When former singer Gina Tan was nominated for Star Awards’ Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes, her first reaction wasn’t excitement, it was suspicion.
She genuinely thought it was a scam.
In an interview with Zaobao, the 50-year-old revealed that she initially dismissed the WhatsApp message informing her of the nomination.
Not only did it come from an unfamiliar number, she also found it hard to believe.
After all, Gina only had one Mandarin drama in 2025, I Believe I Can Fly, which made her sceptical.
Things got even more sus when she noticed the sender had enabled disappearing messages, a feature a feature where chats are automatically deleted after a period of time.
It was only after the sender clarified that the feature was turned on by accident, and assured her that no money, links or personal details were involved, that she realised the nomination was legit.
Gina is among 59 nominees for the Top 10 Most Popular Female Artistes, and this marks her very first time in the running.
Taking to Instagram to share the news, she admitted the nomination felt both “grateful” and “a little surreal”, adding that she “never imagined” she would one day be in the race.
She even revealed that she hesitated at first.
“Part of me wondered if I was ready, or if I truly belonged here among all these talented ladies,” she shared, before deciding to embrace the moment, not just for herself, but for those who have been supporting her.
“I didn’t want to turn down the chance for you to show your love and support, and for us to share this little milestone together,” she added.
At home, she already has a solid voting squad. Her husband and two kids have been voting daily, with her son even rallying his friends to support her.
“Many fans have also DM-ed me on social media saying they’ve been voting up to the daily limit. A group of long-time supporters even said they want to set up a fan club to rally votes for me,” she said.
Gina got her start in showbiz at 14 after she was talent-scouted by former actress-model Jazreel Low.
She later became a pop singer under the mentorship of Taiwanese singer Tracy Huang, releasing her debut album You Are So Beautiful, Sister in 1994.
Following the flop of her sophomore album in 1996, she stepped away from the spotlight.
She only made her return in 2017, landing roles in films and dramas such as Mark Lee’s drag queen move Number 1, Mediacorp dramas Lion Mums (2019) and Sunny Side Up (2022).