SHE claimed she was an 11-year-old girl and that she felt "like dying".

And she turned to Channel U host Bryan Wong's personal blog for help.

She isn't alone - the 36-year-old's site has become an accidental "agony uncle" forum for some netizens with a wide-ranging variety of problems, after he put up a post on 10 Nov entitled "perhaps i/we may help you...".

In it, he had invited his readers to share their troubles.

Bryan told The New Paper in a phone interview from Hong Kong that the questions poured in after that post.

It now has more than 200 comments, including the 11-year-old girl's.

One netizen, ShuJuan, described a problem with a friend who was constantly borrowing money.

Another, Star, described her parents' constant bickering and wondered if wanting a happy family was too much to ask for.

A netizen named Jasmine even asked how she could make a man in his 40s overcome his fear of holding hands in public.

The troubled 11-year-old girl wrote in on 14 Nov.

She wrote: "without frenship, life is MEANINLESS 2 me... i feel lyk dying? i am only 11, so i cant do tt, even if can, i haf no courage at all?.. plz help me!"

She claimed that in her class of 16 girls, fewer than 10 wanted to be friends with her.

She also said that one friend hated her and told her she was spoilt.

In less than two hours, Bryan had written a reply.

He described his difficult early days in show business, when he had been beset with hate mail and bad press.

He wrote: "Imagine this, only this 10 don't want to friend you, but me? I have got thousands of strangers hating me. But did I choose to be trapped by this and wanna die too?"

He reminded her that people who are truly important are family and close friends and that by the time she was 18, she would have lots of friends too.

Bryan, who was in Hong Kong filming The Princesses And The Dude, said he understood the girl's problems because when he was at that age, friends "seemed to be the only world".

DIDN'T HESITATE

He also said that he didn't hesitate to help her because, when faced with this sort of call for distress, anyone would try to stop the person.

Unfortunately, the girl, who did not leave an e-mail address, has not replied or written again.

Bryan said he himself has not been able to contact her though he sometimes writes private e-mails to his visitors. The New Paper was also unable to contact the girl.

Bryan said he started the blog in August after persuasion from friend and fellow compere Quan Yifeng, who has her own blog at www.quanyifong.com.

"I guess it is peer pressure," he said, laughing.

He updates the blog regularly and replies to comments whenever he can.

His posts are mainly about his work and travels, with some philosophising.

One post that received many responses was written on 5 Oct, when he was depressed for reasons he declined to elaborate.

In the post, entitled "Trapped", he described feeling "trapped and cornered".

That drew 73 comments, which offered sympathy - and this, he said, helped lift him from his gloom.

A page from Bryan's blog, bryanwong.sg, showing his reply to a girl who wrote in about having few friends.

"I thought it was my turn to return the favour," he said.

And not all the contributors to his blog have problems. Some write in to give advice and comfort to the others.

Bryan said he had not intended to become an online agony uncle. But, he said, he has suffered himself, and what he has learnt may be of help to his readers with "agonies".

For example, one netizen named Clover, asked whether she should join a "leading" company or a lesser well-known one that offered a better salary.

Bryan replied that he would take the less well-known one as "at least there is the opportunity to climb the ladder".

He added that the most important part was that she had to be happy, as only then would she shine.

On his celebrity status in dealing with such problems, Bryan said: "They can still have a sense of mystery - they know I do not know them, but they know me."

Is he an "agony uncle" in real life? Yes, he said, and his friends like him in that role.

And his invitation to his fans to share their woes can be helpful, said one therapist. (See sidebar.)

His friends agree that Bryan is an appropriate agony uncle.

TV host Dasmond Koh - Bryan's own "solution centre" for problems like how to upload pictures - said Bryan can dispel negative views with "jovial and quite positive" ones.

He added: "He's someone who's quite passionate and logical in deducing circumstances and offering solutions."

Yifeng told The New Paper that Bryan is known for his fresh ideas and opinions. "A lot things no need to say a lot, he'll also understand," she said.

As for Bryan, starting the blog has opened his eyes.

He said: "I think we live in a world where everyone is so cynical, so wary of things around us. Sometimes I wonder if there is enough care and concern in this world.

"This blog has opened my eyes. There are people who care."