Do you have what it takes to become a TV star?

Always wanted to be a TV star like Xu Bin or Aloysius Pang? We get their manager and the man behind NoonTalk Media, Dasmond Koh, to tell us the brutal truth about what it takes.

1. Looks count for 30 percent

Koh candidly said that besides the all-important X-factor, looks still matter a great deal. He pegged it at 30 per cent. He added: “There are people who come to me and say, ‘Look at this picture. How does she look?’ Sometimes, I give a zero per cent score.”

2. Discipline is another 20 per cent

Koh prizes discipline, which could be a good “20 per cent”. He explained that “it’s not that I want to control them, but if I cannot convince them to do certain things that I think are right, then it’s pretty difficult.” Yes, obedience is key.

3. Be prepared to be humble and polite

Koh feels manners are key in striving to be a good celebrity. “You have to greet everybody on set, and when you leave, you have to thank everybody.” He frowns upon youngsters who don’t care even if the other person is a veteran.

4. Plastic surgery is not out of the question

Koh does not mince his words: “I might think that you need plastic surgery but you don’t want it — then, maybe it will be difficult to work together.”

5. You would stand a better chance with NoonTalk Media if you are male

Boys are just easier, Koh claims. “After handling girls, like Kimberly (Chia), I’ve come to understand that there are a lot of challenges. If there is an appearance, guys just brush on a bit of powder, do their hair a little and put on a jacket. But girls: ‘Will there be hair and makeup? What am I wearing?’ If you wear this shirt, people will remember it and you cannot wear it again. And, generally, girls are emotionally weaker, so when there are issues and you have to make them ‘wake up their idea’, they cry after three lines. That’s why you see that I’m only signing guys. Because I really don’t have time.”