Ousted Singapore Idol Maia Lee brushes off talk of 'romance' with Sylvester Sim
By Elisa Chia, TODAY
SINGAPORE : Ousted Idol hopeful Maia Lee insists that her relationship with Sylvester Sim is nothing more than friendship; they are "just very good friends".
The Singapore Idol finalists were caught by TODAY's camera, behaving intimately in between a music video taping last week. It sparked off rumours that romance is blossoming between the two.
Maia, however, is said to be engaged to a drummer from her previous band.
Prior to that, the 21-year-old also stood out from the other contestants as the single mother with nine tattoos.
Did the chain of bad publicity ruin her chance to become Singapore's very first Idol? Maia garnered the fewest votes from television viewers last week and became the fifth contestant to be booted from the final 11.
"I won't blame it on the rumours or whatever. It happened, it happened," she replied coolly in an interview yesterday. Well, as cool as one could be when one's nursing a blocked nose.
Still, the exit had come as quite a shock to her.
"The first thing I felt (when the results were read) was fury," said the lead singer of amateur band The Usual Suspects, which released its second album last month.
Maia said she thought she could go far — "I was hoping for a top two position."
With who?
"Sylvester," she replied with a smile. "Because he has his own style. He's rock-ish and can do R&B. He has the whole package lah."
Despite their rumoured romance, she had no qualms talking about Sylvester, 21.
Asked why she hit it off with him, she laughed and said: "Our frequency level's the same Â… although I couldn't stand him when we first met.
"When Beverly (Morata) and Benjamin (Eio) were around, the four of us were hanging out. So, when the two of them were gone, I was left with him!"
Sure, that sounded logical enough. But was her 28-year-old fiance affected by the rumours? Maia confessed that he was unhappy with the photo published in TODAY last Thursday.
"He saw that and wanted me to explain to him."
And what was her explanation?
"Eh, such private things you ask her Â…" her minder interrupted to chide me.
But Maia, ever the tough girl who prides herself on being honest and frank, was blasé about it.
"I just said, You should know me well. As long as I treat somebody as a friend, I'll be very sincere to that person, even physically close — but not that close lah ...
"But now, things are fine. He understands. He knows I'm like that, be it with a guy or girl."
She always carries a photo of him in her wallet, she said, and they hope to tie the knot in two years' time.
For now, priorities on her to-do list are to catch up with her friends and family — "I took my son to Sentosa on Sunday!" — and continue to pursue to a singing career.
"I can do both English and Chinese songs," the Yu Neng Primary and Ngee Ann Secondary School alumnus offered, laughing.
If she could have her way, her debut album would "definitely be pop".
"But it won't be all fast songs. I actually prefer ballads," she said before explaining her choice of primarily fast numbers in the Idol competition.
"I already expected a lot of them to sing slow songs. I wanted to be the only one who went out there, and just when viewers want to go niao niao (take a toilet break), suddenly a fast song and a babe come up, they'd go woah Â… then stay.
"I know I'm able to do it." - TODAY
