Fred Cheng (鄭俊弘) and Stephanie Ho (何雁詩) started off the new year by announcing their engagement on New Year’s Day. The couple announced the good news at the same time by posting their pre-wedding pictures on Instagram. Stephanie Ho included the caption, “2020 bride to be”, while Fred Cheng’s post read, “Husband to be! I’m very excited!”
Fred Cheng and Stephanie Ho Tie the Knot
In a joint statement to Oriental Daily News, they expressed, “In the two and a half years of dating, we’ve learned how to respect and be understanding of each other. Grateful to have stood by each other during the hardships and mutually supporting each other. Aside from being friends, we are also the best of friends. Really looking forward to the next chapter of or lives.” They revealed Fred Cheng had first asked for permission from Stephanie Ho’s father before proposing. Fred Cheng had invited their families and friends while they were on vacation to witness the proposal. They will be having a destination wedding at the end of 2020.
In the two and a half years they were dating, the couple was met with a lot of obstacles. In 2017, it was rumored Fred Cheng and Stephanie Ho started dating after filming a TVB variety show. There was a lot of controversy as it was reported Fred Cheng was already engaged to his girlfriend of three years, Beebs. At the time, the two maintained they were just friends. However, shortly afterwards, the two appeared at the airport holding hands and admitted to reporters that they were dating. Fred Cheng also emphasized Stephanie Ho was not the third party. He admitted he didn’t handle the relationship well.
Because of this scandal, Fred Cheng and Stephanie’s images and careers took a nosedive. Fred Cheng lost out a lot of work opportunities. It was rumored Fred Cheng was replaced by Hubert Wu to play “Shek Gam Dong” in “The Exorcist’s Meter” (降魔的), as a result of the scandal. The role was a breakthrough for Hubert Wu and brought him more success and popularity.
To add insult to injury, Fred Cheng received a lot of flack after he was caught using a prong collar on his dog, Riley, that he shared with his ex-fiancee. Then there were rumors that they were giving up the dog because Stephanie Ho and Riley couldn’t get along. They later addressed the prong collar was suggested by a dog trainer for training and safety purposes. Stephanie Ho also clarified the rumors of them giving up the dog were false.
Things got even more interesting in August 2018 when there were pictures of Fred Cheng allegedly engaging in intimate behavior with a model, Bebi. The pictures only showed the back of a male. When Stephanie Ho responded to the media, she explained she had seen the pictures already and chose to believe Fred Cheng after communicating with him. Even though there would be break up rumors from time to time, the couple were able to overcome the obstacles and make it to the end.
Credit: hk01, hk.on.cc, Stephanie Ho IG