly replied: “During my time, it felt a bit competitive. At that time, I didn’t think of becoming an actress. Perhaps that was the dream of other contestants, so they would fight harder.”
Ann then revealed she wasn’t originally picked to be part of Star Search 1993’s Top 12 line-up. 
“I heard I actually didn’t make it into the Top 12. [But] someone pulled out for some reason,” she explained. 
“You were a substitute?” asked a stunned Juin. 
“Yes!” laughed Ann, before adding: “So I didn’t think too much about it. I do want to understand why they picked me over so many people to fill [that spot]. Was it at random? Or they really thought that I could be an actress… I don’t know.”
Ann was later shown a clip of her performance as Jiang Ruqing in Love Concierge (2005), the show for which she received her first Best Actress nomination at the Star Awards.
When asked about how she felt when she first found out about the nom, she simply replied with: “I wasn’t very excited.”
She chuckled, then said: “[It’s because] I thought I acted very poorly.”
Ann might be hard on herself, but it’s been proven time and time again that the audience love watching her on TV. 
In 2024, Ann officially ascended the ranks of All-Time Favourite Artiste. 
Now, imagine if she wasn’t picked as a “substitute” all those years back?
Photos: #JustSwipeLah Mediacorp Entertainment/ YouTube, Ann Kok/ Instagram
You can watch part one of the #JustSwipeLah interview with Ann, Yuwu, and Vivian below.