Get set for The Attack of the Queen Bees, The Sequel.

Showbiz royalty - and rivals - Zoe Tay and Fann Wong are to finally appear together in a TV drama after a gap of 14 years since they last faced off onscreen.

Hot mama Tay, 40, and the engaged- but-not-yet married Fann, 37, are to star in the eagerly-awaited drama serial The Ultimatum, to be shown on Channel 8 in May next year.

In a clever piece of casting that will make the show a must-watch, Tay and Fann are to play half-sisters embroiled in a battle for control of their late father's multi-million-dollar business.

The last time the beauties hogged the screen together, they played lovers of the same man (played by Alex Man) in The Golden Pillow (1995).

This new pairing of the Caldecott queens is already sending their legions of fiercely devoted fans into a fresh tizz, even before filming has started.

Ms Charmaine Sim, 27, vice-chairman of Fann's Fannatic fan club , says: 'Fann will definitely get to show off her good acting skills here portraying a lawyer, as she did a very good job in Sparks Of Life (1995) where she also acted as a lawyer.'

Joan Chua, 30, a fan of Tay, adds: 'Given Zoe's many years of acting, I think she will impress in this show, as she acts as the bad character. She may probably outshine Fann with her experience, but I think both actresses are outstanding in their own way.'

Tay used to rule supreme as Caldecott's top female artiste until upstart Fann burst onto the scene in 1994.

The pretty new face bagged three awards at the following year's Star Awards, including Best Actress for her role in Chronicles Of Life and Best Newcomer.

Ever since, viewers have been split over Tay versus Fann: is it the versatile glam queen Zoe they love, or the porcelain-perfect sweetie-pie Fann?

Fuelling speculation about the stars' rivalry was an incident after the awards when Fann told a local magazine that she and Tay were 'just colleagues, not friends'.

Still, Tay emerged the winner - at least, for then - by winning the Best Actress award in 1996 for her stellar performance as the female lead in The Golden Pillow.

Now, The Ultimatum - which also stars veteran actors Li Nanxing and Tay Ping Hui - continues to capitalise on the actresses' differences by pitting them against each other in a soapy plot that has them vying for money and power.

Tay plays Ye Yucheng, the heiress to a big corporation who becomes good friends with lawyer Fang Songqiao (Fann).

Ye discovers that she and Fang were swapped after birth, making Fang the rightful heiress. To protect her position, Ye betrays Fang and they become enemies overnight.

While rumours are rife that the actresses do not get along in real life, Tay is diplomatic when she talks to LifeStyle about this new drama.

She professes that she is surprised but excited at the casting choice, and adds: 'This is a rare chance to work with Fann and I look forward to the kind of chemistry we will have on the set.'

The mother of two boys, who admits that she did not expect 14 years to fly by so quickly, says: "We didn't have many scenes together in The Golden Pillow, but this time round, we will. It is going to be refreshing as we have both changed quite a bit after all these years.'

When asked if she felt stressed acting opposite Fann again, she says: 'No, I don't feel any pressure. I also won't think about whether we are stealing each other's limelight in the show.'

Fann, who is in Bangkok and not available for interviews, was equally circumspect when she spoke about the project at a MediaCorp trade show last week: 'To be able to work with Zoe, Li and Tay in the same show after such a long time is a dream combination to me.'

She added: 'I was very lucky to have worked with Zoe 14 years ago as she was already a mature and outstanding actress back then. I learned a lot from her.'

Industry insiders predict that the drama will attract eyeballs next year and a hit is a foregone conclusion.

Mr Paul Chan, MediaCorp TV's vice-president of branding and promotions, says: 'A reunion this big is hard to come by and I'm sure The Ultimatum will be the biggest TV event of 2009. After a hiatus of 14 years, nothing short of the best will be expected by viewers.'

Mr Jackie Liu, editor-in-chief of the weekly entertainment magazine i-weekly, adds: 'There is already enough hype generated just from the cast alone. Plus, both actresses have matured a lot over the past years, so viewers can expect even better acting from them.'

Besides fans, friends and co-workers of the two undisputed Ah Jies are also excited about the show.

Celebrity hairstylist David Gan, who is a close friend of both Tay and Fann, says: 'It is a good casting decision because people will want to watch the show. The publicity effect is already created.'

On his opinions about them, Gan, who is in his 40s, says: 'Zoe is a very meticulous and caring friend who looks more approachable and easier to relate to. Fann may look unapproachable but in real life, she is not. She is a very hardworking woman who always seeks to improve herself.'

As for fans, they will have to wait patiently for The Ultimatum to judge who is the better actress.

Engineer Kevin Poon, 26, a fan of Fann, says: 'I am really excited about this cast combination and I will watch the show just to see how they fare opposite each other.'

ZOE TAY		FANN WONG
40 years old 1.65m, 48kg	Vital statistics	37 years old 1.71m, 51kg
Happily married to RSAF pilot Philip Chionh since 2001. They have two sons - Brayden, three, and Ashton, one.	Significant other	Happily engaged to actor Christopher Lee, her beau of seven years. They plan to wed next year and he has said that he wants 'at least two' kids.
A former model, she studied design at Baharuddin Vocational Institute and attended a modelling course.	Project Runway days	A former model, she studied fashion merchandising at LaSalle International Fashion School.
Won the first Star Search in 1988, before she went on to become television's No.1 Ah Jie.	Big break	Won her first role in a drama serial in 1993, after starring as an impossibly youthful teacher in an Oil Of Ulan commercial.
A house in the Holland Village area, where she lives with her husband, two sons, mother and two maids.	Home sweet home	An apartment in The Boulevard Residence, off Orchard Road. Her fiance, Lee, lives in the same condominium.
She speaks enough English to be poked fun at in a song by the home-grown punk-rock band The Boredphucks.	Powerful English?	She speaks enough English for Hollywood, where she sounded more proficient than Jackie Chan in the 2003 film, Shanghai Knights.
Drew flak for her apparently unscheduled appearances at the 2005 Star Awards, where she badgered Lee to propose to Fann.	Bloopers	Drew flak for her apparent arrogance at the 1995 Star Awards. She won the Best Actress, Most Popular Newcomer and Top 5 Most Popular Actress trophies and quipped: 'What's there for me to bag next year?'
Luo Qifang, the spunky wife of gambling king Yan Fei (Li Nanxing) in The Unbeatables trilogy (1993, 1996 and 2002). Her on-screen chemistry with Li made them one of the most popular reel-life pairs.	Most memorable role	Xiaolongnu, the ethereal lover of swordsman Yang Guo (Lee) in the TV series, Return Of The Condor Heroes (1998). Their on-set bonding later led to a real-life romance.
Didn't seem to know what she was getting into when she appeared in a suggestive advertisement for skincare pill Imedeen, with the infamous 'I swallow' tagline.	Bimbo moment	Didn't seem to know what she was getting into when she joined Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) in 1994, a year after signing a six-year contract with Taiwanese production house PT Models. She was suspended by TCS for a few months between late 1996 and 1997, as she sorted out the contractual mess.
Tantalised at the 1999 Star Awards in a flirty, shiny mini-dress with a low, low back that dipped to her tush.	Dare to bare	Played peekaboo at the 1998 Star Awards, revealing a black bra in a loose floral gown with large cut-outs on the side.
Looked ravishing at the 2007 Star Awards, in a simple understated low-cut black number.	Style improvement	Was elegant and sophisticated at the same ceremony, in a long red spaghetti dress with a black buckle belt.
Garnier skincare products, Bee Cheng Hiang barbecued pork and, quite fitting for a yummy mummy of two, Similac milk formula.	Endorsement queen	New Moon abalone, New Moon bird's nest, Xando slimming tablets, Bella Skin Care, Jacob & Co, and deLaCour watches. No baby products. Yet.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Sep 28, 2008.