Viral Butcher-Turned-Beauty Queen Now Has People Turning Up At Her Jurong West Market Stall For Photos

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Jessica Tan is not your average neighbourhood butcher. The 59-year-old, who sells pork at the wet market at Jurong West Block 505, is also a former beauty queen. That much can be gathered from the set of studio-taken photos displayed above head at Jessica’s stall.

Of late, a short clip featuring Jessica at her stall went viral online, with many expressing interest in the contrast between her day job and her glamorous pageant life. We, too, were intrigued.

8days.sg paid Jessica's stall a visit on Friday morning (Jun 6), and we saw a never-ending line of customers. It's a one-man show for Jessica, and she barely had time to catch her breath before finally speaking to us after noon.

Still, she is all smiles as we approach her for our chat, warmly sharing anecdotes about her life with us.

“I won the title of Mrs Singapore Globe in 2017. I came across the application for the pageant on Facebook. I wanted to give it a try because I gain a lot of confidence from standing on stage. The entire process took 10 weeks,” says Jessica.

It just so happened that the wet market was under renovation for three months, so Jessica was able to take time away from work to participate in the beauty pageant.

She says her late husband was her biggest supporter.

“My husband was also given the ‘Most Supportive Husband’ award. I’m very thankful to be given the opportunity to display my talents, my eloquence, and my confidence. The sad thing is that my husband passed away in 2018. He suffered a heart attack and collapsed here [at the stall],” she reveals.

The photos displayed at Jessica’s stall were put up by her husband after she won the pageant.

Jessica and her husband started the business together when she was 23, and the stall has been in operation at the market for 37 years.

“Life is unpredictable, and I had a very hard time getting over [my husband’s death], but it’s been eight years, and I’m doing okay now. I now have the confidence to become the Jessica I was before — I used to be very sunny and confident. These past eight years have been tough, but I’m strong, and I believe my husband is watching over me in heaven,” she adds, the emotion rising in her voice.

Jessica and her husband both grew up in the same kampung in Lim Chu Kang and met at a party. They got married when Jessica was 21, and have two sons together.

Her younger son, who is now 35, runs a butchery at Ang Mo Kio Block 409 market with his wife.

“My son and his wife used to work in the banking industry, but after my husband passed away in 2018, they came to help me. They did not know how to do anything at all, but their heart ached for me. When my son first started helping out, he cut his hands so many times! But they’ve now picked up the skills and are doing very well in Ang Mo Kio,” she says.

When we ask about her new-found fame, Jessica lets on that she’s always been a bit of a neighbourhood celebrity.

“My singing teacher gave me the nickname of Zhu Rou Xi Shi (zhu rou is pork in Mandarin, and Xi Shi is a renowned beauty from ancient China). Word spread, and I was known by that nickname in the market and amongst the singing community,” she explains.

Jessica, however, never expected to go viral.

“My mentor was the one who brought the influencer over to my stall. Two to three days after his video went up, my mentor came back and told me ‘You’re famous now!’. She said the influencer who posted the video has a lot of followers, and I told her I had no idea about it,” recalls Jessica with a laugh.

She has since been receiving messages from her former pageant mates, friends, and even customers telling her she’s appeared on their social media feeds.

“I’m very thankful. An uncle, who used to be my customer, came down today just to buy pork from me. After that, he lingered around the area ‘cos my customers were queueing up and he felt bad disturbing me. He later told me that his friend from Malaysia sent him the video of me, and he came down because he wanted a photo together,” chuckles Jessica.

Her former secondary school teacher also made the trip down just to take a photo with her, reveals Jessica, who adds she’s “very honoured” to receive so much attention.

Jessica’s pageant days are something she looks back on fondly. That much is evident as she tells us about how she still keeps in touch with the friends she made during the competition.

She even whips out her phone to show us her pageant shots and recent photos of her all dolled up. “I’m telling you, I look very different [when I’m not working]!” she chuckles, admitting that she has a beauty routine to stay youthful.

Jessica says she’s definitely busier than usual, and though she’s happy that business is brisk, her priorities are now different.

“I’m not looking to build a super successful business now. The time when I worked very hard with my husband has passed. My husband worked so hard and went through so much, and just when it was time for him to enjoy life, he left. So I don’t wish for wealth and riches. It’s most important to be healthy and happy, and I hope the same for my children too,” says Jessica.