Making his debut in the variety show "Live on 5" in 1994, he then became the host and lead actor of sitcom "Gurmit's World". The second season of "Gurmit's World", in which Gurmit portrayed his 'relatives' in a series of skits (unlike the first season where he played a wide assortment of mostly non-recurring characters), featured the first appearance of a character named Phua Chu Kang. The Singlish-based spin-off sitcom "Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd" in 1997 made Gurmit a popular icon in the recent years, not only in Singapore, but also in neighbouring countries (especially culturally similar Malaysia). This factor led him to be the host of Singapore Idol. In 2003, Gurmit also won the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes at the Star Awards.