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'One of the hardest days of my life': Jianhao Tan on hosting streamer IShowSpeed in S'pore
The tl;dr of his 34-minute interview.
By
Charlize Kon
October 05, 2024, 01:57 PM
Singapore podcast series The Daily Ketchup recently released a 34-minute interview with YouTuber Jianhao Tan, detailing the events surrounding popular American streamer IShowSpeed's visit to Singapore.
Commonly referred to as Speed, his real name is Darren Watkins Jr. and is well-known for his gaming content, particularly in titles like Fortnite and NBA 2K.
He arrived in Singapore as part of his Southeast Asian tour on Sep. 22, after visiting neighbouring countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.
A notable moment from Speed's Singapore tour was his livestream at Universal Studios Singapore (USS), which abruptly ended after 30 minutes.
This incident led to Tan receiving criticism online, as some of Speed's fans blamed the Singaporean for the stream's shutdown.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
Last minute
Tan opened the interview by sharing that Speed's team reached out to him the night before his arrival, requesting help with logistics, transportation, security, and access.
“He messaged me in the late afternoon, asking if I would be his tour guide,” Tan recalled. “I thought it would be fun and quite a challenge.”
However, many details were still up in the air as the streamer’s plans were not finalised. “There were a lot of issues along the way, but it wasn’t anyone's fault—it was just a matter of timing,” he explained.
Tan noted that Speed is known for his spontaneity, but Tan noted that Singapore wasn’t the best setting for such unpredictability.
First impression of Speed & his team
Tan mentioned he communicated directly with Speed rather than going through his team.
He clarified that he did not suggest USS for their visit. Instead, he recommended Woodlands pasar malam for an authentic local experience, mentioning that Speed often includes food orders in his streams.
Additionally, he proposed AJ Hackett for its bungee jump.
What happened at USS
Tan got a message from Speed's team late at night, who expressed interest in visiting USS the next day.
At 1am, he reached out to the marketing director of USS, despite feeling guilty for doing so at such a late hour. He explained that under normal circumstances, he would have used email or contacted them during business hours.
Photo from JianHao Tan's Instagram.
Tan felt bad about the backlash USS received after the stream, given their efforts to assist.
The marketing director confirmed that filming was allowed at USS, but not on the rides.
Because of this, Tan suggested they might want to skip USS due to the filming restrictions and mentioned he had already booked AJ Hackett.
However Speed and his team went ahead with the USS plans.
Photo from iShowSpeed's YouTube.
When they attempted to film on the Transformers ride, they were blocked due to intellectual property concerns, which caught Speed off guard. He was also denied filming at another ride, leading to the stream shutting down.
@mothershipsg a man was seen gesturing that no cameras were allowed on the ride. #tiktoksg#news #singapore ♬ original sound - Mothership
Tan was unaware that the livestream had cut off; his main focus was ensuring the USS staff were comfortable amidst the confusion.
Tan also understood that the permit was issued on a Sunday morning, making it difficult to communicate Speed's arrival to everyone in advance.
Exploring alternatives
After leaving USS, Tan and Speed’s team proceeded to AJ Hackett, which is also located on Sentosa.
Tan had secured the necessary filming permits for this location, noting that “the myth about Singapore being impossible to shoot is not true. It’s very content creator friendly; you just have to not do it last minute.”
Upon arriving at AJ Hackett, Speed suggested visiting Geylang, but Tan advised against it.
Instead, the team opted to head to the F1 race instead.
@peakmedia5 speed is currently in F1 Singapore #ishowspeed #speed #singapore #speedinsingapore #trending #viral #ishowspeedclipz ♬ original sound - Noisy_Boy
Tan was not involved in the F1 arrangements. He noted that streaming was not permitted at the event, so he visited Woodlands and Yishun to capture photos of the food bazaars, allowing the team to decide their next steps.
After popping by F1, Speed and his team headed to Johor Bahru to stream. However, by the time they returned to Singapore, it was too late to go live at the Woodlands and Yishun bazaars.
Backlash
Following the stream's difficulties, criticism emerged on social media regarding Tan’s role as Speed’s tour guide, particularly focusing on the choice of USS.
Tan addressed the backlash, stating, “I did not recommend USS. I did get the permit, and there were just too many last-minute changes.”
He expressed his desire to ensure that Singapore fans had a good experience, saying, “I wanted Singapore to have a good stream.”
Despite the challenges, Tan felt a sense of community support. “I felt blessed that many Singaporeans stood up for me,” he remarked.
Lessons learned
Reflecting on the experience, Tan acknowledged the insights gained from observing Speed's approach to content creation. “From a creative standpoint, I learned how he values audience retention and how he keeps the momentum going,” he noted.
When asked if he would do anything differently if given the chance to redo the experience, Tan responded that he wouldn’t agree to tour Speed around Singapore.
He also recognised the cultural differences in expectations, saying, “They expected the chaos of Vietnam or Thailand, [but] Singapore is just so developed.”
As Tan summed up, “It was one of the hardest days of my life,” but ultimately, he remained committed to providing an entertaining experience for fans.
Top images via The Daily Ketchup Podcast and iShowSpeed
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