From The Real Reason Felicia Chin Didn't Attend Star Awards To A 3D-Printed Outfit, Here’s The Backstage Goss From Star Awards 2026

You saw Desmond Tan take home his second Best Actor trophy, and witnessed him, alongside Ya Hui, Paige Chua and Guo Liang, clinch their 10th Top 10 wins to graduate to the ranks of All-Time Favourite Artistes next year. You also caught guest presenter Ada Choi playfully trolling Guo Liang in one of the night’s funniest moments, and the memorable moments of some of local showbiz’s cutest couples.

But there’s also plenty you haven't seen. Yet. 

As the curtain falls on Star Awards 2026, 8days.sg was right in the thick of things, and we’re here to bring you all the exclusive backstage buzz, from who was chill, to who had everyone talking.

Zhai Siming reunited with his on-screen younger self from Emerald Hill

“Hey, Xiao Lao Shu!” we heard the 29-year-old actor call out as he made his way across the room towards Young Talent award nominee Ayden Chew. For those who might not recall, Ayden played the younger version of Zhai Siming’s character, Xiao Lao Shu, in Best Drama Serial Emerald Hill.

The pair stopped to pose for photos, but it didn’t take long before Siming noticed two pairs of eyes watching them rather impatiently from the sidelines. “See, Bai Ah Li already FOMO,” he joked.

We turned to look. While Tyler Ten was nowhere in sight, Siming and Ayden were soon joined by Asher Tay, who played the younger Bai Ah Li, as well as Young Talent winner Ivory Chia. The impromptu gathering quickly turned into an adorable mini Emerald Hill reunion.

Also, guess who they were photobombed by?

Richie Koh was prepping to be the fairest of them all 

We spotted the Another Wok Of Life star taking a quiet moment to rest before the hectic night began, prepping his skin ahead of makeup and the long evening.

While most celebs might shy away from having their pre-awards look caught on camera, Richie was super chill about it. When we asked if we could post the footage we captured (see it for yourself on TikTok), the actor simply shrugged: “Like this okay ah? Okay lor!”

Trust Kym Ng to always bring a pop of colour backstage

In contrast to her all-black look for the night, Kym arrived in a striking pair of electric blue shoes, turning heads as she made her way to her spot to get glammed up.

Like all previous years past, the affable actress-host kept things effortlessly chill, stopping to chat with others along the way as she entered the room. When we called out to her, camera in hand, she flashed a quick peace sign before chuckling and skipping off. 

Marcus Sim DIY-ed his... zipper?

Speaking of eye-catching looks, that's one humongous zipper on Marcus. 

We spotted the Star Search alum heading off for photos after changing into his suit for the night, and couldn’t help but ask about the striking detail.

According to Marcus, the oversized zip was 3D-printed using resin. It doesn’t actually work, but it certainly did its job as the highlight of his outfit.

They say you can always find a furbaby mama in a crowd

We heard someone gushing about their cat, only to turn and spot Under The Net star Valnice Yek. When we asked to take a look, the young actress beamed: “Of course! I’m always happy to talk about my baby.”

Cue Valnice scrolling through her photo gallery to show us snaps of her British Shorthair, Clementine, all while gushing about how much she misses her furbaby waiting for her at home.

Jeffrey Xu explains why Felicia Chin skipped this year’s awards show

The actor was among the first to be ready for the night, looking relaxed as he chatted with his stylist and celeb pals backstage. When we asked if wifey Felicia Chin would be joining him, he smiled and said: “She’ll be watching from home. She’s already an All-Time Favourite Artiste, and she’s not as active in showbiz anymore, so she doesn’t have to come. She’ll be supporting and waiting for me at home.”

How to (effectively) pass time backstage

Before being summoned to take a photo with Zhai Siming, we spotted Ayden Chew expertly navigating a game on his phone. When we approached to ask what had him so absorbed, the 11-year-old star shared that he was playing “a Roblox game called Anime Knock Snap Battles.” He added that he loves anime, with Solo Leveling as his favourite, all while remaining super chill.

His mum later told us it was his first time at the Star Awards, though his calm demeanour would have easily fooled us otherwise.

Irene Ang's outfit reveal

You might have heard about Irene’s mission to shed 5kg for her Star Awards look. While we didn’t manage to catch her for a proper chat about it, we did hear her voice carrying across the room as she told someone: “I didn’t eat carbs for the whole month!”

Irene later shared in an Instagram post that the diet process was tough, especially since she’s a foodie, but she managed to get through it with the support she received. So, mission accomplished, we assume?

Photos: Mediacorp Photo Unit, flyirene/ Instagram

Catch more exclusive backstage moments on our TikTok page!

You can relive all the Star Awards moments on mewatch, or watch it below.