What Went Down At Sheila Sim’s Etiquette Class For The Star Search Contestants

Over the next three hours, the contestants of the talent search show are set to be schooled in the art of confidence and etiquette. Sheila tells us that there will eventually be another class that focuses on posing for photographs (the supermodel-turned-actress is certainly the right woman for the job), and more training sessions with other industry experts like actor Guo Liang are in store as well.

But for tonight, her task is to coach them in the art of projecting the right vibe as public figures.

“Etiquette is everything,” she had emphasised during our interview prior to the lesson. “It can make or break the first impression you have on people.”

And it’s usually the little things - things that most of us wouldn’t even think twice about - that make a big difference. For example, the way one sits on stage during a press conference, even during the moments they’re not the centre of attention.

“You shouldn’t give photographers the chance to catch you ‘slacking’,” the 35-year-old reminds her students, who all are seated in a semicircle around her. “Sometimes you may think you’re carrying yourself well, but you might actually be looking lethargic or uninterested.”

Things get a little Next Top Model when Sheila makes the candidates do a catwalk strut across the room for her, first in groups, then two by two, then one by one. To the untrained eye like ours, most of them seem to do a decent job (how hard can walking be, right?), but the pro notices everything.

Whether somebody’s knees are “too bent” (making their walk look “not as pretty”), or if their body language is too “don’t come near me”, or if too much awkwardness or nervousness is written all over their face, nothing escapes Sheila’s attention and subsequent correction, all of which is done in a very gentle and encouraging manner.

Above all, Sheila stresses on the importance of “being committed” to every step, every smile, and every swing of the arm, because “you can always tell when someone is being half-hearted”. “As long as someone is looking at you, stay in character,” she advises.

You might be thinking: what’s the point of this little Fashion Week simulation? Well, it affects that oh-so-important first impression too, Sheila explained to us.

“For example,” she said. “When you are walking up to the stage at a press conference and you are a klutz or don’t carry yourself well, the people watching you will immediately think, ‘Oh, she’s not very elegant.’”

She also wants to make sure that none of the girls are guilty of one of her pet peeves: walking with their feet too wide apart. “I have told artistes that they should be mindful of this because it can look vulgar on screen,” she shared.

Whew! Being in front of the camera is hard work.

8 DAYS: How strict do you think you will be with the Star Search contestants?
SHEILA SIM: I don’t know! I think our relationship will be a two-way street - if they are the kind of students who don’t pay attention, then I will be tough on them, but I have a feeling they will be very enthusiastic.

As the boss of modelling agency NU Models, how scary can you be as a mentor?
I’ve been told that I have a “resting b**** face”. (Laughs) And I’ve made someone cry before, although not intentionally. But if someone does not have the right attitude, I would rather make them cry now (during the training) than for them to cry later, especially if they’re under my care. Do I sound like a sadist? (Laughs)

Have you ever made a mistake in terms of etiquette as an artiste yourself?
As an artiste, I must say I’ve been quite lucky because I’ve not had many problems. I faced it all as a model, such as when I fell down on stage for the first time. While the natural reaction is to panic, you have to be a quick thinker on what to do next, so one of the things I’ll be touching on later is “risk management”.

Incidents like that do happen because of various reasons, but the people watching you don’t know why and don’t care - if you fall, you fall. So I want to prepare the contestants for things like that, and to teach them how to pick themselves up from there.

What’s the worst etiquette mistake an artiste can make?
I dislike it when I’m speaking to someone and they are not engaged. It’s basic manners to pay attention when you’re holding a conversation, whether you’re talking to a CEO or a cleaner. Unfortunately this isn’t the case with everyone, sometimes they get distracted and their eyes get shifty, which is quite rude. It seems like a very small thing but it matters.

Who’s an artiste you look up to in terms of their etiquette?
I look up to my aunt, who was a former top model (Ivy Chng). She carries herself very well whether she’s at home or at work, so I feel that poise shouldn’t be something you only pretend to have - it can be an ongoing, everyday thing. She’s elegant even when she eats! I’m like, how you do that!? She still amazes me in many ways, so I’m quite lucky to have someone like that in the family.

Has there been a time when you were horrified by how bad an artiste’s etiquette was?
I travelled a lot when I was modelling, and I met so many different types of models. When it comes to their cleanliness, you would be shocked: some of them didn’t shower, never changed their clothes, their nails were dirty, and their rooms were always in a huge mess. As for artistes, so far I think they’re still okay. (Laughs)

Besides their etiquette, what are some other things that are important for an artiste to pay attention to?
Their confidence. Later I will be teaching them small body gestures to fake confidence, but of course the best is to really have it, but I understand that at their age, it’s not so easy. I think I only found my confidence after I turned 30!

What was it you weren’t so confident about before?
I was never very confident when it came to my language skills. My grammar and vocabulary are not very good, and my Chinese is not that good either, so when I became an actress, I always had this fear of going on stage and not being as articulate as I would like to be.

I was also never really confident about - believe it or not - my body. I think modelling does that to you because the industry is very, very strict about how a human being should look like, but I think people should understand that we all come in different shapes and sizes, and we should all accept our flaws.

Star Search 2019 semi-finals will air live on Oct 6 and 13, 8pm. Star Search 2019 grand finals will air live on Nov 3, 7.30pm. Both the semi-finals and grand finals will air simultaneously on Toggle and Ch 8.​​​​​​​

More info at the Star Search 2019 microsite. Watch the Star Search Collection on Toggle.