Hong Kong actress Elena Kong recently got the internet buzzing when she revealed she has been using dating apps in hopes of hooking up with men.
Not exactly surprising, considering how open she is about her sex life.
Inspired to try dating apps after a friend found true love on one, the 53-year-old downloaded several apps and experimented with them for two weeks.
“Initially, it was just out of curiosity. I was wondering, ‘Can you really find someone on it?’ A lot of people also want to know what dating apps are really like,” she revealed during the live stream of YouTube series 娛樂好好玩, translated as Showbiz So Fun, which she co-hosts with actor Carlo Ng.
Elena hasn’t been in a relationship since her divorce from Ng Kwan Cheung, who is the brother of Sandra Ng, in 2018. The pair was secretly married for 12 years.
When fans warned Elena that many people on dating apps are only looking for hook-ups, she laughed and said: “That’s my intention too! Do you think I’m looking for true love? I set the age range to 35 to 40 years.”
When Carlo jokingly asked if she preferred hunky men, Elena replied, “Of course! I need someone who can invigorate me, bring me new energy, and a fresh start.”
While Elena did not reveal if she has met any hunky guys, she has been catfish-ed.
She described one instance after a video chat with a man she thought she had connected with, she realised he looked nothing like his profile picture.
When she pointed out the discrepancy later, he got defensive, saying, “So what if my photos are deceptive? Why are you so fixated on that? I am who I am.”
Well, Elena hasn’t been entirely truthful either.
Concerned that people would recognise her, she initially used only side-profile photos and an alias on the apps.
It’s Lulu, if you’re wondering. The reason? Because she “played characters named Lulu in several dramas”.
However, after a report about her using dating apps came out in the media, she started receiving dozens of messages daily, with many greeting her by name.
Many people have also been sliding into her DMS on Facebook and Instagram.
Some messages were very direct, said Elena: “One guy wrote, ‘I’m 40, very fit! I’ll give you an unforgettable night.'”