When Cecilia Cheung announced Hong Huifang’s name as one of the winners of the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes award at the 2019 Star Awards, no one looked more stunned than the actress herself. She then slowly clambered past her amused colleagues to make her way on stage, where she delivered what would be the most charming speech of the night.

Here’s what the 59-year-old said: “How is this possible? (Gestures to the actresses behind her) All these young people have like, five or nine of these awards… I’ve been here for 30, 35 years, attended [the Awards] 25 times, and been nominated [for this category] over 10
times… I told myself that after my 20th nominated, I will give one award to myself called the Top 20 All-Time Favourite Artiste. But who knew I would get my first one today? The first one is enough. Sure, it’s just short of one zero. But I’m very contented with the first one already. I didn’t live this life in vain. I really thank all who have supported me. Sorry I’m still eating a sweet. (Proceeds to swallow said sweet) So thank you to all my friends, you know who you are, for calling so many times for me, and helping me email… (Emcee Quan Yifeng interjects: “There is no email voting lah!) (Guffaws) [I mean] online voting! No matter what… I don’t know what to say, but this award didn’t come easy. My first one ah!”

Emcee Quan Yifeng then joked that maybe Huifang, who she also called part of “Singapore’s cultural heritage”, didn’t win all these years 'cos she’s been rallying email and fax votes for herself instead. FYI: Huifang won Best Supporting Actress in 1997 and 2006 so this is not her first rodeo. But it's been 13 years since she last won an award so you can understand her excitement.

And it was a good night for Huifang and her family — her hubby Zheng Geping got one step closer to being an All-Time Fave by snagging his ninth Top 10 award. At the post-show reception, 8days.sg managed to get hold of a deliriously ecstatic Huifang for a quick chat, while her glammed-up daughter Tay Ying looked on with pride.

8 DAYS: You still look so surprised. Why is it so hard for you to believe that you won?
HONG HUIFANG: ’Cos I feel that this award is for the young people!
Well, not if you look at tonight’s results.
But those who will go online to vote are young people. But I am also very surprised ’cos this year a lot of my old friends, like the baby boomers who are around my age, and those who are my dad’s age all told me that they will go online to vote. And I was like, “How come you will do that?” And they told me that they’ve learned how to do it! So all these old people have upgraded themselves and learned how to go online. So I’ve been joking like, “Hey auntie, vote for me ah?” And the auntie will say, “Sure! I will go on the computer and do it later!”
So you think this is why you made it this year?
But I didn’t expect it. I did rally for votes this year though. Usually I don’t ’cos when I do it, people will say, “Huh vote what? I don’t know how to do it.” My daughter’s schoolmates also helped. I think maybe they liked my role in Hello From The Other Side and so they told her, “We will vote for your mother (laughs).” My son’s friends in camp too. His platoon mates… his whole platoon also voted for me (laughs).

It was so funny when you said you were sucking on a sweet during your speech.
Yah! I was sucking on a cough drop ’cos I’ve got a sore throat. I was just sitting in the audience. I didn’t even hear my name getting called until someone turned around and was gesturing at me to go up. And then Geping started nudging me too. I was wondering what happened! And everyone kept saying, “Go on stage! Go on stage!” And I was like, Go on stage for what! (Laughs). I completely didn’t know what was happening.
The part where you swallowed the sweet was hilarious too.
Yah! I had no time to finish it (laughs).

Pan Lingling also received the Top 10 award this year.
Yeah.
Are things good between the two of you now?
It’s not like… Aiyah don’t talk about this lah! (Laughs)
But did you all greet each other on stage?
Yes… we congratulated each other. Yeah, we did that….

It’s really hard to believe that this is your first Top 10 award.
Yeah! I’ve been nominated for over 10 times in this category. [Ed: including this year, it’s 13 times] And I remember telling Geping, when I hit the 20th nomination, I will give myself an award that says Top 20 All-Time-Fave Artiste. I was just joking actually but he said, “Okay! I will print one out for you!”
How are you planning on celebrating your win?
I’m going to drink soup!
Not alcohol?
I’ll do that when I get home. But I have to drink soup first ’cos my tummy is now cramping up.
You didn’t have dinner?
No ’cos I have to wear this dress and it’s so tight. So I thought might as well don’t eat. Just for one night anyway (laughs).

Photos: Alvin Teo, Mark Lee, Willie Yeo, Chee Yan, Wilson Pang, Lee Lay Na