Hong Kong singer Joyce Cheng Yan-yee, 39, has been spotted in Shau Kei Wan sporting a new blonde pigtail hairstyle as she prepares for a comeback, nearly three years after stepping away from the spotlight following her 2023 Hong Kong Coliseum concert amid a battle with mental health issues that sources say she has now overcome.
According to East Week, a sister publication of The Standard, Cheng was recently seen driving a vintage Mercedes-Benz to an industrial building in Shau Kei Wan in the afternoon. Wearing a black T-shirt, black shorts and light makeup, she showed off her signature blonde hair styled into two high pigtails.
She spent about three hours inside the building, which houses several music production companies and rehearsal studios, before leaving with two female associates.
During the visit, Cheng was startled by a cockroach near her car door and briefly recoiled, covering her mouth in fright, before a passer-by stepped in and killed the insect. She thanked him repeatedly and later waved goodbye as she drove off.
Cheng largely withdrew from public life after her 2023 concert, fueling speculation ranging from a troubled romance to a rift with her record label over her wish to launch her own music brand, as well as unfounded rumors of her death.
Her manager, Sandy Lamb, said at the time only that Cheng was “indeed ill” and recovering, and asked the public to give her space.
Cheng revealed in 2017 that she suffered from panic disorder and began psychological treatment in 2019. In a 2021 interview, she said her mental health had deteriorated to the point that she felt everything she did was wrong. The late singer Coco Lee's elder sister, Nancy Lee Sze-lam, has separately said that Cheng struggled with depression.
Cheng had been set to compete on the mainland singing competition Singer 2025, but withdrew after she was injured by falling lighting equipment during rehearsals.
She was later rumored to join Singer 2026 but did not appear on the show. Her friend, singer Alfred Hui Ting-hang, recently said she was “ready” for a comeback.
When approached by fans at Festival Walk, Cheng broke her long silence, telling them her return was coming “soon.”
