Jeremy Chan, Whose Shock Elimination From SPOP WAVE! Upset Fans, Hurt His Vocal Cords 2 Weeks Before The Competition

Mediacorp singing competition SPOP WAVE! is heating up.

The first quarter-final and first round of eliminations were aired last night (Nov 16), during which Jeremy Chan, 40, and Aden Tan, 29, were reluctantly chosen by their respective mentors to be booted from the show.

The Freshman’s Chen Diya and Carrie Yeo’s decision to axe Jeremy has made viewers particularly unhappy, as seen from comments on YouTube and social media declaring how much he deserves to stay on.

The actor performed Fish Leong’s ‘Acceptance’ with Sherly Devonne Ng, and since the duo received lower scores than their other teammates Gao Mei Gui and Leon Lim, Diya and Carrie had to pick one of them to leave.

They opted to keep Sherly as they felt like Jeremy is “ready” and “can release an EP”.

In a phone interview with 8days.sg this morning (Nov 17), Jeremy admitted that he was “actually quite shocked” and “disappointed” when the results were announced, and that he was left starting to doubt his abilities.

Fortunately, all the positive comments and praises he’s been receiving from viewers have really encouraged him.

“Of course, it’s also very important for the audience to like you, and this has made me realise that I’m not that bad lah,” he chuckled.

Fans who were left upset by his exit would be thrilled to know that there are already plans for Jeremy to release a single by the end of the year... if all goes well (it’s already mid-November, after all).

He is also contemplating sharing his own music online.

“After seeing so much support from everyone, I thought that maybe I should record some song covers for fans,” he said. “Since they have encouraged me so much, I should give them something in return.”

8 DAYS: Are you upset about being one of the first to be eliminated?

JEREMY CHAN: Not upset lah, it’s more like disappointment. I joined not to win, but for the experience and to let the audience hear me sing, and maybe even gauge how the reaction might be like if I were to release an album. I may have been eliminated this time, but I still got something out of the competition: lots of support and positivity, which I feel like this society really needs.

What are some examples of positive messages you’ve received?

People are telling me that I sing very well, that they like my voice, and to continue working hard. Some have even said that their children and mothers really love listening to me. (Laughs)

Did your wife Jesseca Liu have anything to say to you after the elimination?

Yes, of course! She was just like the other fans, saying, “You can do it one! Very good! Keep working hard and continue pursuing your passion.”

Did you expect to be eliminated so quickly?

No. (Guffaws) In fact, just yesterday I went on 987 and confidently stated that while I might not win, I won’t be among the first few to be out. (Laughs)

Why didn’t you think you would win?

‘Cos I hurt my vocal cords about two weeks before the competition. I had been practising singing from day to night, so I guess I overused my voice and [my vocal cords] became inflamed. Doctors told me that this needs lots of time to heal, which is why I thought I wouldn’t win. If I had hurt my vocal cords and still won, then that would be amazing leh!

I was on medication but my doc said: “No matter how much medicine I give you, there’s no use. You need to shut up.” (Laughs) But it was very hard to refrain from using my voice ‘cos I had to go for rehearsals and all that. But okay lah, as a singer or actor, you will encounter things like that, so you just have to work it out somehow.

So did it hurt when you sang?

A little bit, but by the time the competition started, I was feeling better. You know, just a few days before the competition, I would go out of tune even when I spoke leh. Can you imagine? But I didn’t wanna use it as an excuse and still wanted to do my best. Backing out was definitely not something I thought of ‘cos whatever happens, the show must go on.SPOP WAVE! airs Tuesdays, 8pm on YES 933, meLISTEN, meWATCH, and Mediacorp Entertainment Youtube Channel.

Photos: Mediacorp, Jeremy Chan/Instagram