CLASS 95’s Yasminne Cheng On The Challenges Of Reworking Her Lunchtime Show For The Screen

YASMINNE CHENG: Many, many things! First of all, this has never been done before here, ever — broadcasting a radio show that’s already live, live on TV. So it’s not like I can go to someone for advice.

First, there’s the question of how do we make this interesting and engaging for the viewer? I really doubt anyone wants to watch me typing away at the computer and clicking on stuff in between radio talk sets, right? So there’s the whole process of what to talk about, then how to transition from segment to segment as we don’t have the luxury of playing visual transitions..

I’m essentially talking non-stop for 30 minutes but I can’t be babbling fluff, there needs to be meat! But there’s no teleprompter so it’s 30 minutes of content that changes every day that needs to be lined up all in my head since I can’t be looking down at scripts because visually that’s not engaging.

Plus, there’s the whole juggling the timing between radio and TV. Because this is a fairly raw bare-bones TV show, I don’t have the luxury of little things — like an in-ear monitor where the producer can talk to me to give cues and count down time — so I have to rely on visual cues from my producer from the corner of my eye, but not be obvious about it.

Pre-Covid-19, what do you usually do o the show between songs?

Many things. I’m surfing the Internet to find things that are trending and hot — radio is a medium that allows us to be very reactive— thinking about how to approach the topic, social media postings for the station, replying to WhatsApp messages from listeners, and pulling interesting soundbites of artists or fun audio bits [in real time] then editing them down to make them succinct.

How many people are in the studio with you?

Just four! There’s me, a producer — Liane who is also the producer of the Muttons in the Morning show — a camera guy and a sound tech. We observe safe-distancing measures on set at all times.

To put things into perspective, The 5 Show, which was also a live 30-min TV show, had a crew of at least 17 people each day: one co-host [Chua Enlai], one make-up artist, one hairstylist, two producers, one assistant producer, one scriptwriter, one director, two sound techs, three cameramen, one stylist, one lighting tech, and one floor manager.

But, of course, bearing in mind The 5 Show really was an entirely different animal altogether. Here I’m producer, scriptwriter, presenter, makeup artist, hairstylist and stylist all rolled into one.

Power! You're doing a radio and TV show at the time. How difficult is it to switch between the formats?

Not easy but executing it wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined, besides the nerves of going into the unknown on the first day. I just need to be really focused and not get caught up in a thought or a moment. If only you could hear what’s going on in my head, it’s very, very noisy in there — lots of shouting.

It’s really down to having [good] prep, a good producer to help put all the elements together, and I guess having done live radio for 15 years has really prepared me for this. Plus, I’ve also had the privilege of hosting 187 episodes of a live TV show [The 5 Show]; the lessons I’ve garnered from there have been invaluable.

What lessons did you learn from the first #StayHomeWithMe Class 95 show?

One — oh my God! — I can really talk for 30 minutes non-stop (laughs). What I’m internalising can be very different from what people are seeing on the telly. I’m pretty sure they don’t hear the shouting that’s going on in my head.

Two, “anyway” seems to be my comfort word which I’m working on using less of.

And three, we have the nicest most supportive listeners and viewers. Korean finger hearts to them.

In one ep, you shared an endearing story of you video-conferencing with your mum. Do you find yourself sharing more personal stories than you usually do to fill 30 minutes of banter?

Yes, but not for the reason that I’m talking non-stop and to fill time. It’s actually a natural extension of what we do on radio which is a very intimate medium as we’re like friends to our listeners. It’s all about making a connection and if you’re not sharing, it’s hard to do that.

I haven’t watched Tiger King. What’s that?

And, oh my God, don’t get me started on the topic of dramas! I’m very wary of them because I’m a compulsive binge-watcher who will throw caution to the wind and just keep watching. Who needs sleep! But then without sleep, I can’t quite function and my brain lags a fair bit which isn’t very productive.

So I started Crash Landing On You recently after Jean [Danker] bugged me about it and when I finally did — jialat! — I was hooked. After that emotional rollercoaster ride, I needed more. It’s like a drug I swear. Michelle Chia then recommended Legend of the Blue Sea [the Korean mermaid love story starring Jun Ji-Hyun and Lee Min-Ho] which I’ve been hooked on since.

Before that, I was watching Ten Miles of Peach Blossom: The Pillow Book, a spin-off from the original hit drama from China that I watched a gazillion times. Prior to that, I was hooked on Lucifer. And before that, nada, nothing, because I had no time.

What else did you do during this stay-home period?

I started to cook more.

Did you pick up any hobbies?

Hello? Between that and watching the dramas, who has the time?

Has the stay-home period make you reflect on your life?

It’s made me appreciate the things I’ve taken for granted. Simple things like meeting my mum, hanging out with friends and travelling. I miss planning and going on adventures to explore new places. I had many, many travel plans for 2020, all gone to dust.

It’s also made me realise that I really love what I do for a living. You know, after a while, things become mundane, it’s just work, work, work, work, work. Like hosting for me. I’ve missed the thrill of it, the adrenaline rush!

It's a good time to reflect on those little things and when this comes to pass, to remember to appreciate those little joys in life.

What’s the first thing you’ll do when the circuit breaker measures are lifted?

Go see my mama and organise a hang-out sesh with my closest friends!

If you can play one pick-me-up song or songs every day during this period, what would it be?

Dude, it’s all about the vibe!! These are my go to feel good songs: SZA and Justin Timberlake’s ‘The Other Side’; Beyonce’s ‘Love on Top’; Bruno Mars’ ‘Treasure’; India Arie’s ‘There’s Hope’; and Lizzo & Ariana Grande’s ‘Good as Hell’.

#StayHomeWithMe CLASS 95 airs live weekday, 1pm-1.30pm, on Ch 5, meWATCH and Facebook Live.

Photos: Yasminne Cheng (Main), Netflix