Chen Xiuhuan Says She Was So Used To Finishing Her Daughters’ Leftovers, She Forgot What She Liked To Eat

Chen Xiuhuan, 56, shot to stardom in 1988 when she starred as the lovable extraterrestrial Yi Di in classic SBC drama Star Maiden with Wang Yuqing. She was only 23 then.

In 1997, she left showbiz at the peak of her career after tying the knot with Taiwanese businessman Tsai Yipeng, with whom she has three daughters: Shanisse, 24, Shalynn, 22, and Shavinne, 18.

Though she had cameos in dramas over the years, it wasn’t until 2018 that she made her showbiz comeback with a starring role in Fifty & Fabulous.

Xiuhuan and her second daughter Shalynn were the special guests of this week's episode of meWATCH reality show A Night Under The Stars and they spent two days living aboard host Darren Lim’s yacht.

Darren and his 16-year-old daughter, Kirsten, 16, planned a series of activities (wakeboarding! kayaking!) for Xiuhuan and Shalynn and even prepared a tent on the deck of their yacht so mother and daughter could have a heart-to-heart talk, well, under the stars. 

Gazing into the night sky, Xiuhuan and Shalynn, who is now studying dentistry in Australia, reflected on their day together.

“When I was younger, I did not know how to express myself, so I used to keep [my feelings] hidden when I was sad. Only my mum knew what I was thinking and feeling. So I think she’s the person who knows me the best and her company is very important to me,” said Shalynn when Xiuhuan accurately guessed that she was missing her dog Pidan at that very moment.

Xiuhuan also shared her feelings about motherhood.

“I remember disliking kids back when I was single. I didn’t think I would make a good mother. But after giving birth to you all, things became different and my heart was so full. If you guys smiled, I would smile and if you guys cried, I would cry too,” confessed Xiuhuan, who is known for being quite the Tiger mum.

A kayaking trip at dawn also allowed Xiuhuan to look back at the time she was a stay-at-home mum.

Xiuhuan, who now stars in longform English drama Sunny Side Up, said: “In the past I would be very worried [to partake in such activities]. Because I was always worried about my kids, like their homework, and back-to-back tuition classes. I never had time to myself.”

She said that during her hiatus from showbiz, she was approached to act in dramas several times, but didn’t know if she still had it in her because she had been a homemaker for so long.

However, a trip to Taiwan with Zoe Tay and Hong Huifang changed her mind.

It was Xiuhuan’s first time going on a girls’ trip in a long time, and she likened the experience to "a bird that was released" from its cage.

When they asked her what she liked to eat, she didn’t have an answer 'cos she was always finishing her daughters' leftovers. The process of raising her kids had led to Xiuhuan forgetting what she liked to eat and do.

The trip reminded Xiuhuan that she was “still a happy young girl” with her own interests on the inside.

“Turns out I could still remember my script, and take care of my daughters while I continue acting,” Xiuhuan said.

Photos: Chen Xiuhuan/ Instagram, meWATCH

You can catch A Night Under The Stars on meWATCH, or watch the episode below. 

A Night Under The Stars also airs every Wednesday at 8pm on Ch 8.