'It's not about whose body is better': Qi Yuwu gets teased for baring his chest on The Star Athlete

One of the first assumptions of a good-looking actor baring his chest is that he wants to show off his hot body, understandably.

Viewers of the ongoing Mediacorp variety show The Star Athlete would notice that there are a few celebrities in there, among which are Qi Yuwu, Jaspers Lai, Lee Teng and Jeremy Chan.

In the latest episode on swimming, Yuwu was the only male celebrity baring his chest and #JustSwipeLah host Juin Teh cheekily asked his co-stars why. 

Lee Teng, 38, humourously suggested that it was "for the benefit for our viewership".

Jaspers, 35, chimed in and further Lee Teng's joke by saying: "He (Yuwu) wanted to show off his body. One word, vain!"

He added jokingly: "If I am bare-chested, I am afraid people will vomit if they are in the midst of eating… Do you want to see?" 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ur_FhJRFaU[/embed]

AsiaOne met Yuwu yesterday (Feb 28) when he led a group of elderly visitors to view the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience at Resorts World Sentosa. Both he and his wife, actress Joanne Peh, are the ambassadors of the exhibition.

When told about Lee Teng's reply, the 46-year-old actor retorted: "Shouldn't Lee Teng have taken off his shirt, if he wanted to boost viewership?"

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When asked the reason for baring his chest on the show, Yuwu clarified that it wasn't down to the fact that he had the best body.

"It's not about whose body is better, as there are many kinds of men in this world. It's just a natural thing in my perspective, not a matter of good or bad," Yuwu said.

"Actually don't most men swim bare-chested? That is always natural for swimming… Even on the beach most men are shirt-less."

He added: "I don't find a need to cover and hide anything. As long as everybody is comfortable and happy, that's enough. It's also not done with the intention to show off." 

Of course, Yuwu doesn't just have a great physique. The physical education graduate is also hailed by his team members as the MVP of the team. His swimming team members commended him: "Yuwu is the hard carry!"

The Star Athlete is a new variety show by Mediacorp that features two teams, led by Qi Yuwu and Lee Teng, which undertake challenges involving specific sports in each episode. The two teams competed in swimming and basketball challenges in the latest episode. The first three episodes are currently streaming on meWATCH.

ALSO READ: 'While entertaining you, I found greater joy myself': Qi Yuwu gets nostalgic celebrating 91-year-old fan's birthday

jolynn.chia@asiaone.com

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