'Don’t fall, very far, very tired': Most Popular Female Artiste Xixi Lim had to run onstage for trophy
Out of all the winners of the Most Popular Female Artiste award last night (Apr 21), Xixi Lim’s triumphant moment was one of the most memorable.
The actress-host, 36, who was part of the Outcasts crew presenting the awards show’s seven-hour live commentary backstage, won her first-ever Star Awards trophy.
Unlike most of her fellow nominees who were in the theatre, Xixi was stationed outside the venue where she could hardly hear the celebrations and cheers for the winners.
Let us paint the scene: Xixi’s name is read out by guest presenter Chen Bolin. A pregnant pause. Suddenly, she dramatically bursts in from the theatre’s doors, clutching the front of her red plaid dress. She rushes down the steps and towards the stage at full throttle. She later tells us that she “didn’t even prep” a thank you speech.
“To me, being able to be nominated, I feel it’s a sign that people did not forget about me. I was already very happy with it. Last year, I didn’t manage to win, and I was just like, 'Oh, it’s okay, it’s a fun day for me to dress up and join the rest of the celebs'. That was what I was looking forward to,” says Xixi when we caught up with her for a brief chat after the show.
The booked and busy host, we are told, is heading off to film a #JustSwipeLah video as soon as the Star Awards dust settles.
Xixi certainly made an entrance last night
So what was going through her mind as she was rushing to the stage? Xixi tells us: “Don’t fall, very far, very tired. I wasn’t expecting [the stage] to be that far.”
She animatedly explains: “We couldn’t really hear the name that was being announced because it was very soft. My co-hosts were like 'it’s you, it’s you!' Everybody pushed me forward and I was like 'it’s me? Okay, [the stage is] very far, very far!”. That was the rollercoaster feeling I had.”
Although she was out of breath by the time she had her trophy in hand, Xixi tried her best to speak audibly, so everyone could understand what she was trying to say.
“And then… I actually [forgot to rearrange] my bangs. It was not very intact after running! So when people sent me screenshots of myself on stage giving my speech, I had this ‘open window’ parting in my bangs. I had one job and I really, really, just didn’t take good care of it,” laughs Xixi, who was caught on camera giving her bangs a quick tug during her speech.
Ever the ambassador for self-love, she signed off her winner's moment with a clear and resounding: “I am Xixi, I'm perfect the way I am!”
The message she wishes to send to the audience? Xixi shares: “Regardless of how you look and who you are, you are perfect. Perfect is so subjective, and if you think you are perfect, go with it, be happy with what you have. You need to trust yourself and love yourself before others can love you.”
Lim, A. (2024b, April 22). “Don’t fall, very far, very tired”: Most Popular Female Artiste Xixi Lim had to run onstage for trophy. TODAY. https://www.todayonline.com/8days/dont-fall-very-far-very-tired-most-popular-female-artiste-xixi-lim-had-run-onstage-trophy-2408056