Mediacorp drops DJ Sonia Chew from New Year show as she apologizes amid MND investigation

Mediacorp DJ Sonia Chew, who was supposed to host the upcoming New Year countdown show on prime Singaporean TV, has been dropped from hosting amid investigations into a celebrity party that broke COVID-19 rules.

According to Asia One, the Singaporean entertainment company released a statement as the Ministry of National Defense announced an investigation into the Circuit Breaker violations, saying, “Filming for 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,” he said.

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

Chew was slated to host the party with 987FM DJ Joakim Gomez. He was still slated to host the show, and Jean Danker would reportedly take Chew’s place.

What did Sonia Chew do?

Chan was just one of four celebrities who were caught in a photo in October 2020 flouting COVID-19 rules, as they allegedly celebrated Jeffrey Xu’s 32nd birthday with a large number of people.

All four celebrities, Terence Cao, Jeffrey Xu, Shane Pow, and Sonia Chew, were under Mediacorp management.

The incriminating photo was posted on Xu’s account on October 3, and allegedly showed thirteen people in a home, celebrating an event.

Apologies abound

The celebrities have all posted their own apologies on their social media pages, taking responsibility for their acts and expressing remorse over the celebration.

Chew, on her apology, said that she expected that the gathering at Xu’s place would be a small group, but was ignorant of the actual number of people who arrived. She said that she should have removed herself from the gathering once she saw that there were too many people.

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She also mentioned how her family and friends were in distress over the incident.

Julie Tan also expressed her regrets over what transpired, and posted similarly on her Instagram profile.

In her apology, she also said that she would take full responsibility for her actions and that she made no excuses. Aside from that, she also mentioned that she had failed.

39-year-old Jeremy Chan had also posted on his Instagram account pertaining to the matter.

His post said, “First of all, I would like to say sorry to all Singaporeans. I have made my family, friends and those who support me worry, I am sincerely sorry. It is everyone’s responsibility to maintain social distancing and observe safety measures.”

Lastly, Dawn Yeoh also penned an apology that she posted on social media.

Yeoh said that she was deeply sorry and asked forgiveness to her followers. She said she was cooperating with authorities during the investigation and said that she was growing to be a better person.

Robertson Quay circuit breaker violators permanently banned from working in Singapore

An earlier case of flouting COVID-19 rules involving social gatherings saw a man fined $5,000. Rules said that fines and jail time may be applied for violators depending on case circumstances.

Header image from Sonia Chew’s Instagram account.