Chinese compere and host Desmond Koh has nothing but praise for actress Fiona Xie.

In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao, he revealed that Fiona is actually a person with "a lot of substance". But she has been misunderstood and perceived as a bimbo without brains. And the pressures of working in an industry with this public misconception about her has led to her taking refuge in her relationships.

Besides revealing this about Fiona, Desmond also recently spilled the beans about six other local actresses in a Lianhe Wanbao report last week - namely, Jeannette Aw, Felicia Chin, Joanne Peh, Jesseca Liu, Rui En and Dawn Yeoh.

He said that Joanne was a smart cookie who was savvy about the ways of the entertainment industry, while Jeannette was the most "real", and the one he felt most comfortable to be around. He was also very straightforward when asked by the Lianhe Wanbao reporter if it was true that Felicia has undergone articial enhancements for her looks. In reply, he nodded his head in agreement.

See what else he had to say about Singapore's most prolific actresses.

	On Jeannette Aw: Desmond said: "She is the one actress among all seven who makes me feel comfortable to be with, and real. After I got to know her, I also found that she is very down-to-earth, and will not go out of her way to cater to anybody. "She also knows her goals. Before I knew her, I heard stories about how her private life was off-limits, but now I understand why after getting to know her. Now I can ask her about her relationships, and she will answer me. "It's about interaction and the level of trust you have with the other person."
	On Fiona Xie: Desmond said: "Fiona is actually a person with inner substance. She reads a lot and know a lot of things. She also writes well and the photos she takes have an artistic slant. "Unfortunately, her forte is in English, while she is forced to strike out in the Chinese entertainment industry." As she can't express herself very well in Chinese, she has to resort to playing up her "bimbotic" image to survive, Desmond added. He said: "She has been seriously misunderstood."
	On Dawn Yeoh: Desmond thinks that Dawn is still a little girl whose biggest asset is her youth. He said: "From what I know of her, she is very lucky as she has the backing of a Japanese manager who is very supportive of her career and has made a lot of plans for her. "Of all the seven actresses, she may not have the most potential, but she certainly does have a lot of opportunities in store as she is still young."
	On Jesseca Liu: Desmond revealed that he and Jesseca get along fine as they can chat with each other. He said: "Furthermore, she and I have a mutual friend in Zhang Yaodong (the actor). When we go scuba-diving, Yaodong will ask her along."
	On Rui En: Desmond sad: "Although we have worked together before, I don't know her very well."
	On Felicia Chin: When a Lianhe Wanbao reporter asked whether Felicia had had plastic surgery done, Desmond nodded his head. And upon further questioning where she had her surgery done, Desmond replied: "Everything from the waist up." When asked why he was so sure, he said: "I am close to the people around her, and I am often in contact with her. Being in such close proximity with her, don't you think I would know if certain things have changed? "Yes, I agree that a person can look better without surgery, and when you have been in the entertainment industry for a long time, you will look better with some make-up tricks. But certain things just cannot be changed." Desmond went on to say: "Why don't you try? One day you suddenly show up with double eyelids, and you tell me you did not have them done. Do you think I will believe you?"
	On Joanne Peh: Desmond thought for a moment before commenting on Joanne, saying: "I feel that she is very smart, and knows how to adapt to suit her environment. She also knows how to handle herself as an artiste and has a lot of street-smarts. She has also grown up and understands how the entertainment circle works." But he insists that he did not say this about Felicia with any ill-will. He said: "If someone were to say all this about me, I would feel very happy!"