(Hong Kong, 6th) Hong Kong radio personality Kitty Yuen, 55, has finally opened up about her decision to leave Commercial Radio after working at the station for nearly 30 years.
Known for hosting popular programmes including Sammy & Kitty dot dot dot and Good Morning King, Yuen announced her departure last year. During a recent appearance on Sharon Chan’s YouTube programme Chi Chat, she revealed that the decision came after almost a year of careful consideration.
Yuen explained that at this stage of her life, she wanted to regain control over how she spent her time. She admitted that work pressure had become intense and that her level of unhappiness was continuing to rise.
Her husband also played an important role in supporting her decision, assuring her that he was willing to take care of the household financially. Yuen, who said she enjoys her role as a wife, became even more determined to leave. She felt that saying goodbye while she was still performing at her best would provide the most satisfying ending to her long radio career.
Family circumstances were another major factor. In 2024, Yuen’s father fell ill and spent a month in hospital. Having always viewed him as a strong man who had worked in construction for decades, seeing him hospitalised made her realise that he was getting older and that she wanted to spend more time with him.
The experience changed her priorities, making her realise that time with family could be more valuable than money or the security of a stable income.
After leaving Commercial Radio, Yuen launched her own food-focused YouTube channel, Yuen Siu Lok Yuen. She joked that the more she plans her life, the more likely things are to go wrong, so she now prefers to follow her instincts and take things one step at a time.
She also refuses to let views, traffic or comments determine how she runs her channel. For Yuen, enjoying the filming process is more important, as she believes viewers can naturally feel that happiness.
She also encouraged women over 30 not to compare themselves with others, but instead listen to their own hearts and have the courage to try something new.
Speaking about Sammy Leung, her broadcasting partner of nearly three decades, Yuen admitted that she resigned from the company before telling him about her decision, which initially left him somewhat unhappy.
She explained that Sammy had always been her “life adviser” and would often present her with different possibilities and suggestions. This time, however, she wanted to follow her own path and worried that speaking to him beforehand might persuade her to change her mind.
The pair eventually spoke on the phone for several hours and shared their true feelings. During the conversation, Yuen also surprised Sammy with news of her upcoming marriage. Upon learning that his longtime partner was preparing to begin a new chapter of her life, Sammy was happy for her.
