Lifestyle
S'porean influencer JianHao Tan takes part in global live commerce reality show competition in Korea
"Without a doubt, one of the most intense things I've ever been through."
August 03, 2026, 12:05 PM
Photos from Jian Hao/Facebook.
Singaporean YouTuber and content creator JianHao Tan and his wife are among the contestants on South Korean television network ENA's new variety competition, "X The League (XTL)".
What is XTL?
Photo from Jian Hao/Facebook.
The series premiered on ENA and Netflix Korea on Aug. 2, and is billed as the world's first global live commerce championship.
It sees influencers from nine countries competing in live-selling challenges for a grand prize of US$500,000 (around S$640,657).
Each team's performance on the reality show will be judged based on audience engagement and sales results.
A total of eight teams are taking part in the competition, representing Singapore-Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, China, and the United States.
Tan captains the Singapore-Malaysia team, which also comprises his wife, content creator Debbie Soon, and Malaysian creators Elle Onni and Sonia Chang.
Photo from Jian Hao/Facebook.
According to an earlier report by The Straits Times, the Singapore-Malaysia team is backed by global creator management and licensing company Gushcloud International, which oversees its live-selling strategy, cross-border creator collaborations and overall competitive execution throughout the tournament.
XTL is hosted by Thai rapper-singer BamBam, who is also a member of the K-Pop boy band Got7, alongside Korean-American singer and actress Tiffany Young from the K-Pop girl group Girls' Generation.
Photo from Jian Hao/Facebook.
"Most intense things I've ever been through": Tan
Following the show's release, both Tan and Soon took to Instagram to share their experiences.
"When we were first invited to join X The League, the world’s first live sellers competition, I was honestly so nervous and didn’t want to go. But with [Tan's} encouragement (and a little push ), I did it... and I have no regrets," Soon wrote.
She also gave a shout-out to her Malaysian teammates, calling them "the best" and saying they made the journey "so much more meaningful".
Tan, on the other hand, described the competition as "without a doubt, one of the most intense things [he's] ever been through".
