Xie Shaoguang

In 2005, Xie formalised his plans to retire from the entertainment industry when he decided not to renew his contract which expired in September the same year, although his intention to quit has been made known years earlier. He said that after retirement, he would be living in Malaysia, where he planned to open a refuge for stray dogs and cats. His final appearance in the media was in the television series Baby Blues, which ended its run on 9 September 2005.

Since leaving the entertainment industry, Xie has rejected all requests to appear in public events or on screen, including an invitation by Singaporean director Anthony Chen to star in the award-winning film Ilo Ilo.

Xie currently resides in Permas Jaya, Malaysia, where he was ordained a monk in 2013. In 2016, Singaporean media reports say Xie has given up his vows as a monk and returned to his job as a chef in a vegetarian restaurant.

After a 12-year hiatus, Xie made an official media appearance on 14 October 2017. He had returned to MediaCorp to conduct acting classes for younger actors. Xie has stated he would return to acting, if there is a role that can persuade him to do so.