Malaysian broadcaster TV3 and entertainment programme Melodi faced severe backlash after a tense moment unfolded during their award show Anugerah Melodi Terhangat 2025 (2025 Melodi Hottest Awards) on 3 Aug 2025.
Singer-actress Bella Astillah, 31, was positioned on stage to present the Hottest Female Celebrity award alongside her boyfriend, 32-year-old politician and Muar Member of Parliament Syed Saddiq bin Syed Abdul Rahman.
The livestreamed entertainment award show took place in Putrajaya.
Awkward Award Presentation Sparks Controversy
When Bella unfolded the result slip, a long pause followed as she laughed awkwardly. She remarked in Malay, “This one… I know this one very well.”
The winner was actress Sophia Albarakbah, 32, whom Bella had publicly called out in 2023 for allegedly flirting with her then-husband, Singaporean actor Aliff Aziz.
Bella handed Sophia the award without making eye contact and swiftly turned to walk away.
The tension between both women stemmed from events in 2023 when Sophia and Aliff, now 34, were co-stars in the drama Ku Akad Kau Dengan Bismillah.
Bella had alleged that Sophia flirted with Aliff and would call him up to eight times a day. She revealed text messages between herself and Sophia, claiming the actress apologised for “accidentally falling for” Aliff.
Aliff and Bella got married in 2016 and split in 2019 but reconciled the following year. They have two children together.
The couple divorced for the second time in Jun 2024 after Aliff had a publicised scandal with his Terjerat co-star Ruhainies.
Public Backlash Against TV3 and Melodi
Angry netizens flooded the comments section of Melodi’s Instagram posts, criticising the organisers for the insensitive arrangement.
“I’m boycotting TV3 and Melodi. Definitely won’t see the show again after this,” said one netizen.
“You must’ve thought it was funny right? You were bored and there was nothing else to make a controversy out of. Don’t be so childish… Did you have to go this far?” another questioned.
Users also expressed their distaste on X under the award show’s hashtag. One remarked: “Just looking for cheap publicity. Shame on you.”
“Shame on you [Melodi]! Please make an open apology to Bella for not taking care of her sensitivity,” one user commented.
“Please don’t use people’s pain and trauma as a stepping stone to increase ratings. So rude and insensitive,” another added.
Others expressed sympathy for Bella, whom they felt had looked anxious and uncomfortable during the presentation.
Bella reportedly did not attend a scheduled interview with the media after the event, further fuelling beliefs that the incident had affected her negatively.
In response to netizens who believed they saw tension between the two women on stage, Sophia reportedly said she didn’t take the comments to heart.
She added she didn’t feel like she was being mocked by Bella, according to New Straits Times. “Maybe it was just her way of saying it, because she does know me. It was her delivery, that’s all.”
Bella’s assistant Niel Rafeq spoke out in support of her through an Instagram Story.
“Only her closest friends know what she did to Bella back then. That was not Bella’s [usual] way of handing an award but perhaps it happened that way because the person gave her trauma. She was shaking because she’s traumatised,” he said.
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