Звезда теледрам из Гонконга призналась, что в начале карьеры не имела средств и подвергалась клевете

Hong Kong actress Samantha Ko is one of the city's most recognisable television stars of the modern era. Since making her acting debut in 2010, the 39-year-old has built an impressive portfolio, starring in dramas including Outbound Love (2014), Love As A Predatory Affair (2016), Battle Of The Seven Sisters (2021) and more. She reached a career high in January 2024 when she won Best Supporting Actress at the TVB Anniversary Awards for her performance in the hit drama The Queen Of News (2023). But behind her success lies a difficult journey, marked by challenges that even made her consider walking away from showbiz at one point. In a recent interview with HK01, Ko revealed she had no income while competing in the 2008 Miss Hong Kong pageant, where she eventually finished in the top five. During that period, the TVB star had to rely on her parents for financial support. "I remember when Suki Chui (Hong Kong actress) got married, the standard rate for a wedding gift at the time was HK$800 (RM412), but I had only a little over HK$600 (RM309) in my bank account. "I could only withdraw HK$600 to give her, so I felt really embarrassed… But that was everything I had," she said. On top of the financial hardship, Ko had to deal with rumours alleging she had breast augmentation to achieve a voluptuous figure. She was also the subject of fabricated tabloid reports claiming she was being supported by a wealthy businessman and had suddenly become rich. "At that time, I felt like everyone was targeting me," she said. Years later, Ko received a personal apology from a reporter who admitted that the allegations about her being supported by a wealthy businessman were untrue. The reporter told her they had simply followed their superiors' orders to write the stories, as the reports could boost the magazine's sales. The rumours also affected Ko's family, particularly her father, who blamed himself for being unable to protect his daughter. She recalled him saying that the family did not have any powerful connections, which was why others felt they could publish false stories about her. "For a while, I seriously considered not doing this job anymore," she said.