Phua Chu Kang forever

Fret not! Gurmit Singh, better known for his brash 'apek' styled, yellow-booted alter-ego Phua Chu Kang, sees no reason to hang up his yellow boots and quit playing the colourful contractor character, even after 16 years of doing it.

He said that as long as people go to see him and he can entertain them, he'll continue playing the character.

"I value the fact that people still want to see me after all this time. That's why I sing Stand By Me for the people who keep coming to watch me. I really mean it. I appreciate the support," he says after a hilarious performance at Secretaries Week at the Eastin Hotel, recently.

Phua Chu Kang is such a big part of Gurmit's life but it does alter people's expectations of him in person.

"People expect me to be as funny as him in real life. They expect me to be the life of the party. And when I'm not, they'll think I'm sick or something. But in real life, I'm really the quiet guy in the corner," he says.

The Phua Chu Kang TV series ran for a record 12 seasons in Singapore and is being currently being rerun.

With such enduring popularity, are there any plans for a new Phua Chu Kang show?

"Who knows what the future holds?" he says.

Right now, Gurmit is currently hosting a reality TV Show series called First 11, which he describes as an American Idol-type program for soccer.

"I love soccer. I've been playing it since I was a kid. My favourite team is Manchester United. My all time favourite player is Pele but I don't like Messi. He pouts too much!"

[VIA]