Gossip mill: Former leading man Ma Jingtao spotted singing at a village wedding dinner - and other entertainment news this week

FORMER LEADING MAN MA JINGTAO SPOTTED SINGING AT A VILLAGE WEDDING DINNER

Imagine attending a friend's wedding dinner and in strides your former TV idol as the entertainment for the night.

Guests were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime performance when Taiwanese actor Ma Jingtao did just that for a village wedding on Thursday (Jan 16).

For some netizens, the job doesn't appear to match his illustrious career, and they suspect he hadn't received any acting roles in a while, hence the need to take on such performances.

Nevertheless, the 57-year-old doesn't come cheap. He reportedly earned around RMB 300,000 (S$58,900) from that one performance!

JEANETTE AW SENDS OPEN PLEA FOR HELP

PHOTO: Instagram/ jeanetteaw

After spending three months in cool Tokyo, followed by 10 days in sunny Singapore, Jeanette Aw has jet-setted once more, this time to snowy Beijing, where she'll remain for the next few months.

The idea of it seemed great and all, until the actress found herself a slave to the weather.

Since her arrival there, the 40-year-old actress has already suffered from diarrhoea, vomiting bouts and a sore throat, she said in her Instagram Story.

On Thursday (Jan 16), she posted an open plea for tips on how to acclimatise fast. Her supporters were quick to reply with some of their tried-and-tested remedies (lots of warm water, probiotics). Let's hope Jeanette feels better soon!

PHOTO: Screenshot from Instagram/jeanetteaw
PHOTO: Screenshot from Instagram/jeanetteaw

DID DAMIAN LAU SUFFER A STROKE?

PHOTO: Weibo/时尚小萌主

When 70-year-old Hong Kong actor Damian Lau was spotted walking around with the help of a cane on Wednesday (Jan 15), rumours of the actor suffering from a stroke emerged.

When approached by reporters, Damian brushed it off, citing that it was just an injury. However, when asked about his recovery, he paused for a while before replying grudgingly: "I hope I'm recovering!"

Despite his assurances, fans fear the actor might be downplaying the severity of the issue.

According to an insider source cited in media reports, the actor was in a worse state just a few months before. "When he attended a friend's party, his hands were trembling really badly and he was unable to articulate. He was also so skinny that even his hair thinned out."

ALSO READ: Gossip mill: Mandopop king Jay Chou brings mummy dearest sightseeing in Singapore - and other entertainment news this week

rainercheung@asiaone.com