PUBLISHED ONNovember 06, 2026 5:53 PMBYEsther Lam
Having been in the entertainment industry for two decades, Lee Teng recently admitted he had once let success get to his head, before being hit by a painful period marked by both professional and personal setbacks.
The 44-year-old was chatting with local actress Felicia Chin in the second episode of her YouTube series How Are You? uploaded on Nov 1, where the two Victoria Junior College alumni reminisced about their younger days over a meal cooked by Felicia, 42.
Lee Teng recalled it happened between 2016 and 2017.
At the time, he had opened multiple retail outlets and bagged several awards, including repeated wins for Star Awards Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste and a Best Host trophy.
Describing it as a period when he enjoyed both “fame and fortune”, he revealed he had set three goals for himself: Create a signature project he could call his own, win awards and secure brand endorsement deals.
He eventually accomplished the third goal when he landed an endorsement and walked the runway alongside local actress Fann Wong at Singapore Fashion Week 2016.
Looking back, Lee Teng admitted he had become somewhat blinded by his success.
“Back then, I didn’t know. My wife told me afterwards,” he said. “She thought that I’d become a little too full of myself.”
But two years later, Lee Teng found himself facing setbacks both at work and at home.
‘Suddenly, I had nothing’
He recalled that he had hit a rough patch during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly after Star Awards was not held in 2020.
When it returned in 2021, the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artiste category had expanded from having 20 to 30 nominees. Despite previously clinching several wins for it, Lee Teng failed to make the list that year.
He also recalled hosting a programme that went on to win an award, while he himself was not nominated.
“I had everything then after two years, suddenly, I had nothing,” he said.
He added that the disappointment was a “double blow” as his wife Gina Lin also suffered a miscarriage around the same time.
The couple married in 2020 and announced that same year they were expecting their first child, a boy nicknamed Xiao Dou Ya (little bean sprout). Gina later suffered a miscarriage when she was six months pregnant, after returning to Taiwan to prepare for the birth.
The couple are now parents to a son named Ellison, who was born in July last year.
Lee Teng said: “Suddenly falling from the top to the ground, it was a huge blow … both professionally and personally.”
Heshared that amid the hardship, he happened to come across a video of Felicia speaking candidly about her emotions.
Although he could not remember exactly what she had said, he recalled drawing strength from it.
He said: “That’s why I feel what you’re doing is very meaningful. When you face your struggles openly, you won’t realise that you end up helping so many people.”
Embracing parenthood
Lee Teng also showed Felicia his phone wallpaper is now a photo of his baby boy.
On whether he enjoys being a hands-on dad, he admitted that it was tough at first and he initially wanted to “slack off” on parenting duties.
However, he and Gina agreed that he would care for their son in the day while she takes over at night.
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He also revealed that Gina and Ellison share the same birthday after she underwent an emergency C-section.
Lee Teng said his priorities have shifted significantly. His focus now is on working hard, earning a lot of money and providing a good environment for his son.
“You will realise that life is no longer just about yourself. You have to think about more things for your child,” he added.
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