Ridhwan Azman: Difference between revisions

From Wiki.sg
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(Created page with "{{Infobox person | image = Ridhwan Azman.jpg | birth_date = 9 April 1993 | alma mater = Junyuan Primary School, Lianhua Primary School, Balestier...")
 
Line 7: Line 7:
Ridhwan Azman is a Singaporean YouTuber, actor and influencer. He was first widely recognised for his role as Recruit Ismail in Jack Neo’s Ah Boys to Men series. As of 25 November 2019, he has more than 531,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, 193,000 followers on Instagram and 5,500 followers on Facebook.<ref>''[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_DMA385CxeJYDr3DCXssA Ridhwan Azman].'' Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref><ref>''[https://www.instagram.com/ridhwannabe/?hl=en Ridhwan Azman].'' Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Instagram.</ref><ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/ Ridhwan Azman].'' Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref>
Ridhwan Azman is a Singaporean YouTuber, actor and influencer. He was first widely recognised for his role as Recruit Ismail in Jack Neo’s Ah Boys to Men series. As of 25 November 2019, he has more than 531,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, 193,000 followers on Instagram and 5,500 followers on Facebook.<ref>''[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_DMA385CxeJYDr3DCXssA Ridhwan Azman].'' Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref><ref>''[https://www.instagram.com/ridhwannabe/?hl=en Ridhwan Azman].'' Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Instagram.</ref><ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/ Ridhwan Azman].'' Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref>


== Personal life ==
==Personal life==
Ridhwan was born on 9 April 1993.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/05/life.html Life]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. May 3, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref>
===Family===
 
Ridhwan was born on 9 April 1993.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/05/life.html Life]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. May 3, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> His parents divorced when he was 9 years old after his biological father had an affair with their Indonesian maid. Following which, Ridhwan and his younger siblings were raised by their mother. As a result of the divorce, the family was momentarily homeless and sought refuge at a number of relatives’ homes. In his words, Ridhwan was “forced to grow up” to be a pillar of support for his mother and younger siblings.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/10/my-life.html My life. All the shit. - Chapter 1: How I Was Made]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. October 19, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref><ref>Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. ''The New Paper.'' March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>
=== Family ===
Ridhwan’s parents divorced when he was 9 years old after his biological father had an affair with their Indonesian maid. Following which, Ridhwan and his younger siblings were raised by their mother. As a result of the divorce, the family was momentarily homeless and sought refuge at a number of relatives’ homes. In his words, Ridhwan was “forced to grow up” to be a pillar of support for his mother and younger siblings.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/10/my-life.html My life. All the shit. - Chapter 1: How I Was Made]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. October 19, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref><ref>Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. ''The New Paper.'' March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>




In his blog entries, Ridhwan wrote about meeting his step-father when he was “9 or 10 years old”. Ridhwan had accompanied his mother and step-father on their first date and the two eventually got married 2 to 3 years later. Ridhwan and his step-father reportedly had a good relationship until his step-father's death in 2014.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2014/03/lost.html Lost]”. ''Ridhwannabe.'' March 2, 2014. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> As of November 2019, Ridhwan lives with his mother and four younger siblings.  
In his blog entries, Ridhwan wrote about meeting his step-father when he was “9 or 10 years old”. Ridhwan had accompanied his mother and step-father on their first date and the two eventually got married 2 to 3 years later. Ridhwan and his step-father reportedly had a good relationship until his step-father's death in 2014.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2014/03/lost.html Lost]”. ''Ridhwannabe.'' March 2, 2014. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> As of November 2019, Ridhwan lives with his mother and four younger siblings.  


=== Education ===
===Education===
While his biological parents were going through with their complicated divorce, Ridhwan had to constantly change schools. He studied in Junyuan Primary School before he was transferred to Lianhua Primary School. A week later, he was transferred back to Junyuan Primary School before studying in Balestier Hill Primary School “right before PSLE”.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/10/chapter-2-little-ridhwan.html My life. All the shit. - Chapter 2: Little Ridhwan]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. October 25, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref>
While his biological parents were going through with their complicated divorce, Ridhwan had to constantly change schools. He studied in Junyuan Primary School before he was transferred to Lianhua Primary School. A week later, he was transferred back to Junyuan Primary School before studying in Balestier Hill Primary School “right before PSLE”.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/10/chapter-2-little-ridhwan.html My life. All the shit. - Chapter 2: Little Ridhwan]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. October 25, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref>


Line 22: Line 20:
Afterwards, Ridhwan studied in Bendemeer Secondary School.<ref>Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. ''The New Paper.'' March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref> He then enrolled in an Events Management course at ITE Bishan but quit the course to act in Ah Boys to Men''.''<ref>“Jack Neo’s new ‘recruits’ “. ''The Straits Times.'' November 7, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>
Afterwards, Ridhwan studied in Bendemeer Secondary School.<ref>Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. ''The New Paper.'' March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref> He then enrolled in an Events Management course at ITE Bishan but quit the course to act in Ah Boys to Men''.''<ref>“Jack Neo’s new ‘recruits’ “. ''The Straits Times.'' November 7, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>


=== Singing ===
===Singing===
[[File:Ridhwan Azman Campus Superstar.jpg|thumb|''Ridhwan performing on Campus Superstar in 2009. Screengrab from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO21_0LmBL8 YouTube video].'']]
[[File:Ridhwan Azman Campus Superstar.jpg|thumb|''Ridhwan performing on Campus Superstar in 2009. Screengrab from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO21_0LmBL8 YouTube video].'']]
In 2009, Ridhwan was one of the Top 12 finalists in Channel U’s reality TV singing competition Campus Superstar.<ref>[https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ridhwannabe?src=aff-lilpar&veh=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&trk=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&clickid=QcO2hd0x4xyORxWwUx0Mo3Q Ridhwan Azman]. ''LinkedIn''. Accessed 19 November 2019.</ref> In his own words:
In 2009, Ridhwan was one of the Top 12 finalists in Channel U’s reality TV singing competition Campus Superstar.<ref>[https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ridhwannabe?src=aff-lilpar&veh=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&trk=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&clickid=QcO2hd0x4xyORxWwUx0Mo3Q Ridhwan Azman]. ''LinkedIn''. Accessed 19 November 2019.</ref> In his own words:
Line 28: Line 26:
Ridhwan's earlier uploads on his YouTube channel include song covers and some original compositions. He had also participated in ''The New Paper''’s LOUD Cover Contest in 2012, where he jammed to Jay Chou’s songs with a fellow participant, Muhd Afiq Juraimi.<ref>“This week in LOUDR”. ''The New Paper.'' July 17, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>  
Ridhwan's earlier uploads on his YouTube channel include song covers and some original compositions. He had also participated in ''The New Paper''’s LOUD Cover Contest in 2012, where he jammed to Jay Chou’s songs with a fellow participant, Muhd Afiq Juraimi.<ref>“This week in LOUDR”. ''The New Paper.'' July 17, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.</ref>  


== Career highlights ==
==Career highlights==


=== Ah Boys to Men I & II (2012 - 2013) ===
===Ah Boys to Men I & II (2012 - 2013)===
[[File:Rishwan Azman Ah Boys To Men.jpg|thumb|''Ridhwan (first from right) pictured in Ah Boys To Men I. Screengrab from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NigSUgfMAG0 YouTube video].'']]
[[File:Rishwan Azman Ah Boys To Men.jpg|thumb|''Ridhwan (first from right) pictured in Ah Boys To Men I. Screengrab from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NigSUgfMAG0 YouTube video].'']]
Ridhwan had a recurring role as Recruit Ismail on Jack Neo’s Ah Boys to Men series.<ref>Neo, Jack. “Ah Boys to Men”. November 8, 2012.</ref><ref>Neo, Jack. “Ah Boys to Men 2”. February 1, 2013.</ref> According to Ridhwan, he had no intention to audition for the role and was instead accompanying a friend. Nevertheless, he was roped in to audition and successfully claimed the role.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2012/12/first.html First]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. December 2, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> Ridhwan's role in the films established his presence and popularity in the media industry.
Ridhwan had a recurring role as Recruit Ismail on Jack Neo’s Ah Boys to Men series.<ref>Neo, Jack. “Ah Boys to Men”. November 8, 2012.</ref><ref>Neo, Jack. “Ah Boys to Men 2”. February 1, 2013.</ref> According to Ridhwan, he had no intention to audition for the role and was instead accompanying a friend. Nevertheless, he was roped in to audition and successfully claimed the role.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2012/12/first.html First]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. December 2, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> Ridhwan's role in the films established his presence and popularity in the media industry.


=== YouTube channel (2013 - present) ===
===YouTube channel (2013 - present)===
As of November 2019, Ridhwan’s first video on his channel was published on 1 December 2013, after his old account was hacked and all its content deleted.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWLg0I4uCZc Ridhwan’s EPIC Comeback Video]”. ''Ridhwan Azman''. December 1, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> Ridhwan frequently collaborated with JianHao Tan and featured other local Youtubers such as Banchothematrep on his channel.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj79NUOj8i0&list=TLPQMjUxMTIwMTkN5bZ4hrLqLQ&index=1 Shit People Say After Break Up]”. ''Ridhwan Azman.'' March 6, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> More recently, he specialises in comedic skits, producing content like the “Kena Trend” web-series.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEBjqoZZO-U Kena Trend: The Series (Episode 1)]”. ''Ridhwan Azman.'' July 11, 2017. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref>
As of November 2019, Ridhwan’s first video on his channel was published on 1 December 2013, after his old account was hacked and all its content deleted.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWLg0I4uCZc Ridhwan’s EPIC Comeback Video]”. ''Ridhwan Azman''. December 1, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> Ridhwan frequently collaborated with JianHao Tan and featured other local Youtubers such as Banchothematrep on his channel.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj79NUOj8i0&list=TLPQMjUxMTIwMTkN5bZ4hrLqLQ&index=1 Shit People Say After Break Up]”. ''Ridhwan Azman.'' March 6, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> More recently, he specialises in comedic skits, producing content like the “Kena Trend” web-series.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEBjqoZZO-U Kena Trend: The Series (Episode 1)]”. ''Ridhwan Azman.'' July 11, 2017. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref>


=== CrayEight Pte Ltd (2017 - present) ===
===CrayEight Pte Ltd (2017 - present)===
In November 2017, Ridhwan founded CrayEight Studios Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of The JianHao Tan Media Pte Ltd - now Titan Digitial Media Pte Ltd. As of November 2019, he is listed as the Founder and Director of the subsidiary company.<ref>[https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ridhwannabe?src=aff-lilpar&veh=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&trk=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&clickid=QcO2hd0x4xyORxWwUx0Mo3Q Ridhwan Azman]. ''LinkedIn''. Accessed 19 November 2019.</ref> In its description, CrayEight Studios is listed as a media/news company that specialises in “corporate video production, events management and social media marketing”.<ref>“[https://www.facebook.com/pg/CrayEightStudios/about/?ref=page_internal About]”. ''CrayEight Studios''. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref>
In November 2017, Ridhwan founded CrayEight Studios Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of The JianHao Tan Media Pte Ltd - now Titan Digitial Media Pte Ltd. As of November 2019, he is listed as the Founder and Director of the subsidiary company.<ref>[https://sg.linkedin.com/in/ridhwannabe?src=aff-lilpar&veh=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&trk=aff_src.aff-lilpar_c.partners_pkw.123201_plc.adgoal%20GmbH_pcrid.449670_learning&clickid=QcO2hd0x4xyORxWwUx0Mo3Q Ridhwan Azman]. ''LinkedIn''. Accessed 19 November 2019.</ref> In its description, CrayEight Studios is listed as a media/news company that specialises in “corporate video production, events management and social media marketing”.<ref>“[https://www.facebook.com/pg/CrayEightStudios/about/?ref=page_internal About]”. ''CrayEight Studios''. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref>


== Newsworthy incidents ==
==Newsworthy incidents==


=== Public breakup with [[Nicole Choo|Nicole Cho]]<nowiki/>o (2017) ===
===Public breakup with [[Nicole Choo|Nicole Cho]]<nowiki/>o (2017)===
[[File:Nicole Choo and Ridhwan.jpg|thumb|''Nicole (left) and Ridhwan (right) in a "Couple Tag" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViI5sYRb6I8 video] (2015) on Ridhwan's YouTube channel.'']]
[[File:Nicole Choo and Ridhwan.jpg|thumb|''Nicole (left) and Ridhwan (right) in a "Couple Tag" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViI5sYRb6I8 video] (2015) on Ridhwan's YouTube channel.'']]
Ridhwan started dating Nicole Choo sometime in 2015 after she first appeared in a video on his YouTube channel.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKAD2WhCAcg Ways Guys Get Rejected]”. ''Ridhwan Azman'' July 27, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> According to Ridhwan, he had first met Nicole when he was scouting new talents for JianHao’s channel.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk02wY4l6_k Why Ridhwan left JianHao’s Company]”. ''The In Central.'' October 18, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> The details of their relationship were heavily publicised on their respective social media accounts.
Ridhwan started dating Nicole Choo sometime in 2015 after she first appeared in a video on his YouTube channel.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKAD2WhCAcg Ways Guys Get Rejected]”. ''Ridhwan Azman'' July 27, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> According to Ridhwan, he had first met Nicole when he was scouting new talents for JianHao’s channel.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk02wY4l6_k Why Ridhwan left JianHao’s Company]”. ''The In Central.'' October 18, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> The details of their relationship were heavily publicised on their respective social media accounts.
Line 49: Line 47:
On 2 February 2017, Nicole published an entry on her blog titled “We Broke Up”. The entry detailed the mutually abusive and problematic aspects of their relationship. In response, Ridhwan wrote a series of posts on his Facebook and Instagram, giving his side of the story.<ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/photos/a.410694855647360/1384875358229300/?type=3&theater Ridhwan Azman].'' February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref><ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/photos/a.410694855647360/1384882708228565/?type=3&theater Ridhwan Azman].'' February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref><ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/photos/a.410694855647360/1384904648226371/?type=3&theater Ridhwan Azman].'' February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref> Ridhwan accused Nicole of cheating on him during their relationship and shared that he bore the brunt of her aggression. Their breakup gained notoriety as they tried to demean each other online.<ref>Ang, Benson. “[https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/influencers-behaving-badly Influencers behaving badly]”. ''The Straits Times.'' August 25, 2019. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from The Straits Times.</ref><ref>Chan, Rachel. “[https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/nasty-break-aired-social-media-may-cost-influencer Nasty break-up aired on social media may cost influencer]”. ''The New Paper.'' February 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from The New Paper.</ref> In a 2017 YouTube video titled “Shit People Say After Breakup”, Ridhwan made references to his relationship and public breakup with Nicole.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj79NUOj8i0&list=TLPQMjUxMTIwMTkN5bZ4hrLqLQ&index=1 Shit People Say After Break Up]”. ''Ridhwan Azman.'' March 6, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref>
On 2 February 2017, Nicole published an entry on her blog titled “We Broke Up”. The entry detailed the mutually abusive and problematic aspects of their relationship. In response, Ridhwan wrote a series of posts on his Facebook and Instagram, giving his side of the story.<ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/photos/a.410694855647360/1384875358229300/?type=3&theater Ridhwan Azman].'' February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref><ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/photos/a.410694855647360/1384882708228565/?type=3&theater Ridhwan Azman].'' February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref><ref>''[https://www.facebook.com/ridhwannabelieve/photos/a.410694855647360/1384904648226371/?type=3&theater Ridhwan Azman].'' February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.</ref> Ridhwan accused Nicole of cheating on him during their relationship and shared that he bore the brunt of her aggression. Their breakup gained notoriety as they tried to demean each other online.<ref>Ang, Benson. “[https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/influencers-behaving-badly Influencers behaving badly]”. ''The Straits Times.'' August 25, 2019. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from The Straits Times.</ref><ref>Chan, Rachel. “[https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/nasty-break-aired-social-media-may-cost-influencer Nasty break-up aired on social media may cost influencer]”. ''The New Paper.'' February 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from The New Paper.</ref> In a 2017 YouTube video titled “Shit People Say After Breakup”, Ridhwan made references to his relationship and public breakup with Nicole.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj79NUOj8i0&list=TLPQMjUxMTIwMTkN5bZ4hrLqLQ&index=1 Shit People Say After Break Up]”. ''Ridhwan Azman.'' March 6, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref>


=== Fall-out with [[JianHao Tan]] (2015) ===
===Fall-out with [[JianHao Tan]] (2015)===
[[File:JianHao and Ridhwan YouTube 2017.jpg|thumb|''JianHao (left) and Ridhwan (right) became friends and colleagues again in 2017. Screengrab from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsJgWZyr3M YouTube video].'']]
[[File:JianHao and Ridhwan YouTube 2017.jpg|thumb|''JianHao (left) and Ridhwan (right) became friends and colleagues again in 2017. Screengrab from [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsJgWZyr3M YouTube video].'']]
On 2 December 2015, Ridhwan left The JianHaoTan Co., citing that he “felt that he deserved better”.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsJgWZyr3M What Really Happened Between U]s”. ''JianHao Tan.'' October 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> According to Ridhwan’s blog entry, he wanted to leave the company because he was not earning much.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2015/12/leaving-company.html Leaving The Company]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. December 23, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> In his own words, he claimed that:
On 2 December 2015, Ridhwan left The JianHaoTan Co., citing that he “felt that he deserved better”.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsJgWZyr3M What Really Happened Between U]s”. ''JianHao Tan.'' October 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref> According to Ridhwan’s blog entry, he wanted to leave the company because he was not earning much.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2015/12/leaving-company.html Leaving The Company]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. December 23, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref> In his own words, he claimed that:
Line 58: Line 56:
On 8 October 2017, JianHao uploaded a video titled “What Really Happened Between Us” which featured Ridhwan. Together, they explained their falling out and announced that Ridhwan would be returning to Titan Digital Media and collaborating with JianHao while running CrayEight Studios.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsJgWZyr3M What Really Happened Between U]s”. ''JianHao Tan.'' October 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref>
On 8 October 2017, JianHao uploaded a video titled “What Really Happened Between Us” which featured Ridhwan. Together, they explained their falling out and announced that Ridhwan would be returning to Titan Digital Media and collaborating with JianHao while running CrayEight Studios.<ref>“[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsJgWZyr3M What Really Happened Between U]s”. ''JianHao Tan.'' October 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.</ref>


=== Abuse allegations by Luna Woo (2013) ===
===Abuse allegations by Luna Woo (2013)===
[[File:Luna Woo and Ridhwan Azman.jpg|thumb|''Ridhwan and Luna Woo. Photo from [https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/ah-boys-men-star-ridhwan-azman-admits-hitting-053418453.html Yahoo! News].'' ]]
[[File:Luna Woo and Ridhwan Azman.jpg|thumb|''Ridhwan and Luna Woo. Photo from [https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/ah-boys-men-star-ridhwan-azman-admits-hitting-053418453.html Yahoo! News].'' ]]
Luna Woo was one of Ridhwan's publicly known ex-girlfriends. On 3 August 2013, Luna shared a detailed account of her relationship with Ridhwan on her personal blog. According to ''Yahoo! News'', Luna “revealed that Ridhwan had physically and verbally abused her more than once during the relationship”.<ref>azliah. “‘[https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/ah-boys-men-star-ridhwan-azman-admits-hitting-053418453.html Ah Boys to Men’ star Ridhwan Azman admits hitting girlfriend online]”. ''Yahoo! News.'' August 5, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Yahoo! News Singapore.</ref> Images of what appeared to be Luna’s bruised face surfaced online and was picked up by the now-defunct ''The Real Singapore''.<ref>Bryna Singh. “[https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ah-boys-actor-says-sorry-for-slapping-girlfriend Ah Boys actor say sorry for slapping girlfriend]”. ''The Straits Times.'' August 5, 2013. Accessed 19 November 2019. Retrieved from The Straits Times.</ref><ref>azliah. “‘[https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/ah-boys-men-star-ridhwan-azman-admits-hitting-053418453.html Ah Boys to Men’ star Ridhwan Azman admits hitting girlfriend online]”. ''Yahoo! News.'' August 5, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Yahoo! News Singapore.</ref>
Luna Woo was one of Ridhwan's publicly known ex-girlfriends. On 3 August 2013, Luna shared a detailed account of her relationship with Ridhwan on her personal blog. According to ''Yahoo! News'', Luna “revealed that Ridhwan had physically and verbally abused her more than once during the relationship”.<ref>azliah. “‘[https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/ah-boys-men-star-ridhwan-azman-admits-hitting-053418453.html Ah Boys to Men’ star Ridhwan Azman admits hitting girlfriend online]”. ''Yahoo! News.'' August 5, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Yahoo! News Singapore.</ref> Images of what appeared to be Luna’s bruised face surfaced online and was picked up by the now-defunct ''The Real Singapore''.<ref>Bryna Singh. “[https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ah-boys-actor-says-sorry-for-slapping-girlfriend Ah Boys actor say sorry for slapping girlfriend]”. ''The Straits Times.'' August 5, 2013. Accessed 19 November 2019. Retrieved from The Straits Times.</ref><ref>azliah. “‘[https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/ah-boys-men-star-ridhwan-azman-admits-hitting-053418453.html Ah Boys to Men’ star Ridhwan Azman admits hitting girlfriend online]”. ''Yahoo! News.'' August 5, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Yahoo! News Singapore.</ref>
Line 65: Line 63:
In response to Luna’s allegations, Ridhwan wrote a blog entry titled “I Love This Girl” which recounted his version of events. In his words, Ridhwan shared that Luna was the one who introduced violence in their relationship by “slapping and humiliating (him) in the bus”. Ridhwan admitted and apologised for hitting Luna while insisting that the post was not to “cover (his) ass” and “saying whose (''sic'') at fault”.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/08/i-love-this-girl.html I Love This Girl]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. August 3, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref>
In response to Luna’s allegations, Ridhwan wrote a blog entry titled “I Love This Girl” which recounted his version of events. In his words, Ridhwan shared that Luna was the one who introduced violence in their relationship by “slapping and humiliating (him) in the bus”. Ridhwan admitted and apologised for hitting Luna while insisting that the post was not to “cover (his) ass” and “saying whose (''sic'') at fault”.<ref>Ridhwan Azman. “[http://ridhwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/08/i-love-this-girl.html I Love This Girl]”. ''Ridhwannabe''. August 3, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.</ref>


=== Allegedly hacked by AnonymousSG (2013) ===
===Allegedly hacked by AnonymousSG (2013)===
It was reported that on 15 November 2013, Ridhwan had filed a police report against cyber hackers - believed to be from AnonymousSG - who had taken control of his social media accounts. The hackers had frozen him out of his YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogspot and two e-mail accounts.<ref>Maria Almenoar. “[https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/actor-files-police-report-hacking Actor files police report on hacking]”. ''The Straits Times.'' November 15, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from AsiaOne.</ref>
It was reported that on 15 November 2013, Ridhwan had filed a police report against cyber hackers - believed to be from AnonymousSG - who had taken control of his social media accounts. The hackers had frozen him out of his YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogspot and two e-mail accounts.<ref>Maria Almenoar. “[https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/actor-files-police-report-hacking Actor files police report on hacking]”. ''The Straits Times.'' November 15, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from AsiaOne.</ref>


Line 71: Line 69:
According to Ridhwan, the hack happened after he had asked his YouTube subscribers not to support the hacktivist group AnonymousSG after it had threatened the Singapore Government. As such, it was assumed that the hackers had retaliated by hacking into his accounts and locking him out of them.<ref>Maria Almenoar. “[https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/actor-files-police-report-hacking Actor files police report on hacking]”. ''The Straits Times.'' November 15, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from AsiaOne.</ref> Eventually, it was revealed that the hackers were not affiliated to AnonymousSG. The investigation led to the arrest of two men responsible for hacking the PMO website and Ridhwan’s accounts.<ref>“[https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/man-who-hacked-pmo-website-be-jailed-six-months Man who hacked PMO website to be jailed six months]”. ''Today.'' December 8, 2014. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Today Online.</ref>
According to Ridhwan, the hack happened after he had asked his YouTube subscribers not to support the hacktivist group AnonymousSG after it had threatened the Singapore Government. As such, it was assumed that the hackers had retaliated by hacking into his accounts and locking him out of them.<ref>Maria Almenoar. “[https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/actor-files-police-report-hacking Actor files police report on hacking]”. ''The Straits Times.'' November 15, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from AsiaOne.</ref> Eventually, it was revealed that the hackers were not affiliated to AnonymousSG. The investigation led to the arrest of two men responsible for hacking the PMO website and Ridhwan’s accounts.<ref>“[https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/man-who-hacked-pmo-website-be-jailed-six-months Man who hacked PMO website to be jailed six months]”. ''Today.'' December 8, 2014. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Today Online.</ref>


== References / Citations ==
==References / Citations==
[[Category:People of Interest]]
[[Category:People of Interest]]
<references />

Revision as of 15:54, 25 November 2019

Ridhwan Azman
Ridhwan Azman.jpg
Born9 April 1993
Alma materJunyuan Primary School, Lianhua Primary School, Balestier Hill Primary School, Bendemeer Secondary School, Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Bishan

Ridhwan Azman is a Singaporean YouTuber, actor and influencer. He was first widely recognised for his role as Recruit Ismail in Jack Neo’s Ah Boys to Men series. As of 25 November 2019, he has more than 531,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, 193,000 followers on Instagram and 5,500 followers on Facebook.[1][2][3]

Personal life

Family

Ridhwan was born on 9 April 1993.[4] His parents divorced when he was 9 years old after his biological father had an affair with their Indonesian maid. Following which, Ridhwan and his younger siblings were raised by their mother. As a result of the divorce, the family was momentarily homeless and sought refuge at a number of relatives’ homes. In his words, Ridhwan was “forced to grow up” to be a pillar of support for his mother and younger siblings.[5][6]


In his blog entries, Ridhwan wrote about meeting his step-father when he was “9 or 10 years old”. Ridhwan had accompanied his mother and step-father on their first date and the two eventually got married 2 to 3 years later. Ridhwan and his step-father reportedly had a good relationship until his step-father's death in 2014.[7] As of November 2019, Ridhwan lives with his mother and four younger siblings.

Education

While his biological parents were going through with their complicated divorce, Ridhwan had to constantly change schools. He studied in Junyuan Primary School before he was transferred to Lianhua Primary School. A week later, he was transferred back to Junyuan Primary School before studying in Balestier Hill Primary School “right before PSLE”.[8]


Afterwards, Ridhwan studied in Bendemeer Secondary School.[9] He then enrolled in an Events Management course at ITE Bishan but quit the course to act in Ah Boys to Men.[10]

Singing

Ridhwan performing on Campus Superstar in 2009. Screengrab from YouTube video.

In 2009, Ridhwan was one of the Top 12 finalists in Channel U’s reality TV singing competition Campus Superstar.[11] In his own words: 

“I (Ridhwan) wanted to show that I was a versatile singer who could sing in most languages, including Mandarin… As it is, I have sung in Hokkien, Malay, Hindi and Korean.”[12]

Ridhwan's earlier uploads on his YouTube channel include song covers and some original compositions. He had also participated in The New Paper’s LOUD Cover Contest in 2012, where he jammed to Jay Chou’s songs with a fellow participant, Muhd Afiq Juraimi.[13]

Career highlights

Ah Boys to Men I & II (2012 - 2013)

Ridhwan (first from right) pictured in Ah Boys To Men I. Screengrab from YouTube video.

Ridhwan had a recurring role as Recruit Ismail on Jack Neo’s Ah Boys to Men series.[14][15] According to Ridhwan, he had no intention to audition for the role and was instead accompanying a friend. Nevertheless, he was roped in to audition and successfully claimed the role.[16] Ridhwan's role in the films established his presence and popularity in the media industry.

YouTube channel (2013 - present)

As of November 2019, Ridhwan’s first video on his channel was published on 1 December 2013, after his old account was hacked and all its content deleted.[17] Ridhwan frequently collaborated with JianHao Tan and featured other local Youtubers such as Banchothematrep on his channel.[18] More recently, he specialises in comedic skits, producing content like the “Kena Trend” web-series.[19]

CrayEight Pte Ltd (2017 - present)

In November 2017, Ridhwan founded CrayEight Studios Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of The JianHao Tan Media Pte Ltd - now Titan Digitial Media Pte Ltd. As of November 2019, he is listed as the Founder and Director of the subsidiary company.[20] In its description, CrayEight Studios is listed as a media/news company that specialises in “corporate video production, events management and social media marketing”.[21]

Newsworthy incidents

Public breakup with Nicole Choo (2017)

Nicole (left) and Ridhwan (right) in a "Couple Tag" video (2015) on Ridhwan's YouTube channel.

Ridhwan started dating Nicole Choo sometime in 2015 after she first appeared in a video on his YouTube channel.[22] According to Ridhwan, he had first met Nicole when he was scouting new talents for JianHao’s channel.[23] The details of their relationship were heavily publicised on their respective social media accounts.


On 2 February 2017, Nicole published an entry on her blog titled “We Broke Up”. The entry detailed the mutually abusive and problematic aspects of their relationship. In response, Ridhwan wrote a series of posts on his Facebook and Instagram, giving his side of the story.[24][25][26] Ridhwan accused Nicole of cheating on him during their relationship and shared that he bore the brunt of her aggression. Their breakup gained notoriety as they tried to demean each other online.[27][28] In a 2017 YouTube video titled “Shit People Say After Breakup”, Ridhwan made references to his relationship and public breakup with Nicole.[29]

Fall-out with JianHao Tan (2015)

JianHao (left) and Ridhwan (right) became friends and colleagues again in 2017. Screengrab from YouTube video.

On 2 December 2015, Ridhwan left The JianHaoTan Co., citing that he “felt that he deserved better”.[30] According to Ridhwan’s blog entry, he wanted to leave the company because he was not earning much.[31] In his own words, he claimed that: 

“... when I was working as a waiter, I can earn more, and see my mom, but not when I was with THEJIANHAOTANCO (sic).”[32]

Ridhwan also insinuated that he was often sidelined despite helping “to build that company, with (his) barehands (sic)”. He added that he had been “indirectly” mocked by colleagues Vincent and Danial. Ridhwan made these accusations through a video on his YouTube channel that has since been removed.[33] Following these allegations, JianHao uploaded a screenshot of his conversation with Ridhwan on his Instagram. In his caption, JianHao called out Ridhwan for playing a “pity game”. The post also provided a detailed rebuttal against every accusation that Ridhwan made against JianHao.[34]


On 8 October 2017, JianHao uploaded a video titled “What Really Happened Between Us” which featured Ridhwan. Together, they explained their falling out and announced that Ridhwan would be returning to Titan Digital Media and collaborating with JianHao while running CrayEight Studios.[35]

Abuse allegations by Luna Woo (2013)

Ridhwan and Luna Woo. Photo from Yahoo! News.

Luna Woo was one of Ridhwan's publicly known ex-girlfriends. On 3 August 2013, Luna shared a detailed account of her relationship with Ridhwan on her personal blog. According to Yahoo! News, Luna “revealed that Ridhwan had physically and verbally abused her more than once during the relationship”.[36] Images of what appeared to be Luna’s bruised face surfaced online and was picked up by the now-defunct The Real Singapore.[37][38]


In response to Luna’s allegations, Ridhwan wrote a blog entry titled “I Love This Girl” which recounted his version of events. In his words, Ridhwan shared that Luna was the one who introduced violence in their relationship by “slapping and humiliating (him) in the bus”. Ridhwan admitted and apologised for hitting Luna while insisting that the post was not to “cover (his) ass” and “saying whose (sic) at fault”.[39]

Allegedly hacked by AnonymousSG (2013)

It was reported that on 15 November 2013, Ridhwan had filed a police report against cyber hackers - believed to be from AnonymousSG - who had taken control of his social media accounts. The hackers had frozen him out of his YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogspot and two e-mail accounts.[40]


According to Ridhwan, the hack happened after he had asked his YouTube subscribers not to support the hacktivist group AnonymousSG after it had threatened the Singapore Government. As such, it was assumed that the hackers had retaliated by hacking into his accounts and locking him out of them.[41] Eventually, it was revealed that the hackers were not affiliated to AnonymousSG. The investigation led to the arrest of two men responsible for hacking the PMO website and Ridhwan’s accounts.[42]

References / Citations

  1. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  2. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Instagram.
  3. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.
  4. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Life”. Ridhwannabe. May 3, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  5. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “My life. All the shit. - Chapter 1: How I Was Made”. Ridhwannabe. October 19, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  6. ↑ Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. The New Paper. March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  7. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Lost”. Ridhwannabe. March 2, 2014. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  8. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “My life. All the shit. - Chapter 2: Little Ridhwan”. Ridhwannabe. October 25, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  9. ↑ Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. The New Paper. March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  10. ↑ “Jack Neo’s new ‘recruits’ “. The Straits Times. November 7, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  11. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. LinkedIn. Accessed 19 November 2019.
  12. ↑ Chua, Charlene. “Singing his pain away”. The New Paper. March 19, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  13. ↑ “This week in LOUDR”. The New Paper. July 17, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
  14. ↑ Neo, Jack. “Ah Boys to Men”. November 8, 2012.
  15. ↑ Neo, Jack. “Ah Boys to Men 2”. February 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “First”. Ridhwannabe. December 2, 2012. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  17. ↑ “Ridhwan’s EPIC Comeback Video”. Ridhwan Azman. December 1, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  18. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Shit People Say After Break Up”. Ridhwan Azman. March 6, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  19. ↑ “Kena Trend: The Series (Episode 1)”. Ridhwan Azman. July 11, 2017. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  20. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. LinkedIn. Accessed 19 November 2019.
  21. ↑ “About”. CrayEight Studios. Accessed 25 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.
  22. ↑ “Ways Guys Get Rejected”. Ridhwan Azman July 27, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  23. ↑ “Why Ridhwan left JianHao’s Company”. The In Central. October 18, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  24. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.
  25. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.
  26. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. February 1, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Facebook.
  27. ↑ Ang, Benson. “Influencers behaving badly”. The Straits Times. August 25, 2019. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from The Straits Times.
  28. ↑ Chan, Rachel. “Nasty break-up aired on social media may cost influencer”. The New Paper. February 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from The New Paper.
  29. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Shit People Say After Break Up”. Ridhwan Azman. March 6, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  30. ↑ “What Really Happened Between Us”. JianHao Tan. October 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  31. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Leaving The Company”. Ridhwannabe. December 23, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  32. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Leaving The Company”. Ridhwannabe. December 23, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  33. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “Leaving The Company”. Ridhwannabe. December 23, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  34. ↑ thejianhaotan. December 3, 2015. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Instagram.
  35. ↑ “What Really Happened Between Us”. JianHao Tan. October 8, 2017. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from YouTube.
  36. ↑ azliah. “‘Ah Boys to Men’ star Ridhwan Azman admits hitting girlfriend online”. Yahoo! News. August 5, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Yahoo! News Singapore.
  37. ↑ Bryna Singh. “Ah Boys actor say sorry for slapping girlfriend”. The Straits Times. August 5, 2013. Accessed 19 November 2019. Retrieved from The Straits Times.
  38. ↑ azliah. “‘Ah Boys to Men’ star Ridhwan Azman admits hitting girlfriend online”. Yahoo! News. August 5, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Yahoo! News Singapore.
  39. ↑ Ridhwan Azman. “I Love This Girl”. Ridhwannabe. August 3, 2013. Accessed 20 November 2019. Retrieved from Blogspot.
  40. ↑ Maria Almenoar. “Actor files police report on hacking”. The Straits Times. November 15, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from AsiaOne.
  41. ↑ Maria Almenoar. “Actor files police report on hacking”. The Straits Times. November 15, 2013. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from AsiaOne.
  42. ↑ “Man who hacked PMO website to be jailed six months”. Today. December 8, 2014. Accessed 22 November 2019. Retrieved from Today Online.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.sg/index.php?title=Ridhwan_Azman&oldid=4648"