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Ebi Shankara is the money man

SINGAPORE — Hosting a gameshow is possibly one of the most exciting gigs to land — and Ebi Shankara, who will be hosting Channel 5’s latest gameshow, Cash Struck!, can’t quite believe his windfall of good luck.

Ebi Shankara hosts new Channel 5 gameshow Cash Struck!. Photo: Channel 5

Ebi Shankara hosts new Channel 5 gameshow Cash Struck!. Photo: Channel 5

SINGAPORE — Hosting a gameshow is possibly one of the most exciting gigs to land — and Ebi Shankara, who will be hosting Channel 5’s latest gameshow, Cash Struck!, can’t quite believe his windfall of good luck.

In Cash Struck!, teams of contestants try to guess a word that links two pictures. Each team stands to win up to S$100,000 in cash.

“I never expected to be presented with this opportunity,” said the 29-year-old, who was last seen singing and dancing on Channel 5’s My Squad Is Better Than Yours. Or rather, “I didn’t expect it to come so soon. I was thinking it might happen in my 30s, when I’m a more established artiste and more of a household name.”

In fact, added the Vasantham Star 2007 winner, he thought he “bombed” his audition. “I thought I did badly because I was so nervous. That’s who I am as a person: I’m quite hard on myself. I’m very thankful that they saw through the nervousness and gave me the opportunity to showcase what I’m capable of.”

For now, he has been practicing his catchphrase in front the mirror every day: “See it, link it and win it!”

And with S$100,000 in cash at his fingertips to give away, he is currently the man who is made of money on Channel 5. What is his attitude towards vast sums of cash? Where does all his money go? And where does money rank for him, compared to power and love?

Q: If you were walking down the road and were suddenly struck by a huge pile of cash falling from the sky, what would you do?

A: If it’s randomly falling out of the sky, I would take the money and invest it. And I always tell myself that when I get massive amounts of money, like if I get a big paycheck, I will do my part to give back. In the event that I cannot give of my time, I normally will just give money to buy packs of rice for a home for the elderly. I celebrated my birthday once at a children’s home.

Q: In your regular life, are you a penny pincher or a spendthrift?

A: I’m so not a penny pincher. I get a earful from my mother every other day because I think I contribute to Singapore’s Comfort And City Cabs’ yearly earnings quite a bit. And now with Uber and Grab, I think I can easily join the league of their number one customers. Top ten in Singapore, easily. It’s a habit I’m trying to kick by actually getting my driving license. That’s where my money goes. And to food. I’m a big foodie, so I like to eat and indulge in food. Other than that, I’m usually at home.

Q: If you had a gazillion dollars, what is the most frivolous way you can imagine spending it?

A: I guess I would buy a car. I would get something from the BMW X series — the big SUVs. Jean Danker used to own one and the first time I sat in her car, I said, ‘I’m going to get this car’. I told her, ‘Because of you, I like this car’. Another car I really like is the Kia SUV that Nat Ho drives. And I’ll buy a lot of shoes — maybe about five pairs. And I would give my mum some money for sure. Then, I would probably invest in property.

I’m not a wild and crazy person. I’m more, ‘How can I put this money to better use?’ I would probably set aside an amount for my own use and the rest I’d invest in friends’ businesses, or use it to help relatives out.

Q: If you had to choose between money and power, which would you pick?

A: I think whoever has money has power. Hmm, but if you have power, you can make money. I guess I’ll go for the intangible one, because power is something you cannot quantify. Money is something you can earn; something you can do. But power, sometimes, is beyond your control. So, I guess, I would choose power — and then with that power, make money.

Q: Power or love?

A: Definitely love. I’m quite a softie when it comes to love. And I don’t handle the loss of loved ones very well. Yes, I am (seeing someone who is) not exactly in the industry. I’ll leave that as a cliffhanger.

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