Though he no longer calls Singapore home, Jeff continues to hold our country dear to his heart, returning "every now and then to relax, go shopping and eat”. 

The last time Jeff was in town was in April to attend the Star Awards. This time round he's back to shoot a “secret” short film for Star Search 2019. “I also met up with Sharon Au, Fiona Xie, Jesseca Liu, Jeremy Chan, Michelle Chong and Phyllis Quek!" he tells 8days.sg when we meet him at Mediacorp when he was here to shoot the secret project. 

Also a secret is the identity of Jeff's now-12-year-old son. Up until now, Jeff has revealed neither his kid's face nor his name. The mother of his son is his ex-wife, Singaporean Chen Huiwen, who he secretly married in 2008. Jeff only revealed his marriage to the press in 2011, but the couple filed for divorce two years later.

In an interview with the Chinese press, Jeff cited "irreconcilable differences" as the main reason for their split. He also revealed that his ex-wife had frequently complained about him not being able to provide for her financially and had demanded the child's custody and his properties in Singapore.

During that period, the actor was also bogged down by rumours of him cheating on his wife with Taiwanese actress Liu Zhongyin, but he had denied those allegations.

Though he and his ex-wife share parenting duties, their son lives with Jeff in Taiwan, with the boy flying here for visits or his ex-wife making trips to Taiwan. Jeff now raises his son with his sister, who takes care of the kid whenever the star is busy or overseas. Last year, it was reported that Jeff had splashed S$450K on a new house near his son’s school in Taiwan so it would be more convenient for the boy. 

The hilarious and surprisingly soft-spoken star may be very private about his son, but he also offered to show us a pic of the kid, under the condition that we keep it a, yeah, you guessed it, a secret. The funny thing is, Jeff also tells us that his son wants to be a YouTuber when he grows up but liddat can don’t show face meh?

8 DAYS: You've moved back to Taiwan for a decade already. How’s life there?
JEFF WANG: Honestly, there is not much difference! Whether in Taiwan or in Singapore, I’m still in showbiz so all I have to do is to continue working hard. Maybe the only difference is that people probably think I have more jobs in Taiwan (laughs)… But I believe this all depends on luck. Apart for a couple of cameos here and there, I actually haven’t filmed anything for a year. But now I’m really busy with Star Search and I do have projects that are in the midst of discussion, so hopefully I can film in Taiwan and Southeast Asia next year! 

What made you decide to come back to work on the short film for Star Search?
When they asked me, I immediately agreed ‘cos I’m very thankful. [Winning Star Search] had helped me in my career. The same reason goes for why I attended this year’s Star Awards too. Because I am an alum, I think that it is only right for a senior like me to help the newbies. It’s my responsibility. Also, I came back ‘cos I wanted to meet my old colleagues. The fact that they still remember me and invite me back is an honour.

Is there anything you want to do before going back to Taiwan?
I want to go to the Night Safari! I really miss it! I have a lot of friends here that I won't get the chance to meet ‘cos we're filming everyday. (Sighs) Everything’s in a rush so I have to try and fit everyone into my tight schedule.

We're sure you get recognised a lot when you are here. 
Every day! Every day! (Guffaws) When I take a taxi, the driver will ask me, “Eh why are you back! Holiday?” I would then try to promote Star Search and tell them that I’m back as the 25th contestant! (Laughs) But only the 30-year-olds know me lah. They recognise me as the crab from Star Search or from Holland V or City Beat or the person who talked nonsense with Mark Lee [in variety show Say It If You Dare]. (Laughs) 

Speaking of the crab , what do you remember of your Star Search days? 
I remember feeling very nervous when they told me I was going to play a crab. A lot of questions popped up in my head! Like, why do I have to play this boring role! It is so ugly too! But in the end, it was thanks to the crab that I became the champion. From that day, I learnt not to judge anything and to just focus on the role that’s been given to me. I am very grateful to that crab. Did you know that for that role, I went to Newton Circus. Not to eat, but to observe live crabs. I saw how they walked and copied their moves and I won! (Laughs)

Why did you did you decide to return to Taiwan?
I wanted to do something different. If I had stayed here, I would have stayed as a host. It was only when I went back to Taiwan that I started to get acting roles. Nowadays, when you are an artiste, you need to be able to do different things, like singing, dancing, acting and hosting. In Taiwan, I can spread my wings. But I love singing the most. 

Have you ever regretted leaving? 
No! I’ve never regretted leaving or joining Star Search and I will do it all over again. That’s why I told the taxi driver that I'm the 25th contestant. (Laughs) I also personally believe in fate. As long as it’s destined, you’ll eventually end up wherever you’re supposed to be.

Was it tough finding work when you first moved back to Taiwan? 
At the beginning, yes. In 2009, I was always looking for jobs ‘cos nobody recognised me. But I kept telling myself that I would make it one day. I accepted all kinds of roles and waited until I finally got my breakthrough playing a doctor in Mum’s House. And it’s a good thing they didn’t know me back then, if not they would just think of me as a host cracking jokes with Mark Lee. They could only judge me based on my appearance, and my doctor role turned out to be very successful and people started getting to know me from there. 

What do you miss the most about Singapore?
I miss Mark Lee the most. (Laughs) So much. And Dennis Chew. And Jeremy Chan. These people have been working with me for the longest time and I'm the closest to them! Whenever Fiona and Sharon come to Taiwan, we’d also meet up for a meal. In fact, I just met Jeremy yesterday!

Is your fame the reason you’re so fiercely private about your son?
Yeah, I want to protect him from online haters . He’s still a kid. As a celeb, people are always talking about you, no matter what you do. When I take on a villainous role, people will hate me and start scolding me. But I don't mind that. I just don’t like it when they drag my son into the picture because of a bad character I play on TV. I don't care if they hate me, but I cannot let them scold my family. 

Your son’s old enough to use the Internet. How do you make sure he doesn't reveal his identity online?
I explained to him my reason for not showing his face online. Of course, like any other young kid, he’s better than me at Instagram and he often posts vlogs of himself and pictures about his daily life on his private account. He tells me he wants to be a YouTuber, but I tell him that he’s too young now and he understands. But if he chooses to be a star next time, I won’t stop him. I’ll just let him know there’ll be consequences if he wants to go down that path. (Laughs) Being a celeb is super hard! 

Do you think your son’s personality is similar to yours? 
We are both Libras! And yeah, we’re pretty similar. He’s better than me in everything, to be honest. He knows kungfu, can play the piano and can swim. He can even ride a unicycle! He saw me riding it one day and he wanted to learn. He now rides it better than I do. He also likes to sing and dance. He’s popular in school for being a happy pill. Everyone there knows that I'm his dad and we're very close with his classmates! They would come to my house to play.

Now that you’re in Singapore, who’s taking care of your son?
My sister. You wanna know who’s taking care of me? 

Who?
Myself. (Laughs)

Photos: National Archives of Singapore and Jeff Wang’s Instagram