Gurmit Singh’s Parenting Regret: “I Was The Worst Father Ever”

Phua Chu Kang may be the best contractor in Singapore, JB (Johor Bahru) and some say Batam — but behind the laughter, Gurmit Singh, the man who brought PCK to life, carries a quiet heartache. 

Over two episodes of Call Us Daddy with host Allan Wu, the 60-year-old icon shared his deepest regret, branding himself the “worst father” ever, prioritising career over his wife, Melissa Wong, and three kids, Gabrielle, 28, Elliot, 23, and Mikaela, 12.

The height of Gurmit’s fame, the depth of absence

Gurmit’s stardom exploded with PCK, turning him into Singapore’s comedy king through the 90s and 2000s. 

But that success meant grueling schedules: long stretches of filming, hosting countdown shows every New Year’s Eve, and endless gigs that kept him away from home. 

“I’ll say it now, I’m the worst father ever. For 20 years, I was absent because I was so into my career.” Gurmit confessed. “Time-wise, it was zero with my family. Literally zero.”

For two decades, the actor never got a chance to say ‘Happy New Year’ to his family.

“By the time we finish the countdown, it’s around 1am. But we can’t go home yet, because the crowd is there and they have to be dispersed slowly. Only after we get the green light, which is about 2am to 2.30am, then we get to go home,” he said. “By then, everyone’s already asleep”. 

Another particularly painful incident happened during a shoot in Kuala Lumpur for PCK in 2009: Gurmit’s wife called to say their son had a fever and needed to go to the clinic. 

Gurmit excused himself from the set, made desperate calls home, then spent the rest of the time beating himself over the fact that he was overseas and couldn’t do anything about it.

“I wanted to freaking run away and come back to Singapore because I felt like a useless father,” he recounted. “You just want to be there 24/7.”

The magazine interview that shattered him

However, the real gut-punch arrived when his eldest daughter, Gabrielle, made a heartbreaking statement during a magazine interview when she was just 11 or 12 years old. 

When she was asked what it felt like having a “super funny, super famous dad”, she answered honestly: “Having my dad is like having a mythical figure. I don’t know when he’s coming in and when he’s going out.” 

Gurmit’s heart sank — he’d become more myth than dad in his own home.​

Still, he kept “brainwashing” himself to push through the guilt. 

“Yeah, I don’t see much of my kids and my wife, but hell, I’m providing for them,” he’d rationalise, ticking off the perks: sprawling house, flashy Lamborghinis, business-class holidays on demand. “You can eat anywhere, anytime. So yeah, I don’t feel guilty”. 

But deep inside, he knew that he had to spend more time with his family. After all, what’s the point of having a family when you can’t be with them? 

The bold quit

Finally, the facade cracked. Reflecting on two decades lost, Gurmit made the call to step away from full-time work and go freelance, but not before sitting his family down for a proper talk.

When Gurmit asked how they felt about the changes ahead, his son Elliot gave the answer that mattered most: “If it means having more time with you, it’s a no-brainer”. 

With that blessing, Gurmit left his full-time role at Mediacorp in 2014. 

The decision came with real sacrifices: the family sold their cars, gave up their big house, and traded in business-class comforts for economy seats — luxuries Elliot loved.

What they gained, though, was something money never bought them before. 

On their family holiday to Finland after he quit, somewhere at 30,000 feet in the air, Gurmit turned to his wife and kids and finally said the words he never shared in 20 years: “Happy New Year, guys.”

Tears rolled, hugs went around, and he later described the moment as “weird, but a good weird”. 

Today, he credits them fully for keeping him grounded: “If I were a bachelor, I could’ve gone wayward. I’m willing to bet.”

Watch episodes 14 and 15 on Take Off TV below.

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