Sunday, March 30, 2008

Andy Lau: Superstars Still Get Nervous

The showcase premiere of Three Kingdoms: Resurrection Of The Dragon <三國之見龍卸甲> was held this evening at the Grand Cinema at Kowloon's Elements mall. The film's director Daniel Lee (李仁港) was joined by leading cast members Andy Lau (劉德華) and Andy On (安志傑).

Female leading star Maggie Q was notably absent from the screening, sparking suggestions that she is evading the press after recent rumours of her appearing in some raunchy photographs. However, Lau and On both insisted that she was unable to attend as a result of a schedule clash.

Lau has once again won high acclaim for his portrayal in the film of the young dynastic hero Zhao Yun (趙雲). He showed that even superstars get nervous about roles as he explained how he was worried about carrying off a role that is so deeply engrained in people's hearts, especially after he found it to be so different from the historical figure that he knew of.

Asked if he has any plans to film any more arthouse movies, Lau turned the focus onto On, laughing that he hopes that On can put some weight on for this type of film and not be as muscley as he is at the moment.

Next Magazine TV Awards 2008

The Next Magazine TV Awards 2008 (壹周刊電視大獎頒獎禮) were held today. Award recipients who attended included Louise Lee (李司棋), Susanna Kwan (關菊英), Liza Wong (汪明荃), Charmaine Sheh (佘詩曼), Moses Chan (陳豪), Bernice Liu (廖碧兒), Suki Tsui (徐淑敏), Fala Chen (陳法拉) and Derek Kwok (郭政鴻).

During Moses’ acceptance speech, he appeared to mock Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐)'s "naïve" apology for her involvement in the Edison Chen (陳冠希) sex photos scandal.

Moses later denied that he intended to mock Gillian and explained that he indeed used to be quite naïve in thinking that being an artist was all fame and fortune without thinking about the hard work required.

However, he added that artists are public role models and should be particularly responsible.

Suki stole the spotlight with her low-cut, short dress. Suki explained that the neckline had originally been lower but, because of her recent weight loss, the dress had to be adjusted because it was too loose and risked causing indecent exposure.

When reporters told Suki that many female artists are reluctant to attend functions with her, because they were afraid of her hogging the spotlight, Suki laughed that she would try to be more conservative in the future. She admitted that she would like to change her image and have the audience see her cute side.

Fala, too, appeared in a low-cut dress but lost out to Suki in terms of the plunging neckline.

When asked if she was afraid of her "Sexy Goddess" title being stolen by Suki, Fala laughed that Suki has always had a beautiful figure and a pretty face so she did not feel a need to compare the two. She added that they both possess their own beauty.

Fala also denied the title of “Sexy Goddess” and said that she hoped the audience would put more focus on her acting rather than her looks.

When cast members of War of In-laws 2 <野蠻奶奶大戰戈師奶> went onstage to accept their award, Liza pointed out that Derek had benefited the most, hinting of his rumoured relationship with Joyce Tang (滕麗名) that began during the filming.

Derek was later asked to respond to Liza’s comment. He replied that Liza was simply making fun to add to the festivities. Asked why Joyce did not attend, Derek admitted that he did not know and further emphasized that the two are not dating.

When he was further asked whether or not he would consider pursuing Joyce, Derek managed to beat around the bush by saying that he did not mind pursuing Joyce in future TV series, but added that it would be up to TVB to decide when they work together again.

Kathy Chow (周汶錡) also attended the ceremony as an award recipient. Kathy was asked to comment on the recent digitally-altered photos of her sister, Niki Chow (周麗淇), surfacing online. Kathy said that Niki is currently in mainland China filming so is yet to know of the reports. Kathy said that whoever had created the photos was immature. She added that she hoped everyone would stop discussing the matter so it would go away.


Next Magazine Top Ten TV Artists:
1. Liza Wong (汪明荃)
2. Louise Lee (李司棋)
3. Moses Chan (陳豪)
4. Myolie Wu (胡杏兒)
5. Charmaine Sheh (佘詩曼)
6. Raymond Lam (林峯)
7. Bosco Wong (黃宗澤)
8. Bernice Liu (廖碧兒)
9. Linda Chung (鍾嘉欣)
10. Susanna Kwan (關菊英)

New Male Artist With Most Potential : Wong Cho Lam (王祖藍)
New Female Artist With Most Potential: Fala Chen (陳法拉)
3D Gold Charismatic Actress: Myolie Wu (胡杏兒)
Hekura Most Improved Female Artist: Fala Chen (陳法拉)
Philips Extraordinary Acting Award: Liza Wong (汪明荃)
RMK High Definition Skin Award: Charmaine Sheh (佘詩曼)
Bella Flawless Skin Award: Kathy Chow (周汶錡)
Happy Shop Active Artist: Suki Tsui (徐淑敏)
Mafa Alluring Body Award: Bernice Liu (廖碧兒)
Bella Men’s Skin Centre Most Improved Male Artist: Amigo Chui (崔建邦)
Svenson Healthy Hair Award: Moses Chan (陳豪)

Next Magazine Top Ten TV Programmes:
1. Heart of Greed <溏心風暴>
2. Wars of In-laws 2 <野蠻奶奶大戰戈師奶>
3. The Drive of Life <歲月風雲>
4. Fathers and Sons <爸爸閉翳>
5. Word Twisters’ Adventures <鐵咀銀牙>
6. Steps <舞動全城>
7. The Family Link <師奶兵團>
8. Eating Healthy <鮮入為煮>
9. The Ultimate Crime Fighter <通天幹探>
10. Best Selling Secrets <同事三分親>

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Kathy Chow Returns To TVB

Kathy Chow (周海媚) was spotted filming in the Man Mo Temple in Tai Po for TVB's new series Academy Full Throttle <學警狙擊> today. This is Kathy's first series for TVB in a decade.

When reporters asked Kathy about finally returned to filming after a decade's worth of rest, Kathy laughed that she had been consistently filming in Mainland so was not really returning from a long break.

However, Kathy admitted that she was not yet used to the sudden, last-minute script changes from TVB. She added that it is a great difference to filming in Mainland, where actors are provided a much more detailed and planned run-down of their filming.

Takung Pao reported that Kathy would be portraying the role of a mob boss' wife in the new series. Kathy pointed out that this character would be different from the stereotypical dominating and domineering mob wife, and, rather, her character will have a soft side.

She revealed that she will be sharing most of her screen time with Michael Miu (苗僑偉), Michael Tse (謝天華), Lo Yuen Yan (盧苑恩) and Sammul Chan (陳鍵鋒).

She has been trying to wear her own clothes for filming. Yesterday, she wore her own outfit, shoes, handbag and accessories.

Yumiko Gives Ken His First Onscreen Kiss

The cast of Love is Elsewhere <愛情萬歲>, including Yumiko Cheng (鄭希怡), Ken Hung (洪卓立), Sherman Chung (鍾舒漫), Pakho Chow (周柏豪) and Jason Chan (陳栢宇) attended the movie's premiere last night at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

All casts members were formally dressed, with Yumiko stealing the spotlight with her backless number.

Yumiko revealed that, in the movie, she gives Ken his first onscreen kiss.

When Yumiko was asked whether or not she would in future take up a role similar to that of Tang Wei (湯唯)’s in Lust, Caution <色,戒>, Yumiko admitted that it would take a lot of courage to act such intimate scenes. She added that she would have to trust the script and director 100 percent. She concluded that she wants first to improve her acting skills.

Ken attended the event with his family and, though were to witness his first onscreen kiss, he said that he did not feel at all awkward.

He even joked that his brother came just to see how he performed with his kiss.

When Ken was asked whether or not he would ever accept a high-profile bed scene like Tony Leung (梁朝偉)’s in Lust Caution, Ken responded that, as long as his company felt it was suitable for him, then he would not object.

The actor was then asked if he was satisfied with his body and comfortable showing it onscreen. Ken revealed that he is currently working out to prepare for the release of his next album, and that the audience will soon witness his efforts.

Love is Elsewhere was directed by Vincent Chui (崔允信).

Monday, March 17, 2008

Fiona Sit Has Overcome Fears Of Attack

Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎), Fiona Sit (薛凱琪), Theresa Fu (傅穎) and Ivana Wong (王菀之) were among the guests at the launch of a lightbulb and fluorescent tube recycling programme at East Point City yesterday.

After being caught up in an incident at an earlier shopping mall event, where she was hit on the head by a plastic bottle that was thrown from the audience, Fiona was asked if she was worried about more trouble. She replied that she was not particularly nervous, but would be extra wary about her surroundings.

Fiona then showed her injury to the press, explaning that there is no open wound, but there is a little lump on her right forehead. She added that she was not worried about it leaving a mark on her appearance, but was more worried that she could have been blinded if the bottle had hit her in the eye.

Kevin expressed his disappointment about the poor ratings of his series The Seventh Day <最美麗的第七天>, which airs its finale this weekend. Asked if he felt that people are getting bored of seeing him with rumoured girlfriend Niki Chow (周麗淇), he said that it is hard to grasp what the audience want and he has learned to face future challenges with less expectation.

Theresa was asked to comment on the suggestion by Stephy Tang (鄧麗欣) that she was an uninvited guest at the premiere of Stephy's latest film L For Love L For Lies <我的最愛> on Wednesday. Theresa said that she will always attend her company's new releases and she was not there to support anyone in particular.

Leo Ku 古巨基 - The Greatest Love (New + Best Selection) 勁歌金曲2 情歌王(新曲+精選)

CD 1
01 勁歌金曲2 - 情歌王 (新曲)
02 年年有今日 (featuring Beatbox X 金牌一條順) - INK/側田/方力申/小肥/6號/古巨基 (新曲)
03 必殺技
04 愛得太遲
05 愛與誠
06 愛神
07 錢錢錢錢
08 Monica
09 重複犯錯
10 我自問
11 飄流教室
12 明星

CD 2
01 愛回家
02 天才與白痴
03 花灑
04 大雄
05 愛變了這世界襯衣
06 傷追人
07 夢中人
08 悟空
09 任天堂流淚
10 心跳回憶
11 一生何求
12 愛得太遲 (古巨基 & 周慧敏 合唱版)

Kenji Wu 吴克群 - Poems For You 为你写诗

01 为你写诗
02 牵牵牵手
03 情人节
04 什么东西
05 越爱越难过
06 音乐让我说
07 我不管
08 动
09 我的自传
10 眼睛不闭着

Edison Chen's Sex Photos - Computer Technician In Court

A Hong Kong computer technician appeared in court today accused of stealing Edison Chen (陳冠希)'s sex photos when the star's computer went in for repair. Sze Ho Chun (史可雋), 23, pleaded not guilty to charges of dishonest use of a computer. His bail was extended until a pre-trial review next month.

Another man, a 24-year-old clerk, appeared in court on Tuesday, charged with publishing obscene material. He is accused of distributing the sex photos on the internet. No plea was taken. His bail was extended until next month.

Edison, 27, landed in controversy when sex photos of him and women – purportedly celebrities including Gillian Chung (鍾欣桐) and Cecilia Cheung (張栢芝) – started surfacing on the web, January 27, sparking Hong Kong entertainment's biggest scandal in memory. In a press conference, February 21, Edison apologized to the women implicated and announced that he would be suspending his showbiz career indefinitely.

The scandal ignited heated debate on many issues from privacy rights to police cronyism.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Miriam Yeung & Friends Help Snowstorm Relief

Miriam Yeung (楊千嬅), Timmy Hung (洪天明), Monica Chan (陳法蓉), Ada Choi (蔡少芬) and Max Zhang (張晉) departed Hong Kong airport today, bound for Sichuan Province in China to visit victims of the worst snowstorms to hit the country in 50 years.

Miriam was still suffering from the flu bug, so she decided to wear a mouth guard to prevent spreading it to others taking part in the trip. Miriam caught the bug over a week ago, but has not yet recovered. Miriam was asked if she was worried that, because she was sick, rather than her visiting the victims, others would have to take care of her instead. Miriam laughed that she is too strong-willed, so the moment she decided to go on the trip, she would do it to the best of her ability regardless of her illness. She said that she wanted to visit the victims to show them her support.

It was Ada and Max’s first public outing since their wedding in January. The two appeared very much in love when they arrived at the airport hand-in-hand. During the interview at the airport, the couple still had their hands tightly clasped together and would occasionally smile sweetly at each other.

Ada said that the trip was for them to witness the crisis first-hand and to help them better appreciate their own lives. She commented that this is the first time they have been able to travel together on such a mission, because during their courtship they had not been able to do so. When it was pointed out that Ada reflected on the past as if they were an aged couple, Ada laughed out loud and rejected the idea of being old.

Max revealed that he is of Sichuan origin so is happy to be able to do what he can to help the grief-stricken province. Ada pointed out that the opportunity for them to be able to help others was due to the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild (香港演藝協會) inviting the couple and Monica to take part in the visit, so she felt that they were blessed with the mission.

Ada has taken a break from work since the wedding. When asked when she will be getting back to work, she said that she had filmed series back-to-back all last year, so she did not intend to start work any time soon.

Reporters asked if the reason for her reluctance to work was she wanted to spend more time with Max. Ada admitted that that is definitely one of the reasons. She publicly gushed to Max that he was so great to be attached to that there was no reason to not stick to him like glue. Being put on the spot, Max could only smile bashfully and thank her for the compliment.

Monica arrived late to the airport and kept apologizing for her tardiness. She later explained that she had lost her house keys, and, just as she said it, she looked around and laughed that there had better not be any burglars around to hear the comment. However, she added that she ended up having to change the locks, so there was no need to worry.

Melissa Ng Looking Good After Year Away

Cast members of TVB's new release The Master Of Tai Chi <太極>, including Vincent Zhao (趙文卓), Raymond Lam (林峯), Kenneth Ma (馬國明), Lau Siu Ming (劉兆銘) and Derek Kok (郭政鴻) took part in a promotional event at a shopping mall today.

After a year away from the public eye, female leading star Melissa Ng (吳美珩) took a break from looking after her baby daughter as she attended the event and looked extremely well. She quickly became the focus of attention from the press, who were keen to catch up with her. She was in high spirits as she explained the origins of her daughter's name: "Megan means 'pearl', my husband chose the name, because she is very precious."

Asked if she plans to return to filming soon, she said that Megan is now seven months old, but still needs a lot of care and attention, so although she still has a management contract with TVB, she has no plans to return to work just yet. "Maybe when she is a little older, then I will continue to work if it is suitable. My husband respects my personal decision and he knows that I will still look after our daughter." As for whether or not she plans to have another child, she said that she will not because she wants to spend more time with her daughter.

Myolie Wu (胡杏兒) was also present, but she had to leave early to attend another engagement in Guangzhou. Asked if she felt disappointed at the mediocre ratings for the series, she said: "It's not bad, maybe the storyline is more specialised because it focusses more on the kung fu." As for the criticisms that her character is too exaggerated, she explained that this was the personality of the role, who is very animated, but she accepts that people will have different viewpoints.

When it was suggested that the viewers prefer to see her in lighter comedic roles, Myolie said that she did not want to confine her performances to one genre, because she likes to try different roles. She added that she was very pleased with her performance because the role of an amnesia sufferer was quite special and unusual.

Vincent will be returning to his home in Beijing after a brief three-day visit to Hong Kong to promote the show. He revealed that he has just bought into a new 6000-square foot residence, which is currently being decorated, so he is eager to check on progress and buy some furniture for the house. Vincent's daughter is now five and half months old, so he was sharing baby photos with Melissa when they met.

Kate Tsui Receives Best Film Newcomer

The Hong Kong Film Directors Guild (香港電影導演會) held its 2008 Spring Banquet last night in Macau. A total of 18 tables served that night, with guests including the director members, as well as some of the movie industry's new artistes, such as Linda Chung (鍾嘉欣) and Kate Tsui (徐子珊). Alice Chan (陳煒) was invited as a guest, and appearing in a low-cut, red outfit, she managed to steal the limelight from the newcomers.

During the banquet, an awards ceremony took place and the gold award for 2007 Best Newcomer (2007年度新演員獎) was presented to Kate for her role in Eye in the Sky <跟蹤>. In her acceptance speech, Kate happily expressed that she never imagined that she would receive the award, so she was particularly nervous, but thanked Director Yau Nai-Hoi (游乃海) for offering her a suitable character to portray. She also thanked all the judges and Catherine Tsang (曾勵珍) for their support. She also commented that she is yet to be yelled at by director Johnnie To (杜琪峰), who has a reputation for being extremely strict.

Linda and child star Wen Jun Hui (文俊輝) both received the newcomer silver award for their roles in Love is Not All Around <十分.愛> and The Pye-Dog <野.良犬> respectively. Linda thanked TVB for managing her schedule, otherwise she would not have been able to film the movie for which she won the award.

The 2007 Best New Director (2007年度新晉導演獎) was awarded to Nai-Hoi, for his debut fim Eye in the Sky.

Awards in the Most Recommended Film (最受推介電影獎) and Most Distinguished Director (最傑出導演獎) categories went to The Post-modern Life of My Aunt <姨媽的後現代生活>'s Ann Hui (許鞍華), Protege <門徒>'s Derek Yee (爾冬陞) , and The Warlords <投名狀>'s Peter Chan (陳可辛).

Derek thanked Peter for investing well for the guild, saying that although artistes, writers and producers are important, earnings from the investments play a major role in financing the movies. Derek stated that Peter was one of the best producers that he has met to date and ended his speech by publicly thanking his girlfriend for her support. Ann had to bear crutches to go on stage, and in her speech, she laughed that a niche group generally accepted her movies, so she is grateful for the award and thanked everyone for their support. She commented that to be able to receive the award with both Derek and Peter was an honour to her. Peter then returned the compliment, saying modestly that it his motivation to enter the movie industry came from watching Ann's films.

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Heart Of Greed II Blessing Ceremony

TVB grand production Heart Of Greed II <溏心風暴之家好月圓> held its blessing ceremony today and to mark the occasion and tie in with the theme of the storyline, a giant mooncake was provided in addition to the customary roast pig.

Cast members who turned out to pay their respects and wish for filming to run smoothly included Ha Yu (夏雨), Lee Si Kei (李司棋), Susanna Kwan (關菊英), Michelle Yim (米雪), Lee Heung Kam (李香琴), Moses Chan (陳豪), Raymond Lam (林峯), Linda Chung (鍾嘉欣), Fala Chen (陳法拉), Bosco Wong (黃宗澤), Tracy Ip (葉翠翠) and Kate Tsui (徐子珊).

Ha Yu and Raymond revealed that they will soon be filming a swimming race between their characters and Raymond said that he has been working out recently to look good in his swimsuit. Ha Yu said that although there will be a couple of scenes where you can see his belly, he will not be slimming down intentionally, but he quickly changed his tune when he heard that Raymond would be working out, laughing that maybe he should start getting fit too.

Asked if he has filmed any particularly memorable scenes so far, Ha Yu replied that there was one scene where his character was blinded by a detached retina, so he had to keep falling over, which was particularly hard work.

Si Kei revealed that she will also have a race scene, but because she has a hip condition, she plans to ask the producer to see if she can be excused from the scene and be a judge instead.

Susanna and Heung Kam have to shout at people in many of their scenes, so Susanna smiled that she has been making soup every day to protect her voice. Kam said that her character blames Si Kei's character for cuausing the death of her son, so she not only has to scold Si Kei all the time, but has also had a slapping scene. Heung Kam revealed that Si Kei was extremely professional and told her not to hold back, so she slapped Si Kei hard and completed the scene in one take.

Moses plays a stock market trader in the show and he refers to his character as a "Casanova" because he has relationships with the roles played by Tavia Yeung (楊怡), Kate and Astrid Chan (陳芷菁), so he is quite a lucky man. Asked if he feels the pressure working with so many veterans again, he smiled there is no pressure because they make the show even more entertaining and he has learned a lot of new performance skills from them, especially Ha Yu.

In this sequel, Michelle will be turning the tables and playing the villain, but she is not worried about being compared to Susanna's "Sai Kai" from the first series because the storylines are very different. She is also not worried about being scolded in the street and hopes that the audience will enjoy her performance.

There have been rumours that Linda and Raymond have been carrying their on-screen relationship into real life and even suggestions that they have been sharing lunch and ignoring other cast members. When he was asked about this, Raymond admitted that they did share a sandwich during filming and explained that he has been cutting down on food to try and slim down recently, so he only ate half a portion of the sandwich. He added that after their previous collaboration, he is very relaxed when working with Linda now, but insists that he is able to detach himself from the acting in real life.

Linda said that she was quite hungry after filming late at night, so Raymond offered her his sandwich. She insisted that she had offered some to Tracy, but she had declined. She accepted that the rumours would follow naturally because their characters in the first series were so popular, so she knows that gossip is unavoidable.

Asked if there is any possibility of a real romance blossoming, Linda smiled that they are relaxed in each other's company, so they will be more absorbed in filming, but insisted that they will not be taking their romance off the screen and they are just very good friends in reality.

Gigi Lai Denies Plans To Get Married

Louis Koo (古天樂), Gigi Lai (黎姿) and Stephen Fung (馮德倫) were among the guests at the Mulberry 2008 Spring/Summer Collection fashion show yesterday, where they modelled some of the company's latest designs.

There have been reports recently that Gigi plans to get married in the next two years and she laughed that she has received numerous phone calls in the past few days from friends congratulating her, as though she has already got married. She pointed out that it was a misunderstanding and she is still single and finding a partner is all down to destiny and fate.

Talking about the reports that TVB boss Sir Run Run Shaw has been admitted to hospital, Gigi said that she thinks he is fine and maybe he is just like her when she catches a cold from working too hard and has to be admitted to hospital for treatment and rest. She passed on her best wishes for him to get well soon.

Louis' book Toy Battle <玩具大戰> has sold well in the first print run of 5000 copies and he revealed that there will soon be a second print released. He said that he has further plans for other books and hopes that he can write a story that can be made into a film. He will soon begin shooting his new film <暗殺>, working with co-stars Richie Ren (任賢齊), Stanley Fung (馮淬帆) and Michelle Ye (葉璇).

Although Stephen has split up from his former girlfriend Karen Mok (莫文蔚), they have still collaborated again in a short film. Stephen pointed out that they are still good friends and when it comes to work, they can keep a professional attitude.

Asked about recent reports suggesting that he has started dating the female lead in his new film Jump <跳出去>, Stephen laughed that he is over ten years older than her and insisted that he has only cared about her attitude to her work and not her personal affairs. With the release of Jump delayed from May to October, Stephen admitted that this was as a direct result of the recent Edison Chen (陳冠希) sex photos scandal. Asked whether or not he will be deleting some of Edison's scenes in the film, Stephen said that he is yet to receive notification from the company regarding this.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Backstreet Boys Back In Hong Kong

US boy band the Backstreet Boys arrived at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday afternoon, ahead of their concert at the Asiaworld Arena this evening, forming the Hong Kong leg of their Unbreakable tour.

A press conference was held this afternoon, where the boys met local reporters. It has been ten years since the band was last in Hong Kong and they commented that the region is still continually maturing. They also told of how some fans had presented them with photographs from their last performance and they were very touched by the gesture.

The band have been together now for fifteen years, but band members Nick Carter and Brian Littrell have also had successful solo careers. The other two members, Howie Dorough and A.J. McLean, are also planning to release solo albums this year.

They were met by around 30 fans as they left the airport yesterday, but security was tight as they were bundled into their car. However, the men were very co-operative and friendly as they waved to their fans and exchanged autographs for gifts from their supporters. Brian spoke briefly to the reporters, saying that they had planned to do some shopping during their stay and laughed that the fans here were very crazy but this made him happy. He added that he does like Hong Kong a lot.

Memorial Service Held To Celebrate Lydia Sum's Life

Over ten thousand mourners attended the memorial service for legendary Hong Kong entertainer Lydia Sum (沈殿霞), held this afternoon at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom.

Friends, fans, colleagues and other celebrities joined members of the general public in an official celebration of Lydia's life and also to say their final goodbyes. Floral tributes and messages were also sent from those who could not attend and these were displayed at the venue.

The ceremony was led by two of Lydia's hosting colleagues, Eric Tsang (曾志偉) and Tang Chi Fung (鄧梓峰), and was attended by Lydia's closest family members, including her daughter Joyce Cheng (鄭欣宜) and her ex-husband Adam Cheng (鄭少秋). Adam had returned from filming in Hengdian yesterday especially to attend the ceremony and had revealed he had been in close contact with Joyce since Lydia's death, refuting the press reports that he had been neglecting his responsibilities.

On the stage, portraits depicting some of Lydia's many smiling expressions, were supported by heart shaped floral wreaths presented by her family and closest friends. The display emanated an air of warmth and joy that was the the trademark of the star's bubbly and vivacious personality and helped the audience to put aside their feelings of sadness for a little while.

The ceremony opened with some clips from Lydia's lifetime, including some quotes made by her on aspects of her life.

"I was the sixth child in my family... because I brought three younger brothers, my parents felt I was lucky for them, so they spoiled me. When I said I wanted to be a movie star, my mother took me to the auditions without telling my father."

Some statistics about her achievements were also detailed. She appeared in ten television series, 134 stage shows, released 41 records and amassed over 15,000 hours of performances.

A clip of Lydia talking about meeting the most important man in her life in 1985 and the birth of her daughter in 1987 was also shown.

"When you love someone, you will see nothing else and become willing to do anything. Before I had my child, I did not know, but when I did, I found out the feeling of longing. Having her was better than having anything else. If I had to keep just one memory, it would be the moment that Joyce was born."

The final excerpt showed Lydia giving a personal thank you to her friends.

"I feel that I am a very fortunate person. I have many friends and I have known them for many decades. They love me and care for me and I would like to say to them - thank you."

Footage of Lydia's funeral, which took place on 27 February in Vancouver's Forest Lawn Memorial Park, was then shown along with pictures of all the flowers and wreaths that had been sent from her friends, including many familiar names, such as Paula Tsui (徐小鳳), Jacky Cheung (張學友), Tam Ping-man (譚炳文) and Alex Man (萬梓良).

Lydia's younger brother was first to be featured in the video tribute to his sister, speaking on behalf of all her siblings. He spoke of his sister as "a happy flower" and how she had insisted on returning to Hong Kong after being diagnosed with terminal cancer because she did not want to be apart from Joyce. He said that seeing her grow thinner and thinner after each round of chemotherapy made the family all very upset, but they were comforted in knowing that she had many friends beside her to support her tirelessly.

He went on to thank Lydia's friends, Florence Chan (陳淑芬), Mrs Chang (張徹太太) and Chan Ka Ho (陳嘉豪) for all the help and support they had shown to Lydia in her final days.

He ended the tribute by saying how proud all of Lydia's brothers and sisters were of her and thanking her for all the joy that she had brought to their lives.

Other video tributes came from people who had worked closely with Lydia over the years, including representatives from the community organisations in Canada that Lydia had contributed to in the past and her close friends, Jin Fei (金菲) and Florence.

The eulogy given by Joyce at Lydia's funeral, where she referred to her mother as "my shooting star" was then shown and the touching speech brought tears to every pair of eyes in the audience. This was followed by a moment's silent reflection before the broadcast was ended and the mourners were asked to be seated.

Tributes were then given by Lydia's consultant Professor Chung-mau Lo (盧寵茂), Mr Timothy Fok JP (霍震霆), Mr Lawrence Yu JP (余錦基), TVB General Manager Stephen Chan (陳志雲), veteran actress Maggie Lee (李琳琳), Hu Chin (胡錦) and music mentor Liu Jia Chang (劉家昌). Elisa Chan (陳潔靈) also performed the song "Shining Star" <明星> in Lydia's honour.

MC's Eric and Tang then gave the closing tribute and spoke of how Vancouver's mayor has declared that a "Lydia Sum Day" will be held in her honour on 01 June 2008. They also spoken about their own experiences and memories of working with Lydia and shared sentiments on behalf of the many people who had already paid tribute to Lydia.

Eric spoke about Lydia's final public appearance on TVB's anniversary awards show last year.

"Lydia knew she was going to receive an award, so she arrived at the studio four and a half hours early. She was made-up and dressed early and the producer had arranged for a bed to be placed in the dressing room for her to rest before her appearance. When she arrived, she said 'I am so happy, I feel like I have come home.' TVB was her home, colleagues were her family.

"In the moments before she went on stage, she suddenly started shaking and held onto a crew member's hand. I was very nervous too, because these things never happened to Lydia, but I understood that this could be her final appearance on stage and the last time she could express her feelings to the audience."

He ended with a fitting summary of Lydia's lifetime and her achievements.

"Respect for one's occupation and hard work - this was not only Lydia's spirit, but also that of the Hong Kong people. Lydia will always be the friend of the Hong Kong people and also their pride.... Only Lydia could have achieved the feat of being the good friend of the Hong Kong people, an artiste respected by people all over the world and someone who really represented the Hong Kong spirit. I hope we can put our sadness aside and learn from her, especially those in the performing arts and the new generation of Hong Kong people -doing our best to uphold the Hong Kong spirit. I hope that I can represent all our colleagues, friends and Hong Kong's citizens in wishing Lydia joy and happiness in paradise. Lydia - Thank you."

An address was made by Joyce to close the ceremony, thanking everyone for attending the service and remembering her mother.

"I would like to start by thanking all our friends who are present, all the friends who have always supported my mother on the television and all of my mother's old pals for gathering here today to remember my mother. Mum was a very good actress, her professional spirit and conscientious attitude is worth learning from. She was also a great mother. I am not as good at speaking as she was, so I will not say too much. However, with so many people here today to wish her well, then even if she is playing mah jong in heaven, she will still hear them and will thank everyone for your thoughts. I hope that after this memorial service, everyone can remember my mother's laughter and conscientiousness and remember it in your heart. That way, she will forever be there in your heart. Thank you."

A final clip was shown of Joyce singing a duet of the song "Ajoined Hearts" <連心> and guests were invited to present their flowers as a parting mark of respect for Lydia.