PUBLISHED ONMarch 07, 2024 8:26 AMByYeo Shu HuiThe latest season of Chinese reality show Sisters Who Make Waves looks to be as exciting and dramatic as the previous ones.
Since season four of the talent competition show ended in July last year, with Taiwanese singer-actress Ella Chen of S.H.E crowned the winner, there have been much speculation on the next group of artistes who would be joining the show.
There were even rumours that Singaporean singer Tanya Chua and Blackpink's Rose would be participating.
After months of speculations, a list of participants emerged on Weibo on March 4, which was then further confirmed when some of the stars were seen setting off to a studio in Changsha for the first filming of the show on March 5.
There are a few familiar faces among the 36 artistes said to be participating this year, representing Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, United States, France and Russia.
Singer Show Lo's ex-girlfriend Grace Chow is one of the participants seen setting off for filming on March 5. The 35-year-old internet celebrity, who shot to fame after exposing Show for his cheating ways in 2020, raised some eyebrows over her participation, as she is not a singer or actress.
A netizen wrote: "What is Grace Chow doing here? An internet celebrity can also participate in a music competition programme, that's quite weak. Production team, please put in more effort."
Nicole Jung from K-pop girl group Kara was also seen at Changsha Huanghua International Airport on Feb 29. According to fancams taken at the airport, the 32-year-old was seen having friendly conversations and interaction with fans who welcomed her to China.
Her participation was well-received by netizens, who reminisced about Kara during their heyday.
A netizen commented: "I am going to watch this!"
"What? Nicole is participating in Sisters Who Make Waves? My Kara, my favourite member was Nicole then, I would definitely support you Nicole!" another netizen wrote.
Nicole also shared a series of photos that she took in Changsha recently on her Instagram account.
Taiwanese actress Kuo Shu-yao, also known as Yao-yao, was spotted getting out of a SUV near the filming location in Changsha on March 1.
The 33-year-old, who was rumoured to be dating Singapore actor Zong Zijie last September, debuted in showbiz as a model, and later turned to singing and acting.
Those who were born in the 1990s or earlier may be familiar with Chinese drama Romance in the Rain (2001), which reunited actors Alec Su, Zhao Wei and Ruby Lin after they first collaborated in My Fair Princess (1998-1999). The drama was broadcasted in Singapore in 2001.
One of the iconic characters in Romance in the Rain is the villainous Wang Xueqin, also known as Aunt Xue, played by actress Wang Lin, 53. She also portrayed actor Dylan Wang's mother Daoming Feng in the 2018 China remake of idol drama Meteor Garden and Xiao Zhan's mother in Sunshine by My Side (2023).
With her memorable performances in dramas and as the oldest participant in Sisters Who Make Waves season 5, Wang Lin is highly anticipated in the show.
She was spotted in Changsha on March 2 and was praised for her youthful looks. On March 5, she was seen in a bright pink pantsuit as she set off for filming.
Actress Zhang Yuxi arrived in Changsha on Feb 29 in preparation to film Sisters Who Make Waves and was seen at the airport.
The 33-year-old, who is best known for her performances in Intense Love (2020) and Stand By Me (2021), had displayed her dancing talents in the past.
On March 5, she was also spotted setting off to film the show and at the hotel later after filming.
Other contestants said to be participating include Taiwanese actress Cheryl Yang, Taiwanese singer Jeannie Hsieh, Chinese singer-actress Qi Wei, Chinese actress Miao Miao and Chinese singer-songwriter Tia Ray.
While Sisters Who Make Waves season 5 does not have an official telecast date yet, it is speculated that the next filming is scheduled on March 25.
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