Mediacorp Drops Sonia Chew As Host of Countdown Show Due to COVID-19 Probe of Mass Gathering

On 3 Oct, a group of 13 local celebrities got together for a birthday bash, and uploaded pictures of the celebration to social media.

Attendees included Terence Cao, Shane Pow, Julie Tan, Sonia Chew, and Jeffrey Xu.

The problem with this event is that it took place on 3 Oct 2020, at a time when the coronavirus was still raging around the world and social gatherings here were limited to five participants.

After the incident came to light, Mediacorp apologised on behalf of three of their artistes, saying they “deeply regret their actions”.

One of the celebrities involved, 987FM’s Sonia Chew, later apologised on Instagram for flouting Covid-19 rules.

However, it seems that she’ll still have to pay for her actions.

Mediacorp Drops Sonia Chew As Host of Countdown Show Due to COVID-19 Probe of Mass Gathering

Radio DJ Sonia Chew has been dropped by Mediacorp as the host of its annual countdown show after she was caught breaching regulations on social gatherings.

Chew was supposed to host the show, Let’s Celebrate 2021, with her fellow 987FM DJ Joakim Gomez.

The annual show which celebrates the arrival of the new year will be screened online and on Mediacorp’s channels.

According to The New Paper, Chew is now being investigated for her breach of Covid-19 regulations after she was caught in a gathering to celebrate Mediacorp artiste Jeffrey Xu’s 32nd birthday.

Speaking to TNP, a Mediacorp spokesman said it takes the matter seriously and constantly reminds its artistes to adhere to safe management guidelines.

The spokesman confirmed that Class 95’s Jean Danker will take Chew’s place, and host the show alongside Gomez.

They also assured residents that Let’s Celebrate 2021 was conducted in accordance with IMDA (Infocomm Media Development Authority) guidelines, which allows no more than 20 onscreen talents unmasked during production.

“We would like to assure you that safety remains a priority, and that safe management measures are in place for Let’s Celebrate 2021.”

According to TNP,  Chew was also featured in commercials as part of a Sentosa campaign on Mediacorp’s free-to-air platforms.

The commercials have since ended, and Sentosa is looking into the matter with Mediacorp.

“A Severe Lapse of Judgement”

On Sunday (27 Dec), Chew posted an apology on Instagram, saying her involvement in the gathering was a “severe lapse of judgement”.

The 29-year-old said she wasn’t even aware she’d be attending a birthday party when she was invited.

“I was invited to have drinks with what I understood to be a small group of people and was not aware it was a birthday celebration”, she said.

Nevertheless, she said this was no excuse, and that she should have removed herself from the situation upon seeing there were more than five people present.

“It’s not in my nature to cause trouble or partake in any activities that would put people at risk. It was a severe lapse of judgment on my part in this case and from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry,” she said at the end of her post.

The other celebrities involved apologised for attending the event as well. You can read more about it here. 

Featured Image: Instagram (Jeffrey Xu)