After a long hiatus, Sire Ma (馬賽) will soon be returning to the small screen to host a TVB Mandarin program. Despite rumors that she was blacklisted by the company after her lesbian love scandal, the 26-year-old denies losing favor with the higher-ups and insists that TVB is continuing to nurture her career. Once a heavily promoted artiste, Sire quickly fell from grace last year after failed attempts to cover-up a dramatic love triangle between herself, Mainland producer Wang Ziqi (汪子琦), and Chinese-American businesswoman Laura Lee. The public became outraged by Sire’s repeated denials when intimate video evidence surfaced, and the issue was further escalated when Laura alleged that Sire was the third wheel while Ziqi labeled her a liar. TVB ordered Sire to take a two-month break following the incident, prompting rumors that she has been frozen by the company. Although executive Virginia Lok (樂易玲) later arranged a public apology and stated that she is still under their contract, Sire has maintained a low profile for most of 2014 waiting to make a comeback. Ready to put her back to work, TVB has recently assigned her to cover the upcoming World Cup competition along with her idol colleagues. The company is also giving her a chance to make regular TV appearances by making her the host of a Mandarin-language program on the TVB Entertainment channel. Speaking at a public event on June 2, Sire expressed excitement over her new gig and is thankful for the opportunity. Despite having to rebuild her career from the bottom up, she praised TVB for their care and feels that their latest assignment is unrelated to her past scandal. Briefly studying communications before her industry debut, Sire is currently refreshing her presentation skills and finds this challenge a good way to shape herself into a well-rounded entertainer. “I used to be afraid of speaking, but now I feel more confident about being a host. Different types of work provide different challenges and learning experiences. I hope to become an all-around artiste.” Creds: Oriental Daily
