Food, pets and actresses — the top four showbiz stories that caught readers’ attention in 2020

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Showbiz headlines have been every bit the awkward mess that is 2020.

While many stories dominated throughout the year, here are readers’ four favourites that top the list of most liked by Malay Mail readers.

Right at the top of the list of Malay Mail’s Showbiz section in 2020 was viral news of a MasterChef Australia judge on the receiving end of brickbats for criticising a contestant’s wonton filling as ‘not crunchy’. 

The judge — Andy Allen — was criticised by Twitter users after he tried finding fault with contestant Brendan Pang’s crispy prawn wontons with a side of garlic and chilli sauce dish.

Malaysian-Australian celebrity chef Adam Liaw, who won the MasterChef Australia season two, defended Pang and drew a reference to the gaffe on MasterChef UK in 2018 where judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode criticised Zaleha Kadir Olpin’s nasi lemak with rendang for not being crispy.

Low lost an arowana, several koi fish and cichlids during the otters’ siege on her spa pond. — Pictures from Facebook/jazreel.low and Hari Anggara

Former Singaporean actress Jazreel Low catching wild otters chomping on her pet fishes, including a prized arowana, was the second most read of the year. 

The 54-year-old had shared photos of the incident that occurred at the Aramsa The Garden Spa owned by Low in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park.

Low, who rose to fame after scoring second runner-up in the talent show Star Search in 1998, also dedicated a post to her 13-year-old arowana Ah Huat, who unfortunately was also killed by the otters.

Scenes featuring Hong Kong actress Jacqueline Wong in Forensic Heroes IV were either reshot or replaced using CG. — Photo via Instagram/jacquelinebwong

A report on scenes from the Forensic Heroes IV television series digitally modified and reshot to remove actress Jacqueline Wong’s appearance made it to the third spot. 

Wong’s scenes were removed after her popularity dipped following her kissing scandal with actor and singer Andy Hui in April last year, while others were reshot with Roxanne Tong replacing her.

Malaysian actress Koe Yeet went on social media to relate how she was harassed at KLIA by security personnel. — Picture via Facebook/ Koe Yeet

Coming in next was news of Malaysian actress Koe Yeet harassed by security personnel at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).

In an Instagram post, Koe said two airport security guards had made suggestive comments towards her as she walked past the customs checkpoint. 

Responding to her complaint, Malaysia Airports apologised and reassured passengers that their frontline personnel are professionally trained to be customer-centric and empathetic.

“This shameful behaviour is certainly not part of our code of ethics and conduct.”