Being on History a dream come true

MANILA, Philippines — Social media celebrity Yeoh Mong Chin has been a widely-followed influencer for nearly five years now. However, she never imagined herself having her own digital TV show, Who Runs the World, that premiered on the History Channel only last April.

“This is crazy,” admits Mong, who’s known by her social media moniker, Mongabong. “Being seen on the History Channel is such a dream for me. I couldn’t believe it when I was chosen. We went for casting, but I didn’t expect myself to be chosen because I had no experience at all being on TV. I’m scared that I wouldn’t be up to people’s expectations. I have not done this before. I’m just so thrilled that they chose me.”

Before her TV debut, Mong proudly obtained her college degree at Singapore Management University. She is an accounting graduate. She loves adventure even when she was a young girl. She has carved a career from her love for fashion, beauty, travel and food.

“The people behind the show wanted to get someone who wouldn’t imagine would be up for all sorts of adventure,” Mong offers. “They threw me in a situation I’m not very used to doing and see how I would overcome it. I’m much more of an adventurer now. The show has taught me so much in only a matter of months. I’m just very blessed to be given this opportunity.”

When she was in Lombok, Indonesia, Mong remembers swimming in a mermaid suit. So far, it was the most epic adventure she has done in the show. “I can swim, but I even had to take lessons with an instructor who teaches people how to be really like mermaids,” she grants.

“You need to be really, really strong, your abs, your back, to be able to move, because the fin is very heavy. I struggled doing that for several hours. On TV, viewers can see me doing that for only a few minutes. It was really an experience.”

Admittedly, being on TV is not much of a shift for Mong, who’s no stranger to the limelight. She has been seen on YouTube for close to five years now. “Since this is my first digital TV show, this is very real,” Mong grants. “We don’t work with a script. It’s not much of a shift for me, because I’m still me. It’s just where the show is going to be.

 “I’m so used to doing everything on YouTube, sharing my life. This is a very dynamic show. I really get to see every bit of it, every emotion, every sweat, every tear. I have a selfie camera with me constantly. I document everything in that camera. I run, hold the camera, talk to the camera.”

Everyday is pretty much a work day for Mong, that rest has not been probably in her vocabulary. “Apart from the show, my job is a full-time influencer, so I share my life with the public,” she says. “Even before I go to sleep, I feel that I need to share even my skin care and why I’m using it. Or when I’m having dinner with my family. It has become part of my life. There is not a day when I stop.”

Mong’s childhood ambition is to become a flight attendant. That became different, however, when she went to college. “All these opportunities to share all of my life experiences came,” Mong shares. “I don’t mind doing this for a long time.”