Everybody, it seems, wants a piece of Fiona Xie.

Sightings here of the one-time Channel 8 darling, said to be living in New York, often spark a frenzy of tweets. Is she out of the country? Wasn't she at Holland Village?

And two years after the 29-year-old former MediaCorp actress quit the blockbuster TV drama Together at the eleventh hour and disappeared from the local showbiz scene, she popped up again.

The first thing Xie exclaimed in a phone interview with The New Paper was an excited "Honey, I'm home".

She's back in town for her first public appearance - a City Chain roadshow to be held tomorrow at 6.30pm at Nex shopping mall in Serangoon, where she'll be prowling the area for hunks in an attempt to find the Ultimate Shirtless Guy.

So is Xie a changed woman then?

Much as everyone craves for a slice of Xie, she shuns the media glare and rarely grants interviews. So rumours and speculation fill the void instead. And they are often nasty in nature.

Like how she's a star-for-hire at private parties and her relationship with a younger man that allows her to live in New York and Hong Kong as a tai-tai.

Private party girl?

She readily responded to the star-for-hire accusation.

Xie said: "Really? I haven't heard about that before. That's odd, because it's libellous.

"Like it or not, female artistes are associated with these kinds of things. I'm not angry but it's insulting.

"We earn our own money through blood, tears and having our freedom curbed. Why would we go to such an extent to sell out?"

In a recent interview with Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News, Xie also denied that she was living off a rich man in New York. She used her own money when she was staying there, she said.

Xie also denied she had quit showbiz two years ago because she was pregnant. She lamented that she wishes her love life could stay out of the limelight.

Shin Min reported that her romance with her Australian-American boyfriend is going well.

The man, who is three years younger, is working in New York and could be transferred to Hong Kong. When that happens, Xie said she will follow him there.

She added to The New Paper: "I don't know when I'll get married. When you are happy, you don't need to have it set in stone. I don't need that validation, and paper doesn't mean bliss."

Meanwhile, keeping her company here is her new mahjong kaki Olinda Cho, the second runner-up of the inaugural season of local reality TV singing series Singapore Idol.

They met doing TV charity shows years ago and Xie said they hang out whenever she's back. They are also working together on several commodities projects.

Xie said she recently learnt how to play mahjong and finds it so addictive she plays it on her iPad too.

Though she's spent the most of the last two years in Hong Kong and New York, Singapore is home.

Xie said she packed her bags back then as she was following her heart and refusing to conform to what society deemed was the right thing to do.

"People think it takes bravery but it makes you vulnerable to just cherish every moment," she said.

"When I made the choice to leave, I considered everything. I have money saved from working 10 years in showbiz, which allows me to embrace life and travel."

She doesn't regret joining showbiz in her teens.

"I'm not one to regret what I do. There is a lesson to learn with every step you take.

"(Being in showbiz) definitely made me wiser and more grounded. It's an uphill battle and I come out scarred but victorious. If you clip my wing, I'll grow a new one and fly higher."

She told us there wasn't a time when she was overseas and felt scared or insecure about her future. That's because she believes nothing is impossible in life.

"Whatever that comes, it will work out," said Xie.

"You just need to change yourself to suit the circumstances and nothing will crush you. I do think of the future but I don't worry about it. Things came along smoothly for me."

But sometimes when the weather got too cold, she would miss home and wonder about the choices she made.

Looked after ailing grandma

Xie returns to Singapore once in a while to visit her family - the longest of which was three months last year when she cared for her ailing grandmother, including changing her diapers and tubes.

It was a life-altering process, Xie recalled, to nurse her and watch her waste away and eventually die. The experience helped her realise the beauty in life and relationships, and to celebrate her youth.

In her years away, the public did not grow tired of the beauty, with social media sites reporting sightings of her shopping in Bugis or browsing in an Orchard Road bookstore, reinforcing talk that she never even left the country.

Xie clarified that she doesn't make a point to hide when she goes out with her friends here, but added there were times when her younger brother read false sightings of her online.

During her travels, Xie said she also discovered her self-worth.

In Hong Kong, she worked as a producer with Polish photographer Tomasz Gudzowaty, who takes black and white documentary photos.

Xie said she took care of everything from logistics to permits applications. Being in front of the camera for 10 years helped her become aware of what needs to be done, she added.

"The projects I did made me realise there are things I could do besides acting and hosting, and also how much experience I have.

"It was a level playing field overseas. There was so much I could try and do, and it opened my eyes to a lot of new opportunities and growth. The job gave me a lot of satisfaction and it was financially rewarding too."

After a year in Hong Kong, Xie moved to New York, where she attended classes in creativity, art and fashion for her own interest and to meet new people. She also dabbled in property and commodities projects. Before she returned to Singapore earlier this week, she was visiting friends in Australia.

But whether it's here or Down Under, Xie discovered people still recognise her - some of the food programmes she hosted when she was working for MediaCorp were aired in Australia.

"I thought when I'm out of sight, I'll be out of mind. But I was quite surprised Singaporeans tell me they miss me when they see me on my visits home.

"I get a fuzzy wuzzy feeling in my heart...I really miss my family, Singapore, and the liveliness and warmth of people who greet me like they've known me for 20 years."

Xie revealed she doesn't crave for anonymity, that she willingly chose the life of a celebrity, and being recognised is part of the job.

Sometimes you want your space back but it doesn't translate to anger or hatred, she added. It's an acquired acceptance.

In the meantime, she's in talks to act in a new movie, but declined to give any more details. She's also not making plans to return here for good.

"I made a decision to leave and I don't want to make a crazy rush back," said Xie.

This article was first published in The New Paper.