[6] Her father worked at a pig farm in Lim Chu Kang while her stepmother was a housewife.
After Tay was crowned champion of the inaugural Star Search in 1988, she was offered a 3-year contract with the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation (SBC), now known as MediaCorp.
Her breakthrough performance as a materialistic young woman in Pretty Faces catapulted her into stardom.
In 2010, she starred opposite Hong Kong actor Kenny Ho in Love Cuts, playing the role of a terminally ill woman who has breast cancer.
In 2013, she appeared in her first fully English-speaking role in Mister John with Irish star Aidan Gillen.
Her on-screen chemistry with Li Nanxing in The Unbeatables and other serials has put them in the list of the Top 5 Best Onscreen Couples at the Star Awards 25th Drama Anniversary show.
Tay is married to Philip Chionh, a former Republic of Singapore Air Force pilot.