Which of the three Mediacorp Dukes is likely to fight to the death in a competition?

SINGAPORE — Mediacorp actors Desmond Tan, Zhang Zhen Huan and Romeo Tan may be pitted against one another in The Celebrity Cookoff, a Facebook Live cooking competition organised by Mediacorp’s The Celebrity Agency, but we happen to know that none of them actually cook much at all.

In fact, if they had their way, they would much prefer washing up and shopping for ingredients rather than the actual deed itself.

Romeo only dons an apron on the birthdays of “special persons”, and always makes the same thing — a baked pasta dish — and Zhen Huan, although he lives alone, does not see the need to be on top of his kitchen game since dabao-ing good food is “so convenient in Singapore”. Desmond bakes once in a while for friends — now, at Christmastime, he’s working on chocolate cake topped with candy canes.

It is as if, by taking part in a fun, random contest, the three A-list actors are reminding themselves that they are constantly in competition within the industry — and that means fighting for lead roles, endorsements and fans.

But the guys are matter-of-fact about their latest publicity vehicle. “I think it’s quite a smart strategy to place three not-so-bad-looking guys together in uniform,” Romeo said.

“I do really appreciate that the industry has this system where we are in this group together, in this promo together. I think it pushes us to be better, in some ways,” Desmond added.

And, at the end of it all, “Without Zhen Huan and Desmond, I think my career would be very different today,” Romeo said. “Because when there’s no competition, there’s no drive.”

Q: In the kitchen, what is your greatest strength?

Desmond: I take pride in the washing-up. My mum can guarantee that, because there’s always a squeaky sound on the things I’ve washed.

Romeo: I think my greatest strength is spending the most money and getting the best ingredients.

Zhen Huan: I don’t waste food. And if people cook for me, they will feel the greatest appreciation, because I eat everything. I don’t waste food.

Desmond: I think the three of us make a very good group. He (Romeo) will spend on the ingredients, he (Zhen Huan) will do the eating, and I will do the washing up.

Romeo: Then who will do the cooking?

Q: Outside of cooking, what kind of competition is there among the three of you?

Romeo: This is your real subject, right?

Desmond: We are coming to the gist of the interview.

Zhen Huan: Let’s talk about sabotage!

Romeo: I find that for guys, it’s quite chill as compared to the ladies. I don’t know who lah (looks shifty-eyed), but I just feel that maybe ladies are more competitive.

Desmond: You just dug yourself into a hole.

Romeo: Reporters always tell me I say the wrong things. (Turns to us) Let’s skip this. I’ll buy you coffee, okay?

Q: Who is the most competitive one?

Zhen Huan: Definitely not me. I think it’s Desmond. He sets the strictest standards for himself. And the feeling he gives people is that hard work yields results.

Desmond: I’ll eliminate Zhen Huan because he’s a bit bo-chup (could not really care) in some ways, which is a pretty good thing also. It’s between me and Romeo. I think I’m competitive because I have very high expectations of myself, and I don’t want to be regretful of the result at the end of any phase of my life because I lazed, because I skived, or because I chose not to bother.

Romeo: Desmond is pretty competitive because he’s from the Commando unit. It’s in his blood, you know? I was from the Air Force.

Desmond: The Air Force motto is “Above All”!

Romeo: I found it pretty chill! Shoot the plane down, another plane will come by! I used to eliminate Zhen Huan, maybe because reporters always compare me with Desmond. But I think in the past few years, I’ve started to see Zhen Huan as a black horse. We always think of Zhen Huan as very chill and relaxed. But he’s slow and steady. So, he mustn’t be underestimated. He’s the first one among us to get an award in a professional category (Best Supporting Actor at the Star Awards this year). After the award, I can see, from his aura and the way he carries himself, that he’s sharper. But I think for now, Desmond still wins.

Desmond: The Commando element is quite a cornerstone in my life. “For Honour And Glory” — that’s what we believe. It’s not about being prideful, but taking pride in the things we do.

Zhen Huan: He’s from the Commandos, he’s from the Air Force — I’m from China! But I don’t think I’m a typical “PRC”. When it comes to competition, I am happy because I’ve done my job well, not because other people didn’t do their jobs well. I think the unique thing about this industry is that sometimes, if you relax and let go a bit, the results may be better. When I first started out, directors made me redo scenes 20 times. It made me very stressed. One day I let it go and I found the effect was better than when I was very, very focused. So, I think that’s the charm of this job. I think I’m the least competitive.

Q: In your career, what do you think is your greatest strength?

Desmond: I think my greatest strength is also my greatest flaw. I think I have expectations that are too high sometimes. I have too many things I want to fulfil in life, and that kills me in some ways because my health starts to take a back seat. And on some days, when I’m driving home, I always have this self-blaming mechanism: ‘Why didn’t you do it well?’

Zhen Huan: I think I’ve become more bo-chup. I’m more willing to let things go. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Work is only one part of me. The three of us are starting out on our 30s. At this age, I feel life outside of work is becoming more and more important, such as looking for a partner. Having good relationships will benefit our work.

Romeo: My greatest strength is being who I am since I was young: I was fat, so I went through a lot of criticism. I took a longer route to get to where I am right now. So my motto is, just keep walking and don’t give up. I know I’m not the fastest, and I’m not the smartest, but I think I have perseverance.

Catch The Celebrity Cook-Off’s final round tonight at 8pm on The Celebrity Agency’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/thecelebrityagency). Special thanks to CulinaryOn.