Chen Liping is well known for her role as teacher Shen Rong in the drama 'Good Morning, Sir', whose signature catchphrase was 'Aiyoyo'. Photos: Chen Liping/Instagram, Handout
Actress Chen Liping, a household name in the Singaporean entertainment industry, has left broadcaster Mediacorp after 40 years.
The 59-year-old, who made her debut in 1985, announced the news on social media on Jan 3.
“This decision feels like both a graduation and a new beginning,” she wrote. “2025 marks my 40th year in the industry... a milestone filled with gratitude, memories and growth.”
Chen said 60 is the new 40, using the hashtag #SG60, as she was born in 1965, the year Singapore gained independence.
“Is 60 the age to restart a career? To dream bigger? To charge forward?” she wrote. “As I step into this new chapter, I’ll continue pouring my heart into my craft as an actor.”
Chen is well known for her role as Shen Rong, an enthusiastic and loving teacher in a quiet village, in the popular school drama Good Morning, Sir (1989). The series was such a hit that the character’s nickname and signature catchphrase, “Aiyoyo”, have since become synonymous with Chen.
The actress is also known for her role as the nasi lemak-selling matriarch Mo Wanwan in the long-running drama Holland V (2003). The role won her her first Best Actress prize at the Star Awards – Mediacorp’s annual ceremony celebrating Chinese-language content and performers – in 2003.
Chen has two more Best Actress accolades: for family drama Reunion Dinner (2009) and The Dream Makers (2013), a drama about the entertainment industry.
“Thank you, Singapore TV, and all my fans, for your unwavering support,” she wrote on Jan 3. “You guys are always the ones keeping me going. Without you, there would be no ‘Aiyoyo Chen Liping’ or the beloved classics we’ve created together.”
Chen’s departure came almost three months after her husband, fellow actor Rayson Tan, announced in October 2024 that he had left Mediacorp to become a freelance actor.
“I will support you 100 per cent in any decision you make,” Tan, who turns 60 on Jan 12, wrote in Chinese under his wife’s post.
Chen is starring in Mediacorp’s upcoming blockbuster series Emerald Hill, which will premiere in March. The show is a spin-off of the popular Mandarin series The Little Nyonya (2008 to 2009).
She told Lianhe Zaobao on Jan 3 that she had always been a Mediacorp artiste for the last 40 years. This is even though she had signed with Hype Records for a period, before leaving in 2024. She added that she is currently not signed to any agency. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
