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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| birth_date        = 28 March 1991
| birth_date        = 28 March 1991
| birth_place        = Singapore
| education          = Bachelor of Commerce
| alias              = BellyWellyJelly
| alma mater        = University of Western Australia
| education          = Fairfield Methodist Primary and Secondary School, ACJC
|image=Christabel Chua 2020.png}}Christabel Chua (born 28 March 1991) is a Singaporean entrepreneur and social media content creator.<ref>"[https://www.instagram.com/bellywellyjelly/?hl=en bellywellyjelly]". ''Instagram''. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref><ref>"[https://www.nylon.com.sg/2019/03/the-story-of-christabel-chua-bellywellyjelly-nylon-feb-march-2019-digital-cover-girl/ The Story Of Christabel Chua (@bellywellyjelly), NYLON Feb/Mar 2019 Digital Cover Girl]". ''Nylon''. March 1, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> She was once a lifestyle blogger and YouTuber but is now most active on [https://www.instagram.com/bellywellyjelly/?hl=en Instagram] where she has over 255,000 followers as of July 2020. Christabel Chua is also the founder of the lifestyle brand kāi, launched in 2017.
| alma mater        = University of Western Australia (Bachelor of Commerce)
|years active=2005 - present|website=https://bellywellyjelly.com/|image=File:Christabel Chua profile.jpg}}
 
Christabel Chua, also known by her social media handle BellyWellyJelly, is a Singaporean lifestyle blogger ([https://bellywellyjelly.com/ official website]) and Youtuber ([https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZap5y3MWIUKL7JYDJkp4Rg Youtube Channel]). In 2013, Christabel joined TheSmartLocal and rose in popularity through her hosting in TSL's videos. As of January 2019, Christabel has more than 231,000 followers on Instagram ([https://www.instagram.com/bellywellyjelly/?hl=en Instagram profile]). Christabel Chua also owns an online retail store called Kai ([https://www.iamkai.co/ official website]).


==Background==
==Background==
Christabel studied at Fairfield Methodist Primary School. She then received her secondary education at Fairfield Methodist Secondary School. After the ‘O’ Level examinations, she attended Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) where she went into the Arts stream and took up subjects such as Economics, History and Literature. Christabel furthered her studies at the University of Western Australia (UWA), in Perth, Australia where she eventually graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce.<ref>TheSmartLocal''.'' “Draw My Life by Bellywellyjelly - PrettySmart: EP 40”. November 4, 2015. Accessed on 21 January 2019. ''Youtube.'' Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27UeXD0jLCI </ref>
Before embarking on her tertiary studies, Christabel Chua has modelled part-time for online blogshops, worked as a time-keeper at events, alongside various other odd jobs.<ref>Do Not Clique. "[https://open.spotify.com/show/3CyTFDbLcT3yjsMwwcGRxL?si=UyKBM1QyTXWmPfqezqLt8w&fbclid=IwAR1W2dyHMBgA3MrYVlagWdlkQhXAWALi-sKgt_O4nxkrlpa1kVYVbP_86kw Do Not Clique Podcast 35 - Bellywellyjelly]". ''Spotify''. September 1, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> She was also an ice-cream scooper at Ben & Jerry's for five years.<ref>Lee, Elaine. "[https://www.tnp.sg/lifestyle/celeb-chow/celeb-chow-christabel-chua Celeb Chow with Christabel Chua]". ''The New Paper''. July 13, 2017. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> When she was still an active blogger, Christabel Chua primarily produced travel and beauty content.<ref>Lee, Elaine. "[https://www.tnp.sg/lifestyle/celeb-chow/celeb-chow-christabel-chua Celeb Chow with Christabel Chua]". ''The New Paper''. July 13, 2017. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> As of January 2020, her [http://bellywellyjelly.com/ blog] is no longer active, with the last public post dated 1 November 2017.<ref>Bel. "[http://bellywellyjelly.com/2017/11/cambodia-dreams/ Cambodia Dreams]". ''bellywellyjelly.'' November 1, 2017. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>


==Career highlights==
===Early life & family===
[[File:Kai x Starbucks Singapore collaboration.jpg|thumb|''The kai x Starbucks collaboration in 2019 featured 3 products - a cardholder, lanyard and keychain. Photo credit to Starbucks Singapore.'']]
Christabel Chua was born on 28 March 1991. In 2017, ''Today'' reported that her mother, Judy Han is a real estate agent.<ref>Khoo, Bee Khim. [https://www.todayonline.com/lifestyle/beauty/mother-daughter "Like mother, like daughter"]. ''TodayOnline.'' August 11, 2017. Accessed on 11 June 2020. </ref>
===Kai (2017 - Present Day)===
After 2 years of planning, Christabel officially launched her company kai ([https://www.iamkai.co/ official website]) in 2017. kai is an online retail store which sells mainly brightly coloured bags, pouches, stickers and planners. One of the most recognisable products from kai are the pouches from the Fruit Collection, priced at SGD$59.90 each.<ref>"Fruit Collection"''. Kai.'' Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.iamkai.co/collections/fruit-collection</ref> The word Kai was acquired from the Chinese character ‘开’ (kai). The character stands for openness and freedom, and the term ‘开心’ (kai xin) means the feeling of being happy. Christabel aimed to bring the concept of such emotions into her brand’s motto.<ref>"about kai". ''Kai.'' Accessed on 22 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.iamkai.co/pages/about-kai </ref> Within the first week of the website launch on 30 June 2017, all the products on the site were sold out.<ref>Chan, Melissa. “This Social Media Darling Decided To ‘kai’ An Online Shop Selling Fruit Pouches - All Sold Out In 5 Days”. ''Vulcan Post''. July 24, 2017. Accessed on 22 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://vulcanpost.com/616197/bellywellyjelly-kai-online-store/ </ref>


===Education===
Christabel Chua was a student at Fairfield Methodist Primary School and Fairfield Methodist Secondary School. She then attended Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) where she was schoolmates with Nathan Hartono.<ref>Do Not Clique. "[https://open.spotify.com/show/3CyTFDbLcT3yjsMwwcGRxL?si=UyKBM1QyTXWmPfqezqLt8w&fbclid=IwAR1W2dyHMBgA3MrYVlagWdlkQhXAWALi-sKgt_O4nxkrlpa1kVYVbP_86kw Do Not Clique Podcast 35 - Bellywellyjelly]". ''Spotify''. September 1, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> Christabel Chua then furthered her studies at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Perth, Australia where she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce.<ref>TheSmartLocal''.'' “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27UeXD0jLCI Draw My Life by Bellywellyjelly - PrettySmart: EP 40]”. ''YouTube.'' November 4, 2015. Accessed on 21 January 2019. </ref><ref>"[https://www.linkedin.com/in/christabel-chua-41735489/?originalSubdomain=sg Christabel Chua]". ''LinkedIn''. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>


In January 2019, kai collaborated with Starbucks Singapore to create lanyards and keychains. The products are inspired by the season of summer and the designs also incorporated Starbucks drinks such as frappucinos.<ref>Iamkai.co. "STARBUCKS X KĀI". ''Instagram''. January 28, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtLW-wbBGU2/ </ref> The items are priced at SGD$16.90 each. Due to the limited quantities of products manufactured and the overwhelming support, the merchandise sold out within 3 weeks.<ref>Iamkai.co. ''Instagram''. February 15, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt5ftX2BeUm/ </ref> In February 2019, Christabel secured another collaboration for kai with beauty company, Fresh to create self-care stickers. The stickers and other merchandise from Kai collection have been featured at a pop-up in Fresh Kitchen at JEM.<ref>Iamkai.co. "kai x fresh". ''Instagram.'' February 8, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/Btns19bBUY5/ </ref> The stickers are also available at Kai online retail website.<ref>"Sticker Pack: Fresh x kai Exclusive". ''kai.'' Accessed on 27 February 2019. Retrieved from:https://www.iamkai.co/collections/stickers/products/sticker-pack-fresh-x-kai-exclusive</ref>
==YouTube==
===BellyWellyJelly - Content creator (2016 - 2018)===
Christabel Chua was active on her [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZap5y3MWIUKL7JYDJkp4Rg YouTube channel] between 2016 and 2018. Similar to her blog, she primarily uploaded travel and beauty video content. Christabel Chua has created content for brands like Dyson and Fresh Beauty.<ref>Bellywellyjelly. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPe4ed619k VACATION HAIRSTYLES VLOG | BELLYWELLYJELLY]”. ''YouTube.'' June 20, 2018. Accessed on 22 January 2019. </ref> In 2017, she worked with Fresh Beauty to film a mini-documentary in Vietnam.<ref>Fresh Beauty. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KY8lUWmjD4 BellyWellyJelly’s Travelogue to the Land of the Lotus]”. ''YouTube''. December 21, 2017. Accessed on 22 January 2019. </ref> As of June 2020, Christabel has over 47,600 subscribers and accumulated over 3,500,000 views.<ref>Bellywellyjelly. "ABOUT". Accessed on 11 June 2020. ''YouTube''. Retrieved from: <nowiki>https://www.youtube.com/user/christabelchuahy/about</nowiki></ref>


===YouTube (2016 - Present Day)===
===[[TheSmartLocal (TSL) Media Group|TheSmartLocal]] - Host (2014 - 2016)===
[[File:TSL Hokkaido Belly Welly Jelly.jpg|thumb|''Christabel in Hokkaido, for [https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=279&v=0s3BqbkPEfQ episode 9] of TSL Travels Season 2 in which she was the host.'']]Complementing her blog, Christabel started a Youtube channel ([https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZap5y3MWIUKL7JYDJkp4Rg YouTube channel]) with the same BellyWellyJelly handle where she posts travel, lifestyle and beauty videos. As of January 2019, her most viewed video is “CURRENT FAVES: JANUARY 2018” ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT3-tI1E0yg YouTube video]), where she presented her treasured fashion and beauty products. The video garnered more than 174,000 views on Youtube.
[[File:Pretty Smart Bellywellyjelly.jpg|thumb|''Thumbnail from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iRu_oS-GhE Episode 26] of Pretty Smart.'']]
===Miss Universe Singapore (2014)===
In 2014, Christabel Chua joined TheSmartLocal (TSL) as a full-time staff and rose in popularity through her hosting. She was with the company for two years until 2016. During her time at TSL, Christabel Chua helped to develop the channel's presence on YouTube.<ref>Do Not Clique. "[https://open.spotify.com/show/3CyTFDbLcT3yjsMwwcGRxL?si=UyKBM1QyTXWmPfqezqLt8w&fbclid=IwAR1W2dyHMBgA3MrYVlagWdlkQhXAWALi-sKgt_O4nxkrlpa1kVYVbP_86kw Do Not Clique Podcast 35 - Bellywellyjelly]". ''Spotify''. September 1, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
At 23 years old, Christabel participated in Miss Universe Singapore where she claimed the titles for “Miss Photogenic” and “Best Skin”.<ref>By The Guy. “5 Minutes With Christabel: Getting Inside Bellywellyjelly’s Mind”. ''Seriously Man''. August 26, 2014. Accessed on 22 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://seriouslyman.com/5-minutes-with-christabel-life-as-a-fashion-blogger/ </ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Segment
!Role
!Episodes
!Seasons
!Refs.
|-
|2015 - 2016
|TSL Travels Season 2
| rowspan="2" |Host
|15
|2
|<ref>TheSmartLocal. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufUMHeZvPxs&list=PLURCSyX4ldqm77LfDldiaqkuwrTVEmd0t TSL Travels - Season 2]". ''YouTube''. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
|-
|2014 - 2016
|Pretty Smart Season 1
|51
|2
|<ref>TheSmartLocal. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oJPyLdL5pk&list=PLURCSyX4ldqn0J75l-RuhyOlPgUP8uMl0 PrettySmart - Season 1]". ''YouTube''. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
|}
Other than being the host for the above segments, she has made appearances in other TSL videos like "Singaporeans Try: Singapore Vs Malaysia Food Blind Taste Test”.<ref>The Smart Local. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo0hnbX1GUA Singaporeans Try: Singapore Vs Malaysia Food Blind Taste Test (feat. The Ming Thing) | Ep 32]”. ''YouTube''. January 4, 2016. Accessed on 21 January 2019.</ref>


===TheSmartLocal (2013 - 2016)===
==kāi by bellywellyjelly==
Between 2013 and 2016, Christabel was a host for TSL on their YouTube platform. She rose in popularity through her hosting in the segments ''Pretty Smart Season 1'' and ''TSL Travels Season 2''. Under ''TSL Travels Season 2'', the video titled “Hokkaido Adventure- Why You MUST VISIT At Least Once In Your Life” gained more than 381,000 views, making it one of the most popular uploads on the TSL Youtube channel.<ref>“Hokkaido Adventure - Why You MUST VISIT At Least Once In Your Life - #TSLGoesHokkaido Part 1”. ''TheSmartLocal.'' December 10, 2015. Accessed on 21 January 2019. ''Youtube''. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s3BqbkPEfQ&t=14s </ref>
<br />
[[File:Pretty Smart Bellywellyjelly.jpg|thumb|''Thumbnail from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iRu_oS-GhE Episode 26] of Pretty Smart where Christabel answers viewers' questions.'']]
She was also featured on “Singaporeans Try: Singapore Vs Malaysia Food Blind Taste Test” which garnered more than 565,000 views.<ref>The Smart Local. “Singaporeans Try: Singapore Vs Malaysia Food Blind Taste Test (feat. The Ming Thing) | Ep 32”. January 4, 2016. Accessed on 21 January 2019. ''Youtube.'' Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo0hnbX1GUA</ref> After working for two and a half years, she decided to leave the company claiming health reasons. She also stated that she wanted to focus more on her lifestyle blog and starting up a new retail store.


===Blogging (2005 - Present Day)===
After two years of planning, Christabel Chua officially launched her product line, kāi, in 2017.<ref>Bel. "[https://bellywellyjelly.com/2017/07/dreams-do-come-true/ Dreams do come true]". ''bellywellyjelly''. July 14, 2020. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> kāi is an online retail store selling novelty lifestyle accessories. Since its launch in 2017, the brand has worked with local and international labels to create limited edition products. kāi is the romanised word for the Chinese character ‘开’. The character stands for openness and freedom and the term ‘开心’ (kai xin) means the feeling of being happy.<ref>"[https://www.iamkai.co/pages/about-kai about kai]". ''Kai.'' Accessed on 22 January 2019. </ref>
Christabel had started blogging at 14 years old. As of 2019, her blogposts fall into 4 categories - travel, beauty, fashion and “#Thoughtposts” where she expresses her feelings and opinions about both her personal life and society ([https://bellywellyjelly.com/ official website]). She also provides encouragement to her readers, motivating them to remain positive when they encounter challenges in life.<ref>Chua, Christabel. “Pain”. ''Bellywellyjelly''. Accessed on 22 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://bellywellyjelly.com/2017/09/thoughtpost-pain/#more-1735 </ref>
[[File:Kai bellywellyjelly.png|thumb|''Christabel Chua pictured with one of her pouches from the sushi collection. Photo from [https://www.instagram.com/p/B6u_8WCJZcf/ Instagram].'']]


===Advertisements===
===Collections===
Christabel has collaborated with well known fashion and beauty brands such as Dyson, SKII and ASOS. In collaboration with Dyson Singapore, she filmed “Vacation Hairstyles Vlog”, featuring the Dyson Supersonic to create different hairstyles ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPe4ed619k YouTube video]). The video received more than 34,000 views on Youtube.<ref>Bellywellyjelly. “VACATION HAIRSTYLES VLOG | BELLYWELLYJELLY”. June 20, 2018. Accessed on 22 January 2019. ''Youtube''. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHPe4ed619k </ref> She also attended the opening of SK-II’s R.N.A Power Series with Mediacorp artist, Rebecca Lim in 2015.<ref>Tiong, Sabrina. “Actress Rebecca Lim & Blogger Christabel Chua’s Style & Beauty Tips”. Her World. July 16, 2015. Accessed on 22 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.herworld.com/beauty/actress-rebecca-lim-blogger-christabel-chua%E2%80%99s-style-beauty-tips </ref> In 2017, she worked with skincare brand, Fresh, to film a mini documentary in Vietnam ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KY8lUWmjD4 YouTube video]).<ref>Fresh Beauty. “BellyWellyJelly’s Travelogue to the Land of the Lotus”. December 21, 2017. Accessed on 22 January 2019. ''Youtube''. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KY8lUWmjD4 </ref>
kāi's products are cruelty-free and sustainable, having been made from bi-cast vegan leather.<ref>"[https://www.nylon.com.sg/2019/03/the-story-of-christabel-chua-bellywellyjelly-nylon-feb-march-2019-digital-cover-girl/ The Story Of Christabel Chua (@bellywellyjelly), NYLON Feb/Mar 2019 Digital Cover Girl]". ''Nylon''. March 1, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref> Kāi has produced various novelty-designed bags, pouches, sticker sets and planners.
 
<br />
==Media appearances & collaborations==
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|'''Year'''
!Year
|'''Partner / Organisation'''
!Collections
|'''Video title'''
!Products
!Refs.
|-
|-
|'''2017'''
| rowspan="2" |2019
|Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore
|Sushi Collection
|''Never Have I Ever… Christabel Chua, Isabel Tan, Savinia Chia''
|Sushi-shaped pouches and an ''onigiri'' bag
|<ref>iamkai.co. "[https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Y51NfJq0P/ SUSHI COLLECTION]". ''Instagram''. November 3, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
|-
|-
|'''2017'''
|Everyday Collection
|The In Central
|Clutch, case and travel pouch
|''Would You Betray Your Friend for Money?''
|<ref>iamkai.co. ''Instagram''. March 10, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2020. Retrieved from: <nowiki>https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu07qz5hKKI/?igshid=13qwdyee68ve1</nowiki></ref>
 
|-
''Christabel Chua Shows Off Her Hidden Singing Talent''
| rowspan="2" |2018
|Pineapple Collection
|Pouch and bag launched for Chinese New Year
|<ref>iamkai.co. "[https://www.instagram.com/p/BeKc2FdHOfb/ Pineapple Collection]". ''Instagram''. January 20, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
|-
|-
|'''2017'''
|Sweet Dreams Collection
|The New Paper
|Pouches and bags
|''Celebrity Chow with Christabel Chua''
|<ref>iamkai.co. "[https://www.instagram.com/p/BgTMtiylCaM/ Sweet Dreams Collection]". ''Instagram''. March 14, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
|-
|-
|'''2015 - 2017'''
|2017
|Trevmonki
|Fruit Collection
|''One Direction Songs in Real Life''
|Fruit-shaped pouches
|<ref>Chan, Melissa. “[https://vulcanpost.com/616197/bellywellyjelly-kai-online-store/ This Social Media Darling Decided To ‘kai’ An Online Shop Selling Fruit Pouches - All Sold Out In 5 Days]”. ''Vulcan Post''. July 24, 2017. Accessed on 22 January 2019.</ref>
|}


''The Cookie Face Challenge (ft. The Smart Local)''
===Product collaborations===
 
{| class="wikitable"
''Trevmonki Plays: NO THUMB JENGA CHALLENGE?!''
!Year
 
!Brand
''7 Ways To Say "I Love You"''
!Details
!Refs.
|-
|2020
|Besbes
|kāi collaborated with Besbes to create customisable hand-free phone cases.
|<ref>iamkai.co. ''Instagram''. May 4, 2020. Accessed on 11 June 2020. Retrieved from: <nowiki>https://www.instagram.com/p/B_wv0UYpzaj/?igshid=1etbr3tfltzb5</nowiki></ref>
|-
|-
|'''2014 - 2016'''
| rowspan="3" |2019
|TheSmartLocal
|Re:erth & Nodspark
|''Pretty Smart Season 1 (Episode 1 - 51)''
|The three local labels collaborated to create limited edition travel sets.
 
|<ref>Tan, Celine. "[https://www.8days.sg/liveandlearn/vanityandhealth/this-is-what-happens-when-influencer-christabel-chua-the-11690630 This Is What Happens When Influencer Christabel Chua & The Founders Of Local Labels Re:erth And Nodspark Do A Brand Mash-Up]". ''8 Days''. July 4, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref>
''TSL Music Parodies (Episode 1 - 7)''
 
''Singaporeans Try (Episode 2, 3, 7, 9, 17, 18, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32)''
 
''TSL Comedy (Episode 1 - 8, 13, 18)''
 
''TSL Travels (Episode 1 - 14)''
 
''Challenge Accepted (Episode 4)''
|-
|-
|'''2015'''
|Fresh
|The Ming Thing
|kāi collaborated with Fresh beauty to create self-care stickers.
|''You Again Web Series (Episode 1 - 5)''
|<ref>Iamkai.co. "[https://www.instagram.com/p/Btns19bBUY5/ kai x fresh]". ''Instagram.'' February 8, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019. </ref>
|-
|-
|'''2015'''
|Starbucks Singapore
|Dee Kosh
|kāi collaborated with Starbucks to create lanyards and keychains inspired by summer and Starbucks drinks.
|''Tummy Smiles (Original Song)''
|<ref>Iamkai.co. "[https://www.instagram.com/p/BtLW-wbBGU2/ STARBUCKS X KĀI]". ''Instagram''. January 28, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019. </ref>
 
''Scotch Tape True or False Challenge''
|}
|}


==Private video leak (2018)==
==Other endeavours==
Christabel was in a relationship with former TSL colleague Joal Ong in 2014. In December 2017, she announced on her Youtube channel that their relationship had ended a few months before. In May 2018, intimate videos of Christabel’s private life with Joal Ong were leaked and distributed on the internet.<ref>Fang, Joy. “Influencer scandals that shocked and rocked Singapore”. ''HERWORLD''. December 22, 2018. Accessed on 21 January 2019. Retrieved from: http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/influencer-scandals-shocked-and-rocked-singapore </ref>  
[[File:Christabel Chua Miss Universe 2014.jpg|thumb|''Christabel Chua (second from left) on the runway for Miss Universe Singapore in 2014. Photo from [https://undertheangsanatree.blogspot.com/2014/08/miss-universe-singapore-2014.html source].'']]
===Miss Universe Singapore (2014)===
At 23 years old, Christabel participated in Miss Universe Singapore where she made it among the top twelve finalists and claimed the titles “Miss Photogenic” and “Best Skin”.<ref>By The Guy. “[http://seriouslyman.com/5-minutes-with-christabel-life-as-a-fashion-blogger/ 5 Minutes With Christabel: Getting Inside Bellywellyjelly’s Mind]”. ''Seriously Man''. August 26, 2014. Accessed on 22 January 2019. </ref><ref>"[https://www.angelopedia.com/news/Rathi-Menon-crowned-Miss-Universe-Singapore-2014/56 Rathi Menon crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2014]". ''Angelopedia''. August 22, 2014. Accessed on 15 January 2020.</ref><ref>Nurul Azliah. [https://www.smu.edu.sg/sites/default/files/smu/news_room/smu_in_the_news/2014/sources/aug4/Yahoo_20140803_1.pdf “Exotic mix of Miss Universe Singapore 2014 finalists unveiled”]. ''Yahoo! News Singapore''. August 3, 2014. Accessed on 4 June 2020. Retrieved from Singapore Management University.</ref>


==Newsworthy incident==


After 2 months, Christabel addressed the incident in an open letter that was originally published on Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore.<ref>Joelynn. “Influencer Christabel Chua Turns Her Video Scandal Into A Rallying Call In Open Letter”. ''MustShareNews''. July 30, 2018. Accessed on 21 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://mustsharenews.com/christabel-chua-bellywellyjelly/ </ref> In the post dated 30 July 2018, Christabel clarified that the videos were filmed during her 4-year long relationship with Joal, and was misused by an anonymous third party. She also stated that she had faced much backlash from netizens who had privately criticised her for the videos.<ref>''Harper’s Bazaar Staff.'' “CHRISTABEL CHUA FINALLY OPENS UP ABOUT THAT INCIDENT”. ''Harper’s Bazaar.'' July 30, 2018. Accessed on 30 January 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/life/christabel-chua-finally-opens-up-about-that-incident/ </ref> Through her open acknowledgement of the incident and the difficulties that followed, Christabel turned her plight into a platform to provide support to similar victims of such situations.<ref>Ibid. Retrieved from: <nowiki>https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/life/christabel-chua-finally-opens-up-about-that-incident/</nowiki> </ref>
===Private video leak (2018)===
Christabel Chua was in a relationship with her former TSL colleague, Joal Ong from 2014 to 2017. In May 2018, intimate videos of her private life with Joal Ong were leaked and shared on the internet.<ref>Fang, Joy. “[http://www.asiaone.com/singapore/influencer-scandals-shocked-and-rocked-singapore Influencer scandals that shocked and rocked Singapore]”. ''HERWORLD''. December 22, 2018. Accessed on 21 January 2019. </ref> Two months later, Christabel Chua addressed the incident in an open letter that was originally published on ''Harper’s Bazaar Singapore''.<ref>Joelynn. “[https://mustsharenews.com/christabel-chua-bellywellyjelly/ Influencer Christabel Chua Turns Her Video Scandal Into A Rallying Call In Open Letter]”. ''MustShareNews''. July 30, 2018. Accessed on 21 January 2019. </ref> In the post dated 30 July 2018, she clarified that the videos had been filmed during her four-year-long relationship with Joal, and was misused by an anonymous third party. She also stated that she had faced backlash from netizens who had privately criticised her for the videos.<ref>''Harper’s Bazaar Staff.'' “[https://www.harpersbazaar.com.sg/life/christabel-chua-finally-opens-up-about-that-incident/ CHRISTABEL CHUA FINALLY OPENS UP ABOUT THAT INCIDENT]”. ''Harper’s Bazaar.'' July 30, 2018. Accessed on 30 January 2019. </ref> Through her open acknowledgement of the incident and the difficulties that followed, Christabel turned her plight into an opportunity to provide support to victims of similar situations.<ref>Tai, Hayley., Cheong, Wen Xuan. [https://www.herworld.com/women/women-now/christabel-chua-bellywellyjelly-social-media-leak/ "#HerWorldHerStory: How Christabel Chua Bounced Back From The Lowest Point In Her Life"]. ''Her World''. May 20, 2020. Accessed on 11 June 2020. </ref>


==References / Citations==
==References / Citations==
<references />
<references />
[[Category:People of Interest]]
[[Category:Content Creators]]
[[Category:Internet Personalities]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 20 March 2023

Christabel Chua
Christabel Chua 2020.png
Born28 March 1991
EducationBachelor of Commerce
Alma materUniversity of Western Australia

Christabel Chua (born 28 March 1991) is a Singaporean entrepreneur and social media content creator.[1][2] She was once a lifestyle blogger and YouTuber but is now most active on Instagram where she has over 255,000 followers as of July 2020. Christabel Chua is also the founder of the lifestyle brand kāi, launched in 2017.

Background

Before embarking on her tertiary studies, Christabel Chua has modelled part-time for online blogshops, worked as a time-keeper at events, alongside various other odd jobs.[3] She was also an ice-cream scooper at Ben & Jerry's for five years.[4] When she was still an active blogger, Christabel Chua primarily produced travel and beauty content.[5] As of January 2020, her blog is no longer active, with the last public post dated 1 November 2017.[6]

Early life & family

Christabel Chua was born on 28 March 1991. In 2017, Today reported that her mother, Judy Han is a real estate agent.[7]

Education

Christabel Chua was a student at Fairfield Methodist Primary School and Fairfield Methodist Secondary School. She then attended Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) where she was schoolmates with Nathan Hartono.[8] Christabel Chua then furthered her studies at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Perth, Australia where she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce.[9][10]

YouTube

BellyWellyJelly - Content creator (2016 - 2018)

Christabel Chua was active on her YouTube channel between 2016 and 2018. Similar to her blog, she primarily uploaded travel and beauty video content. Christabel Chua has created content for brands like Dyson and Fresh Beauty.[11] In 2017, she worked with Fresh Beauty to film a mini-documentary in Vietnam.[12] As of June 2020, Christabel has over 47,600 subscribers and accumulated over 3,500,000 views.[13]

TheSmartLocal - Host (2014 - 2016)

Thumbnail from Episode 26 of Pretty Smart.

In 2014, Christabel Chua joined TheSmartLocal (TSL) as a full-time staff and rose in popularity through her hosting. She was with the company for two years until 2016. During her time at TSL, Christabel Chua helped to develop the channel's presence on YouTube.[14]

Year Segment Role Episodes Seasons Refs.
2015 - 2016 TSL Travels Season 2 Host 15 2 [15]
2014 - 2016 Pretty Smart Season 1 51 2 [16]

Other than being the host for the above segments, she has made appearances in other TSL videos like "Singaporeans Try: Singapore Vs Malaysia Food Blind Taste Test”.[17]

kāi by bellywellyjelly

After two years of planning, Christabel Chua officially launched her product line, kāi, in 2017.[18] kāi is an online retail store selling novelty lifestyle accessories. Since its launch in 2017, the brand has worked with local and international labels to create limited edition products. kāi is the romanised word for the Chinese character ‘开’. The character stands for openness and freedom and the term ‘开心’ (kai xin) means the feeling of being happy.[19]

Christabel Chua pictured with one of her pouches from the sushi collection. Photo from Instagram.

Collections

kāi's products are cruelty-free and sustainable, having been made from bi-cast vegan leather.[20] Kāi has produced various novelty-designed bags, pouches, sticker sets and planners.

Year Collections Products Refs.
2019 Sushi Collection Sushi-shaped pouches and an onigiri bag [21]
Everyday Collection Clutch, case and travel pouch [22]
2018 Pineapple Collection Pouch and bag launched for Chinese New Year [23]
Sweet Dreams Collection Pouches and bags [24]
2017 Fruit Collection Fruit-shaped pouches [25]

Product collaborations

Year Brand Details Refs.
2020 Besbes kāi collaborated with Besbes to create customisable hand-free phone cases. [26]
2019 Re:erth & Nodspark The three local labels collaborated to create limited edition travel sets. [27]
Fresh kāi collaborated with Fresh beauty to create self-care stickers. [28]
Starbucks Singapore kāi collaborated with Starbucks to create lanyards and keychains inspired by summer and Starbucks drinks. [29]

Other endeavours

Christabel Chua (second from left) on the runway for Miss Universe Singapore in 2014. Photo from source.

Miss Universe Singapore (2014)

At 23 years old, Christabel participated in Miss Universe Singapore where she made it among the top twelve finalists and claimed the titles “Miss Photogenic” and “Best Skin”.[30][31][32]

Newsworthy incident

Private video leak (2018)

Christabel Chua was in a relationship with her former TSL colleague, Joal Ong from 2014 to 2017. In May 2018, intimate videos of her private life with Joal Ong were leaked and shared on the internet.[33] Two months later, Christabel Chua addressed the incident in an open letter that was originally published on Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.[34] In the post dated 30 July 2018, she clarified that the videos had been filmed during her four-year-long relationship with Joal, and was misused by an anonymous third party. She also stated that she had faced backlash from netizens who had privately criticised her for the videos.[35] Through her open acknowledgement of the incident and the difficulties that followed, Christabel turned her plight into an opportunity to provide support to victims of similar situations.[36]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ "bellywellyjelly". Instagram. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "The Story Of Christabel Chua (@bellywellyjelly), NYLON Feb/Mar 2019 Digital Cover Girl". Nylon. March 1, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  3. ↑ Do Not Clique. "Do Not Clique Podcast 35 - Bellywellyjelly". Spotify. September 1, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  4. ↑ Lee, Elaine. "Celeb Chow with Christabel Chua". The New Paper. July 13, 2017. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  5. ↑ Lee, Elaine. "Celeb Chow with Christabel Chua". The New Paper. July 13, 2017. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Bel. "Cambodia Dreams". bellywellyjelly. November 1, 2017. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  7. ↑ Khoo, Bee Khim. "Like mother, like daughter". TodayOnline. August 11, 2017. Accessed on 11 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Do Not Clique. "Do Not Clique Podcast 35 - Bellywellyjelly". Spotify. September 1, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  9. ↑ TheSmartLocal. “Draw My Life by Bellywellyjelly - PrettySmart: EP 40”. YouTube. November 4, 2015. Accessed on 21 January 2019.
  10. ↑ "Christabel Chua". LinkedIn. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  11. ↑ Bellywellyjelly. “VACATION HAIRSTYLES VLOG | BELLYWELLYJELLY”. YouTube. June 20, 2018. Accessed on 22 January 2019.
  12. ↑ Fresh Beauty. “BellyWellyJelly’s Travelogue to the Land of the Lotus”. YouTube. December 21, 2017. Accessed on 22 January 2019.
  13. ↑ Bellywellyjelly. "ABOUT". Accessed on 11 June 2020. YouTube. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/user/christabelchuahy/about
  14. ↑ Do Not Clique. "Do Not Clique Podcast 35 - Bellywellyjelly". Spotify. September 1, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  15. ↑ TheSmartLocal. "TSL Travels - Season 2". YouTube. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  16. ↑ TheSmartLocal. "PrettySmart - Season 1". YouTube. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  17. ↑ The Smart Local. “Singaporeans Try: Singapore Vs Malaysia Food Blind Taste Test (feat. The Ming Thing) | Ep 32”. YouTube. January 4, 2016. Accessed on 21 January 2019.
  18. ↑ Bel. "Dreams do come true". bellywellyjelly. July 14, 2020. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  19. ↑ "about kai". Kai. Accessed on 22 January 2019.
  20. ↑ "The Story Of Christabel Chua (@bellywellyjelly), NYLON Feb/Mar 2019 Digital Cover Girl". Nylon. March 1, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  21. ↑ iamkai.co. "SUSHI COLLECTION". Instagram. November 3, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  22. ↑ iamkai.co. Instagram. March 10, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu07qz5hKKI/?igshid=13qwdyee68ve1
  23. ↑ iamkai.co. "Pineapple Collection". Instagram. January 20, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  24. ↑ iamkai.co. "Sweet Dreams Collection". Instagram. March 14, 2018. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  25. ↑ Chan, Melissa. “This Social Media Darling Decided To ‘kai’ An Online Shop Selling Fruit Pouches - All Sold Out In 5 Days”. Vulcan Post. July 24, 2017. Accessed on 22 January 2019.
  26. ↑ iamkai.co. Instagram. May 4, 2020. Accessed on 11 June 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_wv0UYpzaj/?igshid=1etbr3tfltzb5
  27. ↑ Tan, Celine. "This Is What Happens When Influencer Christabel Chua & The Founders Of Local Labels Re:erth And Nodspark Do A Brand Mash-Up". 8 Days. July 4, 2019. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  28. ↑ Iamkai.co. "kai x fresh". Instagram. February 8, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019.
  29. ↑ Iamkai.co. "STARBUCKS X KĀI". Instagram. January 28, 2019. Accessed on 27 February 2019.
  30. ↑ By The Guy. “5 Minutes With Christabel: Getting Inside Bellywellyjelly’s Mind”. Seriously Man. August 26, 2014. Accessed on 22 January 2019.
  31. ↑ "Rathi Menon crowned Miss Universe Singapore 2014". Angelopedia. August 22, 2014. Accessed on 15 January 2020.
  32. ↑ Nurul Azliah. “Exotic mix of Miss Universe Singapore 2014 finalists unveiled”. Yahoo! News Singapore. August 3, 2014. Accessed on 4 June 2020. Retrieved from Singapore Management University.
  33. ↑ Fang, Joy. “Influencer scandals that shocked and rocked Singapore”. HERWORLD. December 22, 2018. Accessed on 21 January 2019.
  34. ↑ Joelynn. “Influencer Christabel Chua Turns Her Video Scandal Into A Rallying Call In Open Letter”. MustShareNews. July 30, 2018. Accessed on 21 January 2019.
  35. ↑ Harper’s Bazaar Staff. “CHRISTABEL CHUA FINALLY OPENS UP ABOUT THAT INCIDENT”. Harper’s Bazaar. July 30, 2018. Accessed on 30 January 2019.
  36. ↑ Tai, Hayley., Cheong, Wen Xuan. "#HerWorldHerStory: How Christabel Chua Bounced Back From The Lowest Point In Her Life". Her World. May 20, 2020. Accessed on 11 June 2020.
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