Hong Kong singer-actress Gigi Yim has reportedly been sidelined by TVB since April 2024 over contract renewal disputes, bringing nearly all of her projects with the broadcaster to a standstill.

After her contract expired, TVB removed her profile from its official artiste database, confirming her departure from the company.

Shortly after, the 20-year-old announced the launch of her own company, adding that she wanted to start fresh in the music industry.

In a recent interview with Hong Kong news portal HK01, television host and actor Natalis Chan defended Yim’s decision to leave TVB, stressing that it wasn’t an act of disloyalty.

“I don’t see an issue with her starting her own company. Just look at the size of the mainland Chinese market. Take singer G.E.M., for example, who has made billions performing there.

“I believe Gigi is heading down that path too. Of course, she’s eyeing a market of over 1.4 billion people, rather than just a few million in Hong Kong,” the 74-year-old said.

Chan – a former member of the Hong Kong Celebrity Football Team – added that times have changed, and there are now many other avenues to earn a living beyond relying solely on TVB.

“Who relies on TVB anymore? We can hit billions of views from just a football match. Even if a TVB show pulls high ratings, that’s only about a million viewers.

“Meanwhile, people in mainland China are earning millions through livestreaming. It’s a different world now. Everything’s changing,” he said.

Chan also weighed in on filmmaker Eric Tsang’s remark that TVB had been running at a loss before he assumed the role of general manager in 2021.

“Don’t just listen to what people say and look at the actual results. Business is business, and artistes are artistes. You need to separate the two,” he said.