TL;DR Almost every Hong Konger has a few lazy sounds — nothing shameful; but in hosting, speaking and interviews, clear pronunciation shapes how professional you sound. The 10 most-missed words fall into 5 types: n/l (你, 男), dropped ng- (我, 牛), gw/kw rounding (國, 廣), ng/n endings (恆, 朋), and others (黑, 屋). Whether to fix them depends on the occasion; improve by reading slowly, recording yourself, and drilling the few you use most. Let me be honest: nearly every Hong Konger sp

TL;DR A blank mind isn't stupidity or lack of prep — it's the amygdala sounding the alarm and the prefrontal "thinking brain" going offline. Nerves are a protection, not a flaw; research shows reframing them as "excitement" lowers fear and improves performance. You can steady yourself: slow your exhale, practise to muscle memory, shift focus from "me" to "them" — and if you freeze, improvising is the real skill. Have you ever had this moment: you're fully prepared, and the se

TL;DR There's no single MBTI "best for hosting" — personality is just one piece; knowledge, preparation and quick thinking matter more. Most celebrity MBTI online is guessed by netizens, not reliable — don't define yourself by "my idol is type X." MBTI doesn't decide whether you can, only how you shine; making the most of your type is what counts. "Amanda, I did the MBTI test and I'm type XX — do you think I'm cut out to be an MC?" This is one of the questions I get asked mos

TL;DR The smarter AI gets, the more face-to-face communication is worth — it can type for you, but it can't speak for you or build trust. Real connection is shrinking (loneliness ≈ up to 15 cigarettes a day; teens' in-person social time roughly halved since 2003), making the ability to speak up a rare edge. Confidence and connection aren't innate — they're trainable, and may be the best investment in yourself for the next decade. Not long ago I was hosting a gala dinner. Befo

Every now and then, someone asks me: “Amanda, I want to learn to be an MC, but when I search online there are all kinds of training courses — different prices, different numbers of lessons, different ways to enrol. How on earth do I choose?” The people who ask this have usually been turning it over in their minds for a long time. Some worry about something deeper still: after finishing a whole course, will I still not dare to step on stage? Over these years I’ve trained more

"Amanda, I'm so introverted — am I just not cut out to be an MC?" I've heard this question countless times in my MC training classes. The students who ask it usually picture an MC as someone outgoing, quick on their feet, able to command a room the moment they step on stage. They feel they can't be that person — so before they even begin, they've already counted themselves out. In MBTI terms, these students usually lean towards "I" (Introversion). Their worry is real and unde

Amanda Fok, Hong Kong's MC Godmother: "I have ADHD — so how did I become an MC Godmother?" That day, I was sitting on the train, watching an occupational health and safety clip play on the carriage TV. A voice asked: "Do you often forget things? Is your work chaotic and hard to focus on?" I froze. Because what it described was, unmistakably, me. I didn't rush off to see a doctor. Instead I did something very "me" — I went home and searched the internet like mad. The more I re

Public speaking nerves don't mean you're not ready — they mean your brain is doing its job Before every class, I ask my students the same question: "Right now — is your heart racing? Are your palms sweaty? Does your mind feel blank?" Almost every time, every hand in the room goes up. And then I tell them: "Good. Your brain is working perfectly." This tends to surprise people. Whether it's your first time speaking in front of others or you've been doing it for years, public sp

No experience, introverted, not a natural speaker — how did they all manage to do it after the MC Training Course ? Every so often, I receive enquiries that go something like this: "Amanda, I've never been on stage before. Would an MC training course be too difficult for me?" "I'm quite introverted and not very confident when I speak. Is that okay?" "My Cantonese pronunciation isn't great — am I even suitable?" I've heard these questions more than ten thousand times. Many peo

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The Olympics aren't just a stage for athletes—they're also a platform where hosts and reporters showcase their professional prowess....

During the Paris Olympics, Ho Chun-Yin's questions were praised for being both professional and well-targeted. This made me reflect on...