From “Least Liked” to Love‑It‑or‑Leave‑It
Bryan Wong – the talk‑show titan behind Hear U Out – might be the first person who can claim, “I survived the 90s backlash and came out doing…duh, THIS.”
He Wasn’t the VIP
Picture this: a bright‑eyed, hands‑on host in the early 90s, walking into a studio full of fans snapping selfies with Pan Lingling, Chew Chor Meng, and Shirley Ho. While the big names got eyes‑popping autograph requests, Bryan was left in the back, tasked with the unglamorous job of taking photos. “I felt small,” he says, “everywhere we went, everyone knew the three of them, and they’d ask me to snap pics.”
Naïve vs. No-Nonsense
Bryan realized early on that unlike the polished, conversational pair Guo Liang and Yi Fong, he had a blunt, “no filter” style. He’d call contestants “stupid” if they couldn’t answer a simple question. That earned him a famous “Most Disliked Artist” label from TCS. The marketing crew even opened a door for him and politely read him the sheet of poll results that made him the “most disliked” in the entire network.
Heart‑Wrench Vows
We’ve got the full story: he tried to quit, wrote a letter to veteran Man Shu Sum, but the rejection was brutal — “Let the audience get to know you,” Man replied. Yet, the line stayed. Two and a half years later, a “Star Awards” win came just for the sake of it, with a Top‑10 Most Popular Male Artist award that had Bryan shaking like a leaf.
Family, Fate, and Final Commitment
Just when he thought he could quit, fate intervened. Bryan’s dad had a heart attack, left a message for his kids saying “Dad can’t make it” – a sob story that brought the tears to his eyes. “Since then, I’ve had no right to tender my resignation again,” he mournfully notes.
So, to the people who remember how he used to flinch under camera lights: we love you, we see you, we’ll keep on watching your next show.
