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HONG KONG: Veteran Hong Kong entertainer Lydia Sum died Tuesday aged 60 after a battle with liver cancer, her employer and local media said.
Sum, known for her bouffant hairstyle and wing-tip frame glasses, was one of Hong Kong's most popular actresses and comediennes with a career spanning more than four decades.
Affectionately nicknamed by her fans "Fei Fei" which means "fat" in Cantonese because of her plump physique, Sum won over audiences not only in Hong Kong but in mainland China and Chinese communities around the world.
Sum had been undergoing medical treatment since being diagnosed with the disease more than a year ago.
But in recent weeks, her health had worsened and she was moved into intensive care at Queen Mary Hospital where she passed away, Hong Kong media reported.
Her 21-year-old daughter Joyce Cheng arrived in the hospital but would not speak to the media.
"We can confirm she has died," said Winnie Ho, a spokeswoman for her employer, local television station TVB.
Leading figures in Hong Hong, including the city's chief executive Donald Tsang, paid tribute to the respected entertainer.
"I feel very sad about her death. Fei Fei is Hong Kong's 'happy fruit'. Hong Kong people have grown up with her laughter and she had brought a lot of happiness to us," Tsang said.
"On behalf of the government and Hong Kong citizens, I would like to pay condolences to her family."
Born in Shanghai in 1947, Sum took up acting as a child in the early 60s and quickly became popular thanks to her high spirit and sense of humour.
She went on to star in more than 70 movies, according to Internet Movie Database, and later hosted numerous variety shows produced by TVB, most notably the popular "Enjoy Yourself Tonight."
The actress is survived by Joyce Cheng and her former husband -- actor and singer Adam Cheng Siu-chow. - AFP/ac
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