CHINESE actress Vicki Zhao was spotted visiting a beauty and slimming centre here yesterday.

The elusive star left by the back door of a Mary Chia Beauty and Slimming Specialist outlet at Goldhill Centre, along Thomson Road. It was about 4.45pm.

Wearing sunglasses, a black leaf-print dress and white slippers, she carried an umbrella in one hand and a mobile phone in the other.

Zhao, 34, who gave birth to a baby girl three months ago in Singapore at Gleaneagles Hospital, was accompanied by her mother.

When approached by reporters, she would only say in Mandarin that she was at the centre to “see friends”.

She would not comment when asked if she was going to be a spokesman for the centre, if she was undergoing treatment there, if her child was in Singapore or even if she would be releasing a film soon.

As photographers snapped away, Zhao said: “You cannot take. I thought there was no paparazzi (here).”

She then entered a black multi-purpose vehicle waiting for her along the road and took off.

A Mary Chia client who wanted to be known only as Ms Tan, 28, said she saw Zhao enter the centre through the back door at about 2.45pm.

The administrative assistant said: “At first, I was curious why the customer entered from the back door. Then I recognised her.”

Ms Tan added: “The staff member passed her a membership card and she was led into a treatment room, wearing a treatment gown.”

When approached, Ms Irene Goh, the centre’s branch manager, said Zhao was not a spokesman, but would not comment if she was a customer.

She said: “We do not divulge secrets related to our customers.”

But she said the centre sees many celebrities whom they consider “friends”

This article was first published in The New Paper.