'For years, I've been in a very suffocating environment': Former teacher becomes OnlyFans creator, netizens divided

Leaving a stable job to pursue a passion can be difficult for anyone.

Content creator Chanel Yui left her role as a secondary school teacher last year to pursue cosplaying, streaming and even OnlyFans — and found the "stripping", in her own words, to be "cathartic".

She told Esther Lai-Joseph of That Mom Chat on TikTok: "For years I've been in a very, very suffocating environment. And I told you right, I kena a few times. I kena called down to the office and told, 'This one not very appropriate', 'Can you take this down?', 'A lot of complaints about you', blah blah blah.

"And I'm like, why can't I be myself?'

It is unclear if Chanel meant that she received complaints about her conduct in school or online.

When asked if her mother's passing gave her the push to start her OnlyFans career, Chanel agreed. She added that it felt like it was "one huge responsibility completed" and she could "open up her options".

It isn't just pursuing OnlyFans that Chanel finds daunting, but leaving any job where "every month, on a certain day, the money would come in" to one without a stable income can be "scary". It's a concern for those freelancing too, she added.

In another video uploaded of the livestream on That Mom Chat's TikTok page, Chanel elaborated on how she started creating content on OnlyFans.

When asked by Esther why she joined such a "controversial" career path that wasn't "widely accepted", Chanel pointed to a friend named Sakura who was in the live chat.

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"That's my best friend, and she's actually quite successful in content creation as an influencer," Chanel said, adding that she had gotten to know many influencers from the fashion scene. 

Most of her influencer friends are doing "regular content creation", she added, but Sakura was doing OnlyFans successfully. Chanel started off helping Sakura with "backend" things, from taking photos to helping her book flights for events.

"All along, I'd already been dipping my toes into each of these platforms, so I think it was quite natural to follow what my friends are already successful in," she said.

"Then you already have a sensei in that area, then they tell you what the steps are, how to set up, how to get started."

In the comments section of the video, however, some netizens reacted negatively to Chanel's career switch.

"Xiaxuay (disgraceful). MOE and NIE really need to improve their vetting of future teachers," one comment read.

A response read: "MOE and NIE should really feel xia suay they pay their teacher so little that she has to be [on] OF."

"Teacher to sex worker is quite a jump. We can blame it on the economy or the dilution of values," a netizen wrote. "Money talks, I guess."

Another wrote: "Just remember easy money comes at a cost, don't get angry when you're in your 30s, single and men treat you like shit."

Others found her history as a teacher appealing, commenting that it was their "fantasy" or that they'd even subscribe to her if they were her student.

One netizen had a more balanced view on the matter.

"As long as she doesn't go back to [the] education sector, I'm sure the students won't [feel] awkward and she won't be ridiculed. Can only control so many things," they wrote.

"Although I admit if I were the student, with my kind of humour today, I'd be like, 'Power lah, teacher!' and laugh with her, not at her."

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drimac@asiaone.com

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