Veteran news presenter Evelyn Lam leaves Mediacorp to pursue career in psychology

If you’re a regular viewer of Chinese news and current affairs programmes, you’d likely recognise Evelyn Lam.

For the past 17 years, the 40-year-old Mediacorp news presenter and correspondent has been a familiar face on screens – from anchoring prime-time bulletins to covering major national events such as the General Elections and the Xi-Ma Summit.

Now, after nearly two decades in journalism, Lam is ready to close this chapter – one that began when she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and New Media from the National University of Singapore in 2008.

On Oct 27, Lam announced on Instagram that she would be “graduating from the newsroom” and moving on to pursue a new venture.

Speaking to 8days.sg on Oct 29, the night before flying off to Bangkok for a well-deserved vacation, Lam reflected on her final day at work.

“I was just living in that moment, like, I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and it was going to be the last time. It felt surreal, but I thought, this is the end of a chapter. I’m taking a lot of memories with me,” she shared.

Her colleagues surprised her with an emotional farewell, complete with cakes, flowers, and heartfelt gifts to celebrate their years together.

When asked about the most memorable moments of her career, Lam admitted that interviewing Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (then serving as Prime Minister) once made her nervous.

“He used to be the scariest person to interview,” she said with a laugh. “When I first met him, I was like, ‘Oh my god, it’s SM!’ But over the years, I got quite acquainted with him.”

One standout memory was a lighthearted segment she co-hosted with Kym Ng at the Istana.

“It was the first collaboration between the variety and news teams. That day, SM Lee was so on form. We chatted freely without any rehearsals or second takes. It was such good vibes, and a really great interview,” she recalled fondly.

Among her many career highlights, Evelyn Lam counts the recent General Elections as one of her most memorable experiences. She hosted both the polling night and nomination day broadcasts. Needless to say, it was one of the busiest times of her career.

As if that wasn’t enough, Lam revealed she was also pursuing her practitioner diploma at the same time.

“I was scrambling with my classes, my assignments and with work. That period was a challenge for me, but it was also very memorable,” she recalled.

Her decision to take up yet another course shouldn't come as a surprise. A lifelong learner, she’s often pursued studies alongside her demanding full-time job. Over the years, she’s completed a data analysis course, and even took up fashion design at NAFA, purely out of interest.

This time, however, she’s charting an entirely new path. “Now I’m heading towards another field but it’s not fashion design, don’t worry,” she laughed. “I’ll be going into therapy work. I’ve always been interested in psychology.”

What began as curiosity turned into a calling.

“I came across a course on hypnotherapy and decided to learn more – just out of curiosity, like a reporter would,” she said. “Then I realised it really helps people. So I went further and took another diploma in psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy will be one of the modalities in my therapy work. For now, I’ll be joining a private clinic as an associate.”

Getting that certification while juggling election coverage, nightly news shifts and coursework was no easy feat. “It took a lot of blood and tears,” she admitted. On days when she worked nights, she would spend her mornings doing clinical hours and assignments.

Lam is now taking things slow, giving herself a short break before easing into her new role. She’ll begin building her portfolio officially in January next year, while also preparing to pursue her master’s degree in psychology.

“You need a master’s to be a psychologist, so I’ll be taking that next year. There’s so much continuous learning in this field and I don’t think I’ll be stopping [anytime soon],” she said with a smile.

Evelyn Lam credits her curiosity for helping her thrive in the newsroom but after 17 years, she found herself craving growth.

"Maybe it’s a midlife crisis but there was this sudden urge to just go ahead and give it a try," she laughed.

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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