Did you hear? The 2nd Golden Awards (ntv7′s bi-annual awards show) was held two weeks ago at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC). Held to honour and celebrate the best of the Malaysian Chinese TV industry, the awards was a dream come true for both new and veteran talents of our country.
And the award for this year’s “Most Popular Host” goes to none other than Natalie aka Xiao Yu. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, then maybe you might remember her pretty face from starring in Malaysian singer-songwriter Nicholas Teo’s music video, on top of a host of other promos and advertisements.
Just this week, we sat down with Natalie for a quick chat and she tells us about the awards, and reveals some scary aspects of her job as a host:
Hi Natalie! How are you? How was the 2nd Golden Awards?
“Ah! It was so exciting and emotional. I found it so touching that the award..it was voted by Malaysians, by the audience. Every vote carries a lot of weight – every vote is meaningful. I honestly didn’t expect such a huge support from Malaysians. Previously, whenever I traveled to places like Penang or Malacca for ntv7 roadshows, I meet with fans and viewers but I really didn’t think that their support was that powerful.”
You’ve been with 8TV for about seven years now. What do you find most difficult about being in the entertainment industry?
“Being in the entertainment industry, well, the big difference is that it’s not like a nine to six office job. Every day, we face different people and we’re given different tasks for whichever programmes that we’re doing. For example, if I was doing a travel show, I’d have to study and know handy travel tips off the top of my head. The same prep is required for other programmes that I’m doing. More recently, I’ve been working on ‘Offbeat Living‘. The show introduces the most unusual careers and job opportunities. There was once when I had to follow a mortician around all day..”
Wait. Isn’t a mortician a make up artist for the dead? Did you actually..
“Haha! No! I didn’t actually see a dead body. I did have to follow the mortician around and their workplace was really scary. Eerie! We couldn’t show an actual dead person on TV so we had a stand-in. But I learnt lots from that episode as well. Did you know that morticians use products that are different from other make up brands? It needs to be uh, longer lasting. And also, in some cases, they are required to use some sort of special gel for faces that require it – to patch up unsightly holes and stuff. It’s like cement.”
Taken with a HTC One S
Gosh! That’s so creepy! Was that your scariest experience to date?
“Would it surprise you if I said no? Haha. Because my scariest experience to date is not this one. It was the time when I needed to go to the hospital to watch how they prepped the deceased (wash, wrap) before it’s sent out of the morgue to funeral homes.”
Honestly, we don’t know how you do it. Okay, enough scary talk. Let’s talk about your best experiences now.
“I’ve been very fortunate to have met some of my favourite superstars. I’ve met celebrities like Andy Lau, Jay Zhou, and Aaron Kwok. They’re very nice people but when conducting exclusive one-on-one interviews with them, it..requires a certain level of skill and composure. You can imagine! Of course, there are other crazy things such as bungee jumping. “
What other special projects do you have lined up for the future?
“It’s already the end of 2012 now so at the moment, I’ve been tied up with hosting the entertainment news which is a live TV programme. I do that about three times a week. I also host other shows such as 8TV’s ‘Hungry Ghost Festival 2012′ programme.”
Oh no, more scary stuff!
“Haha!”
Taken with a HTC One S
Okay last one for the road – what advice would you give to Malaysian talents who want to pursue a career in the entertainment industry?
“There’s a common misconception that there’s no future in the entertainment industry but you know, you just need to go with what’s calling you, and your interest. As long as you’re passionate about what you do, and you’re willing to work hard, you can succeed. Don’t give up halfway. Keep going!”
Thank you, Natalie for speaking to us! Let’s hope for less scary experiences in the future. And special thanks to ntv7 and Poh Kong Jewellers for making this interview happen.