Synopsis: The Straits Times examines the ins and outs of pop culture in the Asian entertainment and Hollywood industries.
Podcaster: Jan Lee
Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.
Podcast editor Ernest Luis introduces The Straits Times’ news commentary podcasts, highlighting their format and accessibility on various audio apps, enabling listeners to stay informed while multitasking.
29 Aug 2024
S1E1: Get a headstart in your finances & career from our new ST podcast
Here's a sneak peek into our rebranded podcast channel.
Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, get a headstart in your personal finance and career with The Straits Times.
Our previous Money and Career podcast channel is now rebranded HeadSTart on Record, taking on a fresher and sharper approach on how to chase your aspirations and grow your money.
Hosts Sue-Ann Tan and Tay Hong Yi will speak with guests on how to navigate jobs and finances in a daunting, complex world.
Hong Yi has been covering manpower and talent topics for ST, with a focus on careers, the job market and workforce trends.
Sue-Ann will look at how to invest your money and the delicate balancing act between saving and living. Sept 2 Monday sees her first episode dropping across our audio platforms and the ST app.
Stay tuned for more episodes on chewy topics like how far would you go for your pay cheque and how you can invest from age 18.
Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa (https://str.sg/mvSa)
Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X (https://str.sg/A86X)
Read Tay Hong Yi's articles: https://str.sg/w6cz (https://str.sg/w6cz)
Follow Tay Hong Yi on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/D6vT (https://str.sg/D6vT)
Get business/career tips in ST's HeadSTart newsletter: str.sg/headstart-nl (http://str.sg/headstart-nl)
Produced by: Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg (mailto:suetan@sph.com.sg)), Tay Hong Yi (hytay@sph.com.sg (mailto:hytay@sph.com.sg)), Ernest Luis and Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow HeadSTart On Record Podcast channel here:
Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m (https://str.sg/wB2m)
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3 (https://str.sg/wuN3)
Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9 (https://str.sg/wBr9)
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg (mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg)
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Follow more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 (https://str.sg/wvz7)
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts (http://str.sg/stpodcasts)
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa (https://str.sg/4Vwsa)
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Get ST's app (with a dedicated podcast player section):
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB (https://str.sg/icyB)
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX (https://str.sg/icyX)
#moneycareer #stpodcasttr
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
23 May 2024
S1E2: The story of Kangxi Coming, the little Taiwanese talk show heard around the world
How a variety talk show with one of the oddest hosting pairings became one of the most successful in the Chinese language entertainment scene.
Synopsis: How Did We Get Here is a new scripted series under the #PopVultures banner, which will take a look in each episode about a celebrity, a band or the cast of a movie or film that made an impact on Asian entertainment and how they got to where they are now.
If you follow Chinese-language entertainment, there is a good chance you have heard of the variety series Kang Xi Lai Le, also known as Mr Con & Ms Csi or Kangxi Coming.
The light-hearted Taiwanese talk show, which ran from 2004 till 2016, is easily one of the most successful talk shows of all time in Chinese-language entertainment - a staple of Taiwanese television that continues to make people laugh even eight years after the end of its run.
The show began as a wacky experiment, by pairing the intellectual and cultured Kevin Tsai and the wild, funny Dee Hsu as hosts in one programme. Their chemistry was magic and the show consistently maintained high ratings throughout its run.
Not only was it a hot spot for celebrities to come on and promote themselves and their projects, the show even attracted personalities like politicians - former Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou and social commentator, critic and historian Li Ao.
Even with its varied line-up of guests, the hosts never switched up their style - a mix of inane and sometimes raunchy questions about underwear and farts, lots of banter and good-natured mocking.
Now, 20 years after its debut and eight years after its last of close to 3,000 episodes aired, its legacy and impact remain - with some clips of the show going viral even today. Many fans are still clamouring for the show to make a comeback.
#PopVultures host Jan Lee discusses exactly how we got here.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:00 Introduction and an update about a possible Kangxi Coming relaunch
4:19 The show’s inception and how complete opposites Kevin Tsai and Dee Hsu came to be paired together
12:50 The first episode of Kangxi Coming and why it became so popular
17:33 The show’s evolution over the years and the introduction of assistant host Hank Chen
23:31 How Kangxi Coming managed to capture Chinese audiences despite a tight budget
29:49 The show coming to an end
34:53 Kangxi Coming’s resounding legacy till today
37:15 What are Dee Hsu, Kevin Tsai and Hank Chen up to today?
Produced by: Jan Lee (janlee@sph.com.sg (mailto:janlee@sph.com.sg)) Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow #PopVultures Podcast episodes here every month:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWad (https://str.sg/JWad)
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaA (https://str.sg/JWaA)
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaP (https://str.sg/JWaP)
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg (mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg)
Follow Jan Lee on Instagram: https://str.sg/Jbxc (https://str.sg/Jbxc)
Read Jan Lee's articles: https://str.sg/Jbxp (https://str.sg/Jbxp)
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 (https://str.sg/wvz7)
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u (https://str.sg/wEr7u)
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE (https://str.sg/iTtE)
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 (https://str.sg/JWa7)
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN (https://str.sg/JWaN)
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf (https://str.sg/JWaf)
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m (https://str.sg/wB2m)
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE (https://str.sg/JWRE)
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad (https://str.sg/JWad)
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX (https://str.sg/w9TX)
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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts (http://str.sg/stpodcasts)
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa (https://str.sg/4Vwsa)
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T (https://str.sg/i44T)
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 (https://str.sg/wuZ2)
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn (https://str.sg/wuZn)
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB (https://str.sg/wuZB)
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa (https://str.sg/wuJa)
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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB (https://str.sg/icyB)
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX (https://str.sg/icyX)
#PV #HDWGH
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
459,929,262
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
52
Social presence
0
YouTube
93
Engagement
68
Contact #PopVultures
Guest appearances
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