Star Search 1st Runner-Up Gladys Bay Was Caught Off Guard Just Before Her First Onscreen Kiss, No Thanks To Co-Star Gavin Teo
Having your first on-screen kiss as an actress is inevitably nerve-racking, and there’s almost always some prep before the on-camera smooching begins.
For Star Search 2024 first runner-up Gladys Bay, her first (reel) kiss was given to local actor Gavin Teo, who plays her love interest in new drama Under The Net.
Gladys has landed her debut lead role in the netball-themed Mediacorp series, which sees the 28-year-old Mediacorp actress plays Bella, a bubbly, passionate netball player who harbours a long-time crush on Gavin's character.
Gavin plays an aspiring musician, Yunfeng, who is also the lead singer and guitarist of a university band.
In one romantic scene, Gavin had to pin Gladys against the wall of a photo booth. You have to wonder — was Gladys' heart fluttering the moment Gavin leaned in for a kiss?
Well, although Gladys didn't elaborate — maybe she was worried that her husband would be watching the video? — she did admit that she had to be "looking forward [to the kiss]" the moment the director yelled "Action!".
Did she have to inform her hubby, Marcus Sim, who was also a Star Search 2024 contestant, before the kiss though?
"I didn't have to report to him, but we would talk about it like friends do. [I'd tell him something like] 'Hey, he's going to kiss me leh', we'd communicate like that," she told 8world vibes.
Marcus' reaction? A very simple: "Oh, all the best".
Gavin, on the other hand, seemed a lot more skittish about their kiss, confessing that he felt a little shy since he’d never gotten so chummy with a girl in a photo booth before.
And the 31-year-old definitely went well-prepared.
"I'm actually quite used to kissing in front of the camera because I've done it quite a few times. My usual practice is to prepare a mouth spray and use it to make my mouth smell better before we start rolling," he shared.
"I need to spare a thought for the person I'm kissing," he added with a smile.
Before their first take, Gavin went through his standard routine, and even offered his mouth spray to Gladys. But he did not expect his kind gesture to backfire.
“I asked her, ‘Do you want this?’ and she reacted so cutely: ‘Hey, what do you mean? Are you saying my mouth is smelly?'" recalled the actor.
The flustered Gavin immediately tried to explain himself.
"I said: 'No lah! It's just to make you smell nicer, 'cos I sprayed it myself too'. Ever since then, she kept bringing this up to disturb me," he laughed.
What a way to make someone feel self-conscious about her on-screen first kiss, Gavin!
Under The Net is available on demand for free on mewatch and on weekdays 9pm on Ch 8.
Photos: Gladys Bay/Instagram, 8world vibes
