It’s been years since we last set foot in a school. And the first thing that makes us feel like a student again — not to mention grossly overage too — when we step into Temasek Polytechnic’s Business School canteen is how cheap the food is. “$2.50!” says the ban mian auntie when we ask her how much a bowl of her piping hot noodles costs.

We can’t remember the last time we paid that little for a meal and we have Star Search to thank for it. 8days.sg has just joined Dasmond Koh and Quan Yifeng for lunch at TP where the pair have been scouring the sprawling campus since 9.30am for potential Star Search contestants.

In case you haven’t heard, the talent contest is making a comeback after nine years — yes, it’s been that long since Jeffrey Xu was crowned champ. Star Search has been Mediacorp’s most reliable star-making factory for more than three decades: Zoe Tay won the competition in 1988 as did Chew Chor Meng in 1991. Retired three-time Best Actress winner Ivy Lee came in first in 1993 while Jacelyn Tay was named champ in 1995 along with Ix Shen. Vivian Lai crushed her competition in 1997 like how Felicia Chin and Andie Chen did to theirs in 2003 and 2007 respectively. Other stars who have also emerged from Star Search include Aileen Tan (1988), Lina Ng (1993), Christopher Lee and Phyllis Quek (1995), Qi Yuwu (1997), Priscelia Chan (1999), Desmond Tan and Ya Hui (2007) and Romeo Tan (2010).

And that’s why Yifeng and Dasmond are taking their jobs very seriously today. They have the credentials for sure. Dasmond is the boss of NoonTalk Media and is the mentor to stars like Xu Bin, Kimberly Chia and Zong Zijie. Yifeng, apart from being the host of the last two Star Search finals, also knows a thing or two about cultivating talent — she’s the mother of rising star Eleanor Lee.

Today’s Temasek Poly excursion is the 7th location on a 10-date star searching sojourn, where Yifeng and gang descend on schools like ITE College Central, Republic Poly and Ngee Ann Poly, as well as young people breeding grounds like Orchard Road and Bugis. Yifeng has also taken on the task of head talent scouter while Dasmond and Fly Entertainment honcho Irene Ang take turns joining her.
 

And the Star Awards 2019 Best Host is sure no time waster. Yifeng, who had earlier excused herself to go to the loo during lunch, returns with a boyish guy who looks like he had just walked into the wrong lecture theatre. “We saw him just now! And I bumped into him again,” she tells a member of the production crew. “You leave your number with us and then we contact you later, okay?” she tells the guy whose dumbfounded expression never leaves his face the whole time.

People who say that young Singaporeans aren’t familiar with local stars anymore clearly have not walked around a school with Yifeng and Dasmond. Everywhere we go, the pair are inundated with selfie requests. One girl walks up to Yifeng and introduces herself as the daughter of one of Yifeng’s friends. The host takes a step back and gasps dramatically, “Wow! You are so big now!” Another girl approaches Dasmond for a chat as if they are long-lost pals. When we ask Das later how he knows her, he says he doesn’t. She had told him that she had signed up for Star Search’s open auditions on May 4 at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza.

The students that Yifeng and Dasmond scout today aren’t getting a free pass to the finals contrary to popular belief. What they receive is a golden ticket or an express pass for the open auditions. That means they get a makeover and also get to skip the queue of Star Search hopefuls during the auditions. It's an important head start and we all know that in showbiz, you should treasure any advantage you get.


 

Watching Das and Yifeng in star searching action is like watching a NatGeo doc on hawks hunting their prey. They don’t even have to be subtle about it. After all an emailer was sent out to inform the students that Star Search was coming to TP to scout for future stars. Some students shyly avoid Yifeng and Dasmond’s gaze and quickly dart out of the camera's way. While there are others who look, smile and wave. Not because they want to be scouted but ’cos they are genuinely excited to see the stars. “Oh, I think they are here for Star Search…” we heard a few students excitedly saying to one another. Then there are a few students who we spot always lurking near us the whole time we make our way around TP. It’s clear they want to be ‘spotted’ by Das and Yifeng, but alas, it’s not their day.

Many of these students have actually not heard of Star Search until this week — they were probably just six or so when Jeffrey hoisted the trophy. And even if the next Zoe Tay is not found today, it’s okay. The goal, more than anything, is to bring awareness to the younger generation about Star Search. And judging from today’s response? Mission accomplished.
 

This striking Nepalese student catches the attention of Yifeng and Dasmond in the School Of Design canteen. Pity then that she doesn’t speak Mandarin, which is a criteria for Star Search contestants. “Yeah, really too bad, if not we will surely get her [to join],” Das sighs.

 

Golden Ticket time! The first person we witness receiving the express pass is this shy, floppy-haired aerospace electronics student called Gui Long Zi. The boyish 18-year-old hails from Hebei, China and he had totally no idea Yifeng and Das were scouting for talent in campus today. We believe him. He was happily tucking into his bowl of beef noodles at the Engineering canteen when the hosts approach him. And he remains pretty much in a caught-off-guard state during the entire Q&A sesh so much so that when a member of the production crew passes him a golden balloon — which kinda symbolises the golden ticket — it slips from his fingers and floats right for the ceiling fan. The balloon pops loudly and its flaccid body gets caught in the fan’s blades, causing the machine to stall. Oops.

 

The Engineering canteen proves to be quite the goldmine today. Das and Yifeng see fresh-faced 20-year-old Rachel Tan, who is doing a diploma in green building and sustainability, just as we are leaving the canteen. “You look like just like a young Paige Chua,” exclaims Yifeng. The producer whispers to us that Paige had been a stage escort for the Star Awards many years ago and that this girl looks exactly like how Paige did back then.

“Your double eyelids are a bit not balanced but they can always be fixed when you enter showbiz,” offers reality check master Dasmond. But Rachel receives a golden ticket nonetheless and we’ll be seeing her on May 4.

 

“How long did you take to tie your hair?” Dasmond asks a pretty girl with intricately-tied pigtails who he spots at the Atrium. “Five minutes,” she replies with a bewildered look her face. We’re surprised the 17-year-old doesn’t receive an express pass but she may still show up for the open auditions. She tells 8days.sg that she has no idea” what Star Search is but when we ask her if she is interested in becoming a star, she says: “Yes, doesn’t everyone?”

 

We’re taking a break from all the talent-scouting and are chilling at the Atrium when a member of the production team runs up to Dasmond to ask him to see if a girl sitting with her back facing us has Star Search potential. He gets up, takes a peek and nods. And the crew springs into action. The girl looks genuinely surprised when Das and Yifeng approach her. She stands up and this time it’s the hosts’ turn to be surprised because Girl. Is. Tall. Turns out, she’s a national volleyball player who recently graduated with a diploma in marketing from TP. Her name is Tang Kim Choo and she tells Das and Yifeng that she’s currently looking for a job. “Great time to join Star Search then,” offers the very goal-oriented Yifeng.

The 23-year-old receives an express pass much to her surprise… and delight. “I thought it was just a chat so I didn’t expect this,” she tells us, beaming. We ask her if she has ever thought of being a star and she says she “doesn’t mind”. “But I’m an introvert, so I’ve never actually thought about it,” she adds.

Well, we’ll be seeing her at the open auditions for sure and who knows, she might just be Ch 8’s next big thing.

If you think you have what it takes to be the next Zoe Tay or Christopher Lee, head down to the Star Search auditions on May 4, Saturday, 10am -7pm at Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza or May 12, Sunday, 10am – 7pm at Bugis+ Level 2 Atrium. For more details, log on to http://8world.com/StarSearch2019
Also check out our Instagram @8dayssg for videos of our Temasek Poly excursion with Yifeng and Dasmond.