It's why she jumped at the opportunity to take part in a TVB modelling contest when she was 15 as she could take a break from doing her household chores during the competition. Sadly, those days didn't last.

“The night the rankings were announced, my family told me to go back to doing the housework the next day,” the now 47-year-old recalled. “I felt like I was Cinderella who had to return to reality when the clock struck 12.”

Two years later, a 17-year-old Ada took part in the Miss Hongkong beauty pageant where she placed third. That led to an acting contract with TVB and her career took off soon after. Rumours of her dating billionaire Joseph Lau emerged after he threw her an extravagant 18th birthday party, and he reportedly helped pay off some of mother's gambling debts.

Wait, what?

Ada would reveal at a press conference in 2000 that she had paid off more than HK$100mil (S$17.2mil) of her mother’s gambling debts over the years, and the actress publicly severed ties with her mum at the event.

Ada has since emerged stronger from her personal problems and is happily married to Chinese actor Max Zhang, with whom she has three children.

Photos: PBE Media

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