SHE wears puffed tulle skirts and bows in her hair.
And she’s 27 years old.
That cutesy image may have worked for Taiwanese television host Hudie Jiejie (Mandarin for Butterfly Sister) seven years ago when she entered showbiz.
But with age catching up, we wonder if her shelf life as an artiste is nearing its expiry date.
The star, whose real name is Jian Zhu Ling, told The New Paper over the phone from Taiwan that she doesn’t think about the future much.
“I’ll let nature run its course...I don’t think about how long more I can stay in this industry,” she said in her trademark baby voice.
“My friends joke that I could change my name to Hudie Nainai (Butterfly Grandmother).”
It helps too that she’s rather childish, she said.
“Things that adults think are nonsensical, I find interesting. For example, if someone on TV falls down, I’ll find it funny, just like children will,” she added.
Jian made her name in showbiz first as part of a group of television hosts for a channel catering to children.
She has since moved on to hosting entertainment, travel and food programmes.
Her show Street Snack Searching airs over ETTV (SingTel mio TV Ch 71) on Sundays at 7pm, while another show of hers, Yoyo Tourism, follows at 8pm.
Jian is so popular that in a survey done by an online gaming company in Taiwan this year, she is the only female star in the quiz who received close to 100 per cent support from both male and female respondents.
As a result, Jian pocketed a cool NT$1 million (S$42,700) endorsing the online game in March this year.
Role model for kids
Young children and their parents alike go up to her on the streets for photo opportunities.
“A few times, daddies and mummies have walked away after taking a photo, forgetting to take their children with them,” she recalled.
“Parents have also asked me to record a video on their mobile phones telling their children to listen to their parents.”
Even though age typically works against female artistes, and especially those who sport a cutesy image, Jian regards growing older as “necessary” and “good because your thinking will be more mature”.
“That said, if there is a potion that’ll keep me young forever, I’ll drink it,” she said.
She adopts the same attitude towards her career.
The bubbly host, a dance graduate from Taiwan’s Chinese Culture University, said she’s an accidental celebrity.
She taught dance to children in 2003 but had problems controlling the young ones because her voice made her sound like one of them.
In search of tips, she watched the children’s channel and took part in its talent competition.
But she didn’t realise that selected winners will become the channel’s new hosts.
“It was a surprise to me when I got selected and became a TV host, so I don’t have big ambitions or goals for my career,” she said.
“I’ll make good use of the chances that I’m given now, but if it doesn’t work out, I want to open a stall selling oyster vermicelli because I love eating it.”
In the meantime, she’s sticking to the rules of being a kiddy idol. She doesn’t go clubbing or drinking, or wear revealing swimming costumes when she’s at the beach.
But Jian, who’s usually in T-shirts and jeans away from work, enjoys a sexy get-up once in a while.
“I went on three variety shows where they gave me a makeover to look sexy. I like to change my image sometimes to let people know that I can have a different look too,” she said.
But wouldn’t her young fans be shocked to see their beloved Butterfly Sister like that?
She replied: “The shows are telecast at 10pm, so the kids should be asleep already.”
