Singapore — What began as an eight-hour hunt across Singapore ended with an emotional reunion between two of the country’s most familiar television faces.
Veteran actresses Zoe Tay and Aileen Tan, whose friendship dates back to the inaugural Star Search competition in 1988, recently revisited nearly four decades of shared memories — from their early television days to mahjong sessions, yoga and their latest drama collaboration.
The reunion was featured in CNA Insider’s Meet Me There, where Tay was given just eight hours, an EZ-Link card and one cryptic clue: find Tan at a location that held special meaning for both of them.
And Tay’s first guess seemed almost too obvious.
She went straight to Tan’s home, convinced that her longtime friend would be there because mahjong had become an important part of their friendship.
Tay even joked that she could smell Tan’s soup cooking.
But Tan was nowhere to be found.
From Star Search competitors to lifelong friends
The two actresses first crossed paths in 1988, when they were competitors in Singapore’s first Star Search.
Tay emerged as the champion, while Tan finished as first runner-up. They later joined forces with fellow finalist Jazreel Low in My Fair Ladies, a drama created for the inaugural Star Search participants.
Their friendship, however, did not immediately become as close as it is today.
Tan recalled that both actresses were busy when they were younger and did not spend much time together outside work. It was only over roughly the past decade that their friendship gradually deepened.
One unexpected bonding activity played a major role: mahjong.
Tan’s home became a place where the actresses and their friends could relax away from the pressures of being public figures. Tay said playing mahjong allowed people to reveal their personalities, describing Tan as gracious and easy-going whether she won or lost.
Their relationship also grew beyond the mahjong table. Tay recalled Tan visiting her mother and bringing food, while Tan became close to Tay’s children and even travelled overseas with the family.
Tay retraces Singapore’s television history
After failing to find Tan at her home, Tay continued her search at places connected to their careers.
She returned to the former Caldecott Broadcast Centre, where she had submitted her Star Search application and where she first met Tan.
For Tay, the location represented an important chapter in Singapore television history. She described the 1980s and 1990s as a golden period for local television dramas, when audiences followed their favourite shows so closely that actors were often stopped on the streets and asked about upcoming storylines.
Tay then headed to HarbourFront Centre, formerly the World Trade Centre, where the 1988 Star Search finals were held.
But once again, Tan was not there.
The search continued to a hot yoga studio at Millenia Walk, another place where the two actresses had developed a habit of exercising together and chatting after class.
Still no Tan.
By then, Tay had already spent almost five hours searching.
The final clue came from an unexpected memory
With time running out, Tay finally remembered another significant location — the Ann Siang Hill/Maxwell Road area, where she and Tan had filmed the drama Kid U Not.
This time, Tay got it right.
She finally found Tan and exclaimed, “I found her. Tong Tong!”
The reunion was more than simply the conclusion of a television challenge. It brought the actresses back to another important chapter of their careers.
More than three decades after their Star Search days, Tay and Tan had reunited as co-stars in Kid U Not, alongside Marcus Chin. Mediacorp describes the series as a story about three older friends who are given a second chance at life after encountering a mysterious teahouse.
Tan said she had not expected to get another opportunity to work with Tay.
That sentiment carried extra weight because both actresses acknowledged that, after so many years in the industry, they cannot assume they will always have opportunities to work together.
A friendship that survived four decades
The emotional heart of the reunion was not the search itself, but what Tay discovered while retracing their history.
She said the experience allowed both women to understand their friendship from each other’s perspective in a deeper way.
Their story also echoes a pattern seen throughout their careers: from Star Search rivals to television colleagues, from busy young actresses to longtime friends, and eventually to co-stars again decades later.
Their shared history has remained part of Singapore’s entertainment landscape.
In 2024, Tay and Tan were also seen reminiscing about their 1988 debut after hearing a song that reminded them of filming My Fair Ladies. The two recalled singing the song during their journeys to filming locations and even called out to their former Star Search colleague Jazreel Low.
Tan, who has continued working steadily in television, said in a 2026 interview with The Straits Times that she has no intention of retiring and remains grateful for opportunities to take on major roles. Her career has now spanned more than three decades and more than 80 television series.
For Tay and Tan, however, perhaps the most enduring role is simply being each other’s “sister”.
After almost 40 years, they say they intend to keep appreciating their friendship as they grow older — with mahjong apparently still part of the plan.
And when Tan joked that they should continue playing mahjong to help ward off dementia, Tay offered a simple reassurance: she would not forget her friend, and they would take care of each other.
The bigger story isn’t that Zoe Tay finally found Aileen Tan. It’s that after nearly 40 years, she discovered just how much their friendship had endured.
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