‘Thank you for holding up our world single-handedly’: Actor Nick Teo posts on Mother’s Day

SINGAPORE – Local actor Nick Teo expressed his gratitude to his mother on Mother’s Day, revealing that his father had walked away from the family years ago.

“Dad chose to leave this family when I was in secondary school,” the 36-year-old wrote in Chinese on Instagram on May 10. “You shouldered the entire burden of the household on your own and raised the three of us.”

Teo said his mother had to re-enter the workforce after more than 20 years as a housewife.

“Your pay wasn’t high, but you worked tirelessly,” he wrote. “You spent long hours on your feet, carrying heavy loads, and were so busy you didn’t even have time to sit down and rest.”

He continued: “Even though you were the one who suffered the most, you had to be the pillar of this family. You always saved the best for us. You would remember what we liked to eat and secretly bought it for us, while you often just had bread as a simple meal.”

He said that his mother does not often express her love verbally and rarely hugs her children.

“But your love is never in short supply,” he wrote. “It is hidden in every meal, in every time you said, ‘You eat first.’ And it was hidden in all those years you gritted your teeth and carried us through.

“Thank you, mum. Thank you for holding up our world single-handedly. And I hope you’re proud of us now.”

Teo, who is married to actress Hong Ling, posted a photo of the couple serving tea to his mother at their wedding in December 2023.

The actor, who won his first Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes trophy at the Star Awards on April 19, also posted a photo of himself and his mother holding the trophy.

Hong, meanwhile, took to the comments section to express her gratitude to her mother-in-law.

“Thank you mama for a wonderful son,” the 31-year-old wrote in English.