She no longer "entertains any delusion that married stars don't cheat".
This veteran star minder, who has worked with international, regional and local celebrities, says: "I used to like this particular singer, who's well-known as a family man... but each time his wife is not in town with him, he'd end up going back to the hotel with two or three hostesses."
She is hesitant about being named because "if you want the dirt, I can give you, but that will mean names are a no-no".
"I'll be putting my rice bowl at risk if word gets around," says the minder, who is in her late 40s.
People who meet her the first time go "oooh" and "ahhh" when the woman presents her name card that reads: Nanny to the Stars.
Flip the card over and she lists some top names in showbiz - both Asian and Western.
"Sex and sleaze" is sometimes part of the deal.
She says: "Okay, not so much like pimping, but I have the contact numbers of some of the top mamasans in town.
"Some of them love to head down to the top nightclubs here and we have to ensure that they get the best room, best service and of course, the best-looking girls."
She adds: "I always make sure that I have a packet each of all the brands of condoms at hand any time."
So, you are wrong if you think that rubbing shoulders with the stars is a big deal, says the minder with a snort.
"The job is hardly glamorous or exciting. You essentially have to do everything from organising the whole trip for an entourage to meeting star demands.
"Often, I feel like pulling my hair out and that's why I now sport a short crop."
And speaking of stars, the big names are easier to manage because "they generally leave us to do our job".
"They expect that we know what they want and all we need to do is ensure that their short schedule here runs smoothly."
Besides, the big stars will have usually have their own minders, who'd see to their personal needs.
Unlike the up-and-coming stars who "sometimes forget they are not there (at the top) yet".
The minder recalls one classic example: "This male singer, who has cut only one successful album, demanded to go on air at every radio station.
"But the thing is, if you have only one song that is popular in four years and no new releases, and you come here every three to four months, who's really interested?"
She adds: "I couldn't even get any media keen enough to consider an interview with him."
In the end, he threw a fit here and refused to turn up at an event at a shopping mall, cut short the trip and returned to Taiwan, demanding that his record company terminate the minder's contract.
"Thank God. I was trying to get out of the contract without having to compensate the company."
This minder worked with several record labels for about 20 years before she decided to go solo and run her own consultancy firm.
"With the rampant downloading of songs over the Internet and piracy control issues, it became harder and pointless to try and promote new album releases," she explains.
"Since I've built up a contact base, I felt it'd be easier to work with some of the stars on an ad-hoc basis. It leaves me time to pursue my other interests."
Her role starts from the minute a star confirms his or her trip to Singapore.
First, hotel suites to book - and that can get quite iffy if the star has a personal preference and the suite is taken up.
She explains: "It's important to make sure that you are good friends with some of the hotels' PR (public relations) people, so that you can call for favours if the need arises."
She once had to "literally plead with a PR head" just to get the desired suite for an international star who insisted on staying in the same suite just because "the view from the bathtub would be inspiring to his music".
"I don't know how that works, but I don't ask, I just get the job done. It didn't help that he was here on a personal visit, so for the hotel, it meant there'd be inconveniences (like hiring extra security personnel) and there's no publicity in return," she says.
In the end, the minder promised very good seats at the superstar's concert for the PR head and her team.
Organising the star's itinerary includes putting together media conferences and interviews.
Then there are meals to order and "for some strange reasons, most of the Asian stars just love Hainanese chicken rice and pandan chiffon cakes".
Beauty regimen tops the list of priorities for the female stars, who can be expected to throw a diva tantrum if anything goes wrong.
"While most of them may have their personal make-up artists or hair stylists, some still request local services," says the minder.
She recalls how one female star was so upset when she could not get celebrity hairstylist David Gan.
"The star refused to take no for an answer and insisted that she was 'famous' enough to demand his time for free," she says.
"But hello, the stylist was in China at that time, what do you expect?"
Eventually, the star was so upset that she refused to speak to the minder directly for the whole trip.
Most of the female stars generally love shopping and it's the minder's job to try and get doors open before or after business hours sometimes.
She says: "It's usually to prevent them from getting mobbed by fans."
Secrets of the trade
1. Know your stars, right down to the private details: You don't want to be caught in the rut. Like, dissing gay men in front of a macho actor, who is actually gay. "My face burned from shame," says the minder.
2. Keep your cool, don't take it personally: Things do go wrong and frustrated people can start shouting. "This diva screamed at me for not filling her tub, I just got it done. Before she left, she bought me a Louis Vuitton handbag that she knew I wanted."
3. Don't panic: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong at the wrong time. "You must be able to think on your feet, there's always a solution somehow." OF A STAR MINDER
This article was first published in The New Paper.
