Skip to main content
Hamburger Menu Close

Advertisement

Entertainment

Celebrity weddings, scandals, Squid Game: Top entertainment stories of 2021

To wrap up the year, CNA Lifestyle looks back at the stories that trended and got you reading and sharing. First up this week: The world of entertainment.

If the squid was a part of the zodiac, 2021 would definitely be its year: Even if you somehow did not watch the hit drama Squid Game, we're pretty sure you couldn't go anywhere without someone bringing it up.

Celebrities gave us a lot to talk about this year, too: There were sweet wedding announcements and then there were ugly break-ups with a good measure of scandal thrown in.

And, of course, there was a historic birth this year: Our very first panda baby. All together, now: Awww.

CELEBRITY WEDDINGS GALORE

Rebecca Lim got engaged this year. We didn't even know she was seeing someone. (Photo: Instagram/Limrebecca)

It was a good year for celebrity nuptials, especially here in Singapore: Rebecca Lim announced her surprise engagement to a mystery man; then Desmond Tan revealed he'd gotten married to his longtime girlfriend, and held a wedding in France. Other celebs who got hitched this year include Suthasini Rajenderan, Kayly, Jitenram Kiran Bala and Korean actress Park Shin-hye.

SQUID GAME WAS THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT SHOW

This image released by Netflix shows a scene from the popular Korean series "Squid Game." (Netflix via AP)

For a while, it seemed like Netflix's dystopian Korean thriller was all anyone could talk about. Everyone and their grandmother donned a red hoodie and mask for Halloween. And it was an achievement for Asian entertainment that a Korean-language show with subtitles became one of Netflix's most-watched shows ever.

CELEBRITY SCANDALS

Wang Leehom and Lee Jinglei at Sun Valley, Idaho on July 8, 2016. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP)

Wang Leehom and his ex-wife Lee Jinglei kept us on the edge of our seats with their page-turner of a scandal involving accusations of marital infidelity and mental health issues; bribery and blackmail; and demands for public apologies. Who to believe in the big he-said-she-said of it all?

Only one thing's for sure: It will be quickly forgotten when the next scandal rolls in. Who even remembers the last scandal involving Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha's Kim Seon-ho and his ex-girlfriend who claimed he made her get an abortion?  

A PANDA BABY WAS BORN AT LAST

The panda care team is closely monitoring the cub's coordination. (Photo: Mandai Wildlife Group)

Our nation heralded the birth of a long-awaited panda cub as Jia Jia and Kai Kai welcomed their first offspring, a boy. In the weeks and months that followed, we got to enjoy impossibly cute photos and videos of the tiny cub and his adorably relatable mum, who seemed to be rolling her eyes at her kid's antics and more interested in snack breaks.

CELEBRITIES WE LOST

Veteran radio DJ and musician Chris Ho died early Monday (Sep 27) morning, after suffering from stomach cancer. (Photo: Instagram/gold905)

This year, we mourned the passing of DJ Chris Ho, TV personality Anandha Kannan and Malaysian singer Siti Sarah Raisuddin. May they rest in peace.

ANDIE CHEN STARTED A GAMING COMPANY

(Photo: Instagram/Andiechen)

The Singapore actor said he found his way out of financial and mental health troubles by starting a blockchain gaming company. Who doesn't like the idea of getting paid to play online games?

RONNY CHIENG, THE AH BENG IN MARVEL'S SHANG-CHI

05:05 Min

The Crazy Rich Asians star and The Daily Show With Trevor Noah comedian explains it all to CNA Lifestyle – and how he snuck in a bit of Bahasa Melayu in the film.

We were chuffed to find that in the Marvel film Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, Ronny Chieng plays a character that bears all the hallmarks of a classic Ah Beng. The Malaysian-born, Singapore-raised comedian was equally chuffed when we pointed it out to him.

KAWS: HOLIDAY OR GO HOME?

The 42m-long inflatable sculpture by American artist KAWS seen at The Float @ Marina Bay on 21 November, 2021. (Photo: Marcus Mark Ramos)

It was a suspenseful time when fans of the artist Kaws weren't sure if the plug was going to be pulled on the travelling exhibition KAWS:HOLIDAY. In the end, though, it all turned out okay and the holiday spirit prevailed.

TOKYO OLYMPICS

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Swimming - Men's 100m Butterfly - Heats - Tokyo Aquatics Centre - Tokyo, Japan - July 29, 2021. Joseph Schooling of Singapore in action REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Yes, this counts because we loved following all the sports stuff and all the non-sports stuff when it aired on TV. Some people won medals, some people didn't win medals, and Tom Daley knitted a sweater for a dog. What could be more humanity-affirming?

THE RUNWAY RETURN OF THE STAR AWARDS

01:57 Min
Mediacorp’s Star Awards was back with a bang in 2021. Held at Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport and Terminal 4, there was a special “red carpet” with an airplane as a backdrop, a handful of international guests and more.

After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, local Mandarin television's biggest red carpet event, the Star Awards, made a comeback - at Jewel Changi Airport, no less. The stars did a fashion shoot on the runway and collected their awards in front of the Rain Vortex, and we got a chance to gawk at who was wearing what.

Source: CNA/my

Advertisement

RECOMMENDED

Advertisement