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After going home empty-handed at last year’s Star Awards, the pressure was on this year for YES 933 DJ Gao Mei Gui, 34.

After all, she was the only one of the The Daka Show trio, which includes Chen Ning and Jeff Goh, to not win something. 

Her last Star Award win was for Most Popular Rising Star in 2023.

It's why emotions were high when Mei Gui was named one of the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes last night (July 6), and she promptly burst into tears as she made her way up the stage.

As we approach Mei Gui for a chat about her first Top 10 win, she immediately questions us: "Is it because I was ugly crying!" 

She later tells us she had been uncharacteristically emotional the whole day, and had started tearing as she watched her colleagues receive their awards. By the time Chen Ning won her Top 10 award, Mei Gui was already full-on crying.

"I felt a lot of pressure.  I feel the listeners felt very responsible because last year both my co-hosts won and I didn't. I would love for them to not feel sorry for me. I was still very thankful for all their votes despite not winning."

"Jeff and Chen Ning felt very apologetic too and that made me feel worse because it made me feel apologetic. This year, emotionally, wasn't the easiest," she continued.

While Mei Gui's listeners played a huge part in getting her into the Top 10, the true MVP, she says, is her mum. 

"I'm very grateful for my family. My mum [is not fluent in] English, so when the Captcha tests popped up [when she was trying to vote for me] and she had to select the motorcycle and bicycle images, she couldn't do it. She did not understand what it was asking. On the days when voting wasn't unlimited and it was as simple as clicking a button, she would dutifully do it every day after midnight. She would also make sure to use my dad's phone to do it for him if he fell asleep," chuckles Mei Gui.

"They don't say much, and I'm not home all of the time, but this is how they silently show their love and support for me. It's definitely a must to go for a good meal with them, and my two older brothers."

Three of the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes this year are radio jocks (Mei Gui, Chen Ning, and Chen Biyu), a sign of the rising popularity of DJs. Of this Mei Gui says: "Radio plays an important part in a lot of people's lives. To many, we are like a friend 'cos they hear our voices every day. Listeners would text in and tell us good morning, and we would reply their messages."

"When DJs were included in the popularity awards, I think we were a little hesitant and worried about it. But I believe this is a good way to tell people that radio is still very powerful, we have a presence, and we're happy to be representing radio."

Photos: Mediacorp Photo Unit

Watch Mei Gui's winning moment below.