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Just how ‘getai’ are Pornsak and Shane Pow?

GeTai Challenge is an upcoming new reality competition show on MediaCorp TV Channel 8 that unabashedly aims to bring getai back in a big way. Happily, the dying art of getai has young, livewire host Pornsak on its side — the 33-year-old has long had an affinity with the stage.

GeTai Challenge is an upcoming new reality competition show on MediaCorp TV Channel 8 that unabashedly aims to bring getai back in a big way. Happily, the dying art of getai has young, livewire host Pornsak on its side — the 33-year-old has long had an affinity with the stage.

“During my first few years in Singapore, I was very in touch with getai because when I first arrived, I couldn’t speak Mandarin or English. Only at getai do they speak Teochew, which is a language I’m very comfortable with — we speak Teochew at home, back in Thailand,” he shared.

He is joined by co-hosts Wang Weiliang, who has been a getai performer since he was 22, and Shane Pow, who has never even seen a getai show in its entirety. “I’m quite scared,” Pow confessed, when we popped by the outdoor stage in Yishun last Thursday, just hours before a live recording. “I haven’t done a live recording before, and if I mess up my lines — there are so many people watching.”

He was not the only nervous one: Even 2015 Star Awards Best Variety Show Host Pornsak had the jitters. “It’s very scary — there are three thousand pairs of eyes waiting, looking at you,” Pornsak said.

If it is any comfort, the massive ranks of colour-coordinated fans were probably looking at their idols, actually. GeTai Challenge brings together 10 of Singapore’s most popular getai acts, including Hao Hao, Marcus Chin and Zhu Li Li, to jostle for a S$20,000 cash prize. And the resident judges, getai veterans Liu Ling Ling and Wang Lei, have more than enough clout even when not performing. “It’s like Getai All-Stars,” said Pow.

So how are the two hosts warming up to the loud, sparkly and totally fabulous stage?

Q: What is the most getai thing about you?

Pornsak: I’m very loud, like getai. I’m very real, like getai. And, oh, I’ve got a lot of fans — like getai!

Shane: I’m very flamboyant in the way I dress, sometimes.

Pornsak: All the time!

Shane: And I’m very enthusiastic, like the getai fans. And I’m a heartland boy.

Pornsak: He knows where all the good food is in the neighbourhood. Yesterday, he brought me to a very good ban mian stall.

Shane: I think maybe, when I’m 50, I’ll sit at the coffeeshop and drink kopi with my friends.

Q: If you were getai personalities, what would your stage names be?

Pornsak: Usually they like repetition, like Ling Ling, Hao Hao or Li Li. So, I’ll call myself Porn Porn. Yes, I think Porn Porn sounds nice. It’s very cute.

Shane: And I’ll call myself Pow Pow. “Welcome, Porn Porn and Pow Pow.”

Q: What has surprised you about your getai experience thus far?

Pornsak: I think the magic of getai is amazing. Some of them came very early in the morning. They all have their own fan club tees — it’s very organised. Yesterday, the corridors of the next block’s second, third and fourth floors were packed with people. When Weiliang and I went on stage and the lights came on — boom! Wow! There was a sea of people. I told Weiling: “Okay, we can do it. Don’t be nervous.” (The audience) has got this very unapologetic, very vivacious style. It’s very direct.

Shane: If they don’t like you, it’s in your face. The fans are really hardcore. If I can get them to join my fan club, I think I will trump RBKD (Rui En’s fan club).

Pornsak: I’m not greedy. If I could just have half of them, I would win already lah.

Shane: Thank you, Uncle, Auntie.

Q: And what’s the best outfit you’ve seen here?

Pornsak: Mine, lah.

Shane: My outfit is quite loud. It has colourful polka dots.

Pornsak: But compared with (the others) ...

Shane: We look normal. I think I saw a robot made of aluminium foil. It must be very stuffy for the dancer inside.

Pornsak: One of the judges’ criteria is how you present your song. So, Marcus Chin brought his own dancers — an entourage of eight. And there’s this girl by the name of Luo Yi Qi — she’s got the robot, a retro-looking bike and four dancers. They’re prepared for this, lah. That’s all I can say.

Catch GeTai Challenge starting May 25, Mondays at 8pm on MediaCorp TV Channel 8.

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