Hong Kong actor Simon Yam’s daughter Ella graduates with first-class honours in London
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Simon Yam and Qiqi flew to London to attend their daughter Ella’s graduation ceremony.
PHOTO: ELLAYAMM/INSTAGRAM
- Ella Yam graduated from the London School of Economics with first-class honours and won the Hobhouse Memorial Prize for the best sociology dissertation.
- Her proud parents, Simon Yam and Qiqi, attended her graduation in London and expressed their love and support publicly.
- Ella values continuous learning and designed her own graduation dress; her father hopes she avoids acting due to its challenges.
AI generated
Hong Kong movie star Simon Yam and his wife Qiqi are proud parents.
Their daughter Ella recently graduated from the London School of Economics (LSE) with first-class honours.
This was shared by Ella, 21, on social media on July 22. She is the only child of the 71-year-old actor and 58-year-old China-born former supermodel.
“So grateful for this journey. Since day 1, I’ve always loved learning, and graduating from my dream school has been an incredible experience,” Ella wrote in English on Instagram.
“As I’ve always said, knowledge is everything. It makes you push yourself and it’s not easy, but it’s so worth it, because continuous learning is one of the beauties of life. Happy to graduate with the ones I love most.”
In a similar post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, she added in Chinese: “I want to share the joy of this moment with my beloved family.
“A special thank you to my dad and my mum, who have given me their unconditional support and love. Being able to share this highlight of my life with you is what makes me happiest.”
Lifestyle magazine Prestige Hong Kong said in a feature in 2024 that Ella was studying sociology with subsidiary mathematics and finance at LSE.
Ella also shared on social media several graduation photos taken on campus, which showed that both her parents had flown to London to attend her graduation ceremony.
The photos show Ella wearing a traditional black graduation gown and cap, with a purple evening dress underneath. She added in the social media post that she had designed the dress.
One of the photos also revealed that Ella was awarded the Hobhouse Memorial Prize for Best Third Year Sociological Dissertation. The award is given to the top-performing undergraduate student in the Department of Sociology for their final-year independent research project.
Qiqi commented under her daughter’s Instagram post: “Congrats on first-class honours and winner of the best dissertation, my love. So, so, so proud of you.”
Yam shared his daughter’s post on Weibo on July 22 and wrote in Chinese: “Growing up is a kind of transformation. My little girl is about to spread her wings and fly. Enjoy the journey and discover the great, wide world. We’ll be right by your side every step of the way.”
Ella previously studied at Hong Kong’s Diocesan Girls’ School and Singapore International School (Hong Kong). She has also done photo shoots for magazines such as Vogue Hong Kong and Harper’s BAZAAR HK.
However, Yam told The Straits Times in 2019 that he hopes his daughter will not pursue acting as a career as it is too taxing.
His most recent roles were in Hong Kong action thriller Under Current (2025) and Chinese war-themed drama Escape From The Outland (2025).