Lin Youyi (born Iriana Halim; 11 October 1980) is a Singaporean television host, current affairs presenter, actress and corporate trainer. She began her career as a radio DJ before signing to Mediacorp as a television presenter in 2008, after which she went into acting and hosting on television programmes. Youyi was awarded the Best Current Affairs Presenter award for Good Morning Singapore at Star Awards 2012. She is currently one of the anchors for Hello Singapore on Mediacorp Channel 8.
Youyi was born in Hong Kong. She was subsequently raised in Taiwan and Singapore.[1] Her father is an Indonesian and her mother is a Vietnamese of Chinese descent.[1] Youyi has a sister, Julina Halim, a behavioural coach.[2]
Youyi spent her childhood in Taipei, where she completed her elementary studies.[citation needed] She had then relocated, spending her adolescent years in Singapore, where she completed her high school at Chung Cheng High School[citation needed] and tertiary education in Temasek Junior College,[citation needed] and eventually pursuing a bachelor's degree in accountancy at Nanyang Technological University in 2003.[2] In 2008, Youyi decided to pursue her second university degree in translation and interpretation at SIM University (now Singapore University of Social Sciences)[3] and was awarded the bronze award for academic excellence in "SPH Awards of Excellence".[citation needed]
Youyi had an interest in the radio industry, and signed up for the DJ Hunt audition organised by radio station YES 933 while in junior college. She came in as the first runner-up in the competition to Lim Peifen but decided to complete her university education after A' Levels.
In 2003, Youyi signed up for a radio DJ audition organised by 883Jia before she graduated from Nanyang Technological University, and won a full-time contract as a presenter on radio at 883Jia. During her career in the radio industry, she hosted the morning and evening drive time programmes on radio, before being invited to audition for a television presenter role in 2008.
Youyi made her television debut in 2008 on Mediacorp TV's Channel 8, as a current affairs presenter for Good Morning Singapore. She is currently one of the anchor hosts for Channel 8's evening prime time current affairs programme Hello Singapore. She pocketed her first TV award, Best Current Affairs Presenter award, at the Star Awards 2012. She was nominated for Best Info-Ed Programme Host at the Star Awards in 2014 and 2015.[4]
She has hosted live shows and events such as Community Chest TV Charity Shows in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and hosted Chingay Parade Singapore 5 times between 2013 and 2018. She is frequently hosts programmes on Channel 8 and Channel U, particularly travelogues, which has attained high viewership ratings on Channel U. She was one of the "Most Popular Female Artist" nominees in the Star Awards in 2016.[5]
Apart from hosting, Youyi was introduced into acting and was cast in various drama series, movies and even in stage plays between 2007 and 2016, when she was one of the female leads in Crescendo the Musical. She also played the role of "Xiu Zhen" in the 2016 drama series Hero.
In 2017, Youyi decided not to renew her full-time artist contract with Mediacorp, which ended in June that year, to assist her sister, Julina in her business.[6][7]
In addition to television and radio presentation, Youyi also presents a live video programme on Facebook, namely Youyi Live, where she interviews business owners and entrepreneurs, as well as other public personalities and celebrities.
Youyi was married from 2013 to 2014;[8][9] the former couple together both ran the now-defunct Outpost No 903 Gastrobar from May 2012 to December 2013.[3][10][11]
