PODCAST · education
Tell You First
by Mediacorp
Hosted by the dynamic duo behind Ministry of Funny and Yah Lah But... - Haresh Tilani & Terence Chia - "Tell You First" is an edutainment podcast that aims to dive into a fascinating array of topics you never knew you needed to know.And the fun doesn't stop there—sometimes, we bring in special guests to join the laughter! Tune in for a one-of-a-kind blend of comedy and knowledge, and uncover a world of captivating insights that will leave you both enlightened and entertained.Produced by Ministry of Funny, and brought to you by MediacorpThe views and opinions shared during this podcast series are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mediacorp Pte. Ltd. or its group of companies.
Episodes
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How The Noose Got Away with 10 Years of Mocking Singapore
The Noose was Singapore’s first and only parody show that poked fun at public office holders, accents, condo names and even why noodle stalls only serve five fishballs. But not everything was fair game. In this episode, creator and head writer Prem Anand takes us behind the scenes of Singapore’s...
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How China Wine Precipitated One of Singapore’s Biggest Scandals
What happens when a Singapore megachurch decides to push its beloved pastor's wife to become an international pop star? In the 2000s, City Harvest Church backed Sun Ho's "Crossover Project", an ambitious endeavour that sent her across Asia to perform Mandopop, then subsequently to the US, where…
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The AWARE Saga: How We Didn't Shut Up and Sit Down (w Jasmine Ng)
Everyone who lived through the 2009 AWARE Saga remembered it, but nobody wanted to talk about it. Not the 3,000 people who queued four hours to vote at Suntec. Not the bank that publicly disowned its own VP. Not the "feminist mentor" who compared homosexuality to bestiality on live TV. It took...
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The Nicoll Highway Collapse: How Four Deaths Rewrote Singapore's Construction Rules
On 20 April 2004, 100 metres of Nicoll Highway suddenly collapsed into a 30-metre-deep hole, killing four people and injuring three. The disaster exposed serious failures in the design and construction of the Circle Line, and also changed how Singapore approaches construction safety. We trace…
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The Coffee Shop That’s Hiding Singapore’s Biggest Sex Forum
Sam's Alfresco Coffee Shop sounds like somewhere you'd order a flat white. But it's actually the innocent-looking front door to the Sammyboy forum, sharing commercial sex reviews, explicit erotica, and lewd photos. Click one link deeper, and you’ll enter the “Asian Commercial Sex Scene” forum,...
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The Beyoncé Concert Malaysia Didn't Want You to See
In the 2000s, Malaysia became known for a very different kind of concert run. The Pussycat Dolls' outfits led to a fine against their organisers, Gwen Stefani changed costumes for every song just to stay covered up, Avril Lavigne was warned over her punk image despite barely showing skin, and...
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How a 28-Year-Old In Singapore Killed Britain’s Oldest Merchant Bank
Barings Bank was founded in 1762 and was Britain's oldest merchant bank, trusted even by Queen Elizabeth herself. But in 1995, a 28-year-old trader in Singapore brought the whole 233-year-old institution to its knees via a mysterious account numbered 88888, buried deep inside the bank's…
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That Time Indonesia Bombed Singapore, And How Lee Kuan Yew Brought Peace Back
On 10 March 1965, two Indonesian Marine Commandos walked into MacDonald House and planted a bomb that killed three people and injured 33 others. But MacDonald House wasn't even their original target. What followed was a dramatic manhunt, a controversial trial, and an execution that nearly pushed...
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The OG Singapore Idol Finally Reveals Why Singapore Idol Ended (w Dick Lee)
Singapore Idol premiered in 2004 to a reported 1.2 million viewers, skyrocketing a local talent show into a national obsession. Dick Lee, sidelined into a desk job, found the show reigniting something he'd lost. He judged all three seasons, and watched Singaporeans become fiercely split over…
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Why Nobody Knows The USB ThumbDrive Was Invented in Singapore
Today, the USB thumbdrive is one of those bits of tech we use without a second thought. But before 2000, the best way to store digital files was a floppy disk holding 1.44 MB, barely one song. Then Trek 2000 International walked into a German trade fair with one cardboard sign reading “The…
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Should Only Singaporeans Write National Day Songs? (w Ben Kheng)
Singer-songwriter Benjamin Kheng knows exactly how hard it is to write a song for an entire country, he did it himself with 2024's Not Alone. But long before him, the identities of the people behind some of Singapore's most beloved anthems were kept secret for almost twenty years. In this…
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The Singaporean Artist Who Had to Sue to Prove She Was Original
A Luxembourg art student copied Singaporean fashion photographer Zhang Jingna's photograph by flipping it, changing the colours, adding earrings and a sword, before calling it his own. His painting won a government backed prize and was presented to Luxembourg's princess. While fighting the case,...
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The Nude Sports Games That Shocked Malaysia and Singapore
In 2014, fifteen people, mostly Malaysian and Singaporean, spent a day painting body art on each other, running relay races, and doing kettlebell exercises by a campfire, all while completely nude on a secluded Penang beach. When footage of this event surfaced online, it sparked a national...
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Was Modern Singapore Built on Drug Money?
For 120 years, the British colonial government was Singapore's largest licensed drug dealer. Opium was processed on a hill in Pasir Panjang, that is known today as Opium Hill. By the time the system was dismantled, opium profits had ballooned to an astronomical $55 million, and was funding a...
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The NParks Brompton Scandal: Why Singapore Lost Its Mind Over 26 Bicycles
Twenty-six Brompton bicycles, a $57,200 government purchase, and a tender that drew just one bid. Sounds suspicious? HardwareZone users thought so. By tracing Facebook friend lists, company records, and regulatory filings, they uncovered a relationship that was the start of a national scandal. We...
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The Surprising Story of Annabel Chong: The Girl Who Rejected The Singapore Dream
Her name was a punchline in Singapore. A warning to others. She went from Singapore’s gifted education fast track to global infamy as a record-breaking porn star. But behind the 1995 headlines that stunned the world lies the story of Grace Quek. A gifted scholar whose life was derailed by a...
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Why the Strait of Malacca Keeps China Awake at Night
In 2003, Chinese President Hu Jintao coined a phrase that still shapes Beijing's strategic thinking: the Malacca Dilemma. Most of China's imported oil passes through the Strait of Malacca, a chokepoint so important that it helps determine the maximum size of many of the world's largest ships, a...
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Sarong Party Girls: “Ang Moh Better?” A History of the Stereotype
From British colonial parties to bestselling books and internet scandals, few Singaporean stereotypes have had the staying power of the "Sarong Party Girl". Originally used to mock local women who dated Western men, the term became shorthand for a much larger debate about race, class, sex, and…
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The Year Singapore Football Became A Joke
In 1992, Singapore was relegated to Division 2 of the Malaysian football, and publicly humiliated. The Kallang Roar was fading as fans stopped showing up, and the once-dominant team looked finished. Then came brutal training sessions, shock resignations, a match-fixing scandal, and an eight month...
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How Bugis Street Became One of Singapore’s Biggest Tourist Attractions
You might know Bugis Street today as a tourist hotspot selling anything and everything, from souvenirs to clothes and jewelry. But before all that, Bugis Street was known for its midnight drag shows, gang activity, and a notorious dance that involved sticking flaming torches up certain holes.…
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Hawker Culture: From Illegal to UNESCO Recognition
Singapore’s food story did not begin in air-conditioned malls. It began beside open drains, on pushcarts, and in smoky back alleys where migrant workers needed cheap meals fast. In this episode, we’re joined by food critic, street food crusader, and Makansutra founder Kf Seetoh, to trace how…
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Samsui Women: The Original Girlbosses Who Built Singapore
They carried bricks, cleared rubble and helped build modern Singapore, yet most people barely know anything about them. Samsui women arrived on our shores as poor immigrants and worked brutal jobs in construction until the 80s, while living on the margins of the city they helped construct. In…
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How Singapore Turned the Sea into Prime Real Estate
Singapore’s land reclamation story is not a smooth tale of engineering triumph. It began with failed seawalls, ten year delays and costs that multiplied sixfold, before evolving into a strategy that has reshaped the landscape. In this episode, we trace how Singapore has spent the past two…
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When the British Blew Up One of Singapore's Oldest Relics
At the mouth of the Singapore River once stood a massive inscribed stone that may have been the oldest written record ever found here. No one could decipher its inscriptions, but its historical significance was never in doubt. This episode tells the baffling story of how the colonial British...
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The Golden Age of YouTube in Singapore and Why It Disappeared
There was a moment when YouTube felt like the most exciting place in Singapore. YouTube channels creating slapstick listicles became media conglomerates overnight, cross-genre collaborations were everywhere, and videos on the Trending tab were the talk of the town. So why did this ecosystem crash...
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That Time When A Singapore Airlines Plane Was Hijacked
On a quiet Tuesday night in 1991, the routine Singapore Airlines shuttle flight SQ117 from Kuala Lumpur to Changi Airport turned into a nine-hour hostage nightmare. As hijackers flung crew out of the plane, issued ultimatums and set fires in the cockpit, authorities in Singapore made a call that...
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How Orchard Towers Earned Its Shady Reputation
Orchard Towers opened in the 1970s with food competitions judged by Lee Kuan Yew’s mother and dreams of clean modern retail. Over time, bars, massage parlours, and underground economies moved in. We explore how this transformation happened, the crimes that cemented its reputation, and why its…
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When Phua Chu Kang Got Scolded By The Prime Minister
Yellow boots, a giant mole, and broken English. Phua Chu Kang has cemented his place as a household name across Singapore, JB, and some say Batam. But the story behind how the sitcom came to be is far less known. From rehearsing in storerooms with no sponsors, to sweeping major Asian television...
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How Singapore was Once the Pirate Capital of the World
In the 1980s, Singapore was openly labelled the world’s leading producer of pirated tapes, exporting millions of counterfeit cassettes across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In this episode, we trace how piracy became a full-blown industry with factories, retail shops, and global supply…
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Why Is Singapore So Serious About Bomb Shelters?
That reinforced room within your HDB flat is not just for luggage and old fans. It’s a blast resistant capsule meant to keep you alive through bomb shocks, debris and even chemical attacks. From British era tunnels to modern HDB shelters stacked like a concrete spine through every block, we…
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Why This $150 Million Kampong is Still Standing
Surrounded by modern estates and valued at over a hundred million dollars on paper, residents here still pay rent in the tens of dollars and leave their doors open to neighbours. Behind it all stands one woman and her resistance to commercialisation. This episode explores why Kampong Lorong...
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How A Riot Changed Singapore’s Nightlife FOREVER
Singapore has never banned alcohol outright, but after the Little India riot it built a maze of rules that changed Singapore’s drinking culture and stopped people from buying rum raisin ice cream after 1030pm. We explore the incident that sparked the law, the backlash from businesses and…
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When Gangs Ruled Chinatown
Long before Chinatown became known for its historic temples and colourful shophouses, its streets were controlled by secret societies fighting over turf, vice money, and influence. What began as migrant aid networks slowly morphed into violent gangs, stretching their reach from Chinatown’s back...
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Steven Lim and the Fatal Fight
What began as a celebrity Muay Thai match featuring Steven Lim spiralled into one of Singapore’s darkest sporting moments when bodybuilder Pradip Subramanian collapsed after stepping in as a last minute replacement. Together with Julian Wong from Rice Media, author of Steven Lim: One Last Shot at...
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Katong’s Lost Palace: Sex Scandals, Circus Elephants, and Magicians
Before Katong had cafes and condos, it had a cattle baron who built a seaside palace complete with a tower, fountains and a private football field. Step inside the strangest building in Katong and discover how a teenage money changer became Singapore’s Cattle King, and the scandals that turned…
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How Singapore Lost an Island in a “Crabby” Deal
Few know that Christmas Island was once run from Singapore, complete with Singaporean schools, homes, and food. But in 1958, a $20 million deal was struck with Australia to transfer ownership of the island. In this episode, we tell the story of the island’s colonial tug-of-war, the politics…
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The Merlion: The Myth That Became Legend
Did you know Singapore’s most famous creature wasn’t born from myth, but a government-led marketing effort? Over the years, it’s been loved, mocked, and endlessly reimagined, but it remains as one of Singapore’s national icons. In this episode, we uncover the story behind the creature that was...
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Chope-d With Tissues: Singapore’s Most Polite Power Move
A packet of tissues on a table means one thing in Singapore: it’s reserved. But how did this strange system of trust and order evolve in a city obsessed with efficiency? We explore how “chope culture” has stirred debates about kindness and convenience… and even becoming avant-garde artwork in...
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Singapore’s Famous Dragon Playground Has A Secret
In a quiet corner of Toa Payoh lies a dragon that has seen presidents, queens and generations of children. Once a symbol of modern design and national pride, it now guards memories of sand-filled adventures and scraped knees. We awaken the legend of how this mosaic creature came to define an era…
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Singapore’s War on Sex, Drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll
From banning Playboy and pinball to cutting the hair of foreign pop stars, Singapore once waged a full-blown crusade on what it called “yellow culture.” This episode dives into the secret morality purge that started with tabloid scandals in the 1950s and spiralled into raids, bans, and a…
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One Man, One Wife, Banning Polygamy in Singapore
Legally recognised under British colonial rule, polygamy was rife in the early days of Singapore. Many men chose not to register their marriages, using this loophole to avoid financial or legal responsibility. In this episode, we discover how Singapore’s first generation of women activists set…
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The NKF Scandal: Peanuts, Gold Taps, and a $600,000 Salary
It started in April 2004 with a newspaper article about a bathroom tap. By the time it ended, the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) CEO was in jail, its board resigned, and the majority of Singaporeans had cancelled their donations to NKF. In this episode we break down the scandal that stunned...
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From Power Plant to Party Central: The Story of St James Power Station
Originally Singapore’s first coal-fired power station, St James has been many things, a warehouse, a nightclub, and now Dyson’s global headquarters. We follow its 100-year journey from fuelling the island’s first lights to powering late-night discos and high-tech innovation, and how it became a...
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The Street Where People Went To Die
For a few dollars, you could rent a bed beside coffins and wait for death. This was life on Sago Lane, once known as the “street of the dead.” In this episode, we trace the dark history of these death houses, from their origins in 19th-century Chinatown to their eventual ban in 1961, and ask what...
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The Dark Story Behind the Tiger Balm Brothers and Haw Par Villa
Many know Haw Par Villa for its surreal statues portraying themes from Chinese folklore, or maybe even its water splash ride taking visitors through the 10 Courts of Hell. But few know the loss and misfortune that the park and its Hong Kong counterpart share. In this episode, we take you beyond…
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Why Can’t We Stop Seeing Ghosts In Singapore?
Singapore has more than a hundred mapped haunted sites, a best-selling ghost book series, and a ghost festival that turns entire streets into altars. But our spirits are more than superstition. In this episode, we explore how Singapore’s ghost stories carry hidden histories of migration, trauma,...
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Singapore’s Forgotten Cemetery of Pioneers, Bukit Brown
At over 200 acres, Bukit Brown was once the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China, home to the graves of more than 100,000 people including pioneers like Ong Sam Leong, Chew Boon Lay and the ancestors of Lee Kuan Yew. When plans for an eight-lane highway threatened to cut through it…
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Space Without Astronauts: How Singapore Is Reaching for the Stars
Singapore has no space agency, rockets or astronauts, yet it is quietly carving out its role in the global space race. From quantum satellites and blockchain in orbit to students sending experiments to the International Space Station, Singapore has become a hub for space innovation. In this...
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Ghost Economies: Why the Dead Need Money Too
Why are Chinese people burning paper Teslas, Netflix subscriptions and even COVID vaccines for their ancestors? In this episode, we dive into the bizarre and booming afterlife economy, where temples now accept QR code offerings, and lawyers step in to prevent copyright infringements! Follow us as...
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Mind Over Water: How Singapore Conquered Water Stress
In the 1960s, Singaporeans queued with ration cards as dry spells crippled water supply. Fast forward to today, and the island has transformed its biggest vulnerability into one of its proudest triumphs. Join us as we dive into the many ways Singapore's reservoirs help to protect the nation from...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hosted by the dynamic duo behind Ministry of Funny and Yah Lah But... - Haresh Tilani & Terence Chia - "Tell You First" is an edutainment podcast that aims to dive into a fascinating array of topics you never knew you needed to know.And the fun doesn't stop there—sometimes, we bring in special guests to join the laughter! Tune in for a one-of-a-kind blend of comedy and knowledge, and uncover a world of captivating insights that will leave you both enlightened and entertained.Produced by Ministry of Funny, and brought to you by MediacorpThe views and opinions shared during this podcast series are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Mediacorp Pte. Ltd. or its group of companies.
HOSTED BY
Mediacorp
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How many episodes does Tell You First have?
Tell You First currently has 87 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Tell You First about?
Hosted by the dynamic duo behind Ministry of Funny and Yah Lah But... - Haresh Tilani & Terence Chia - "Tell You First" is an edutainment podcast that aims to dive into a fascinating array of topics you never knew you needed to know.And the fun doesn't stop there—sometimes, we bring in special...
How often does Tell You First release new episodes?
Tell You First has 87 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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You can listen to Tell You First on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Tell You First?
Tell You First is created and hosted by Mediacorp.
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