TEARS OF JOY: Taiwanese TV host Dee Hsu turned 42 on Sunday.

It was supposed to be a happy event, but she "cried".

Hsu is married to businessman Mike Hsu and they have three daughters, Elly, 14, Lily, 12 and Alice, eight. Her older daughters posted their birthday wishes for her on social media.

Lily posted a photo of her mother crying and hugging her (above left), as she wrote: "Dear mother, happy birthday. Congratulations on reaching the age of 18, and thanks for your meticulous care. Remember, you will always have my backing. Love you forever."

Dee Hsu shared the photo and wrote: "This is so touching."

The mood turned happier when Elly posted two photos of her mother sleeping. She wrote, "Happy birthday, mama. Thank you for always being by my side when I need you, but when I turn my head, I see only your external shell."

One of the photos showed Hsu sleeping with her mouth open (above right), while the other showed her sleeping with a blanket on a sofa.

Hsu shared the photos on her Instagram account, adding in jest: "My soul is around you."

Hsu was part of the now-defunct girl duo, ASOS, with her elder sister Barbie Hsu from 1994 to 2003. She is best known for hosting popular talk show Mr Con And Ms Csi with Kevin Tsai from 2004 to 2016.