TV host Li Yong, one of the most popular entertainment stars in
the country, takes the headlines again. This time not for his
flamboyant style, flashy attire, unique looks, his luxurious house
or Porsche 911, but for his possible resignation from his longtime
employer China Central Television (CCTV).
One of China's major web portal sohu.com reported on Tuesday
afternoon that "according to a reliable source, Li Yong has
formally resigned from CCTV", without specifying the reason of his
leave.
The report stirred quick reactions with some saying "no" and
others saying "yes".
The first response came from Li Yong's wife Ha Wen, also the
producer of one of his shows "Super 6+1". She denied a sina.com
reporter by simply replying "It is false news".
Another show "Lucky 52", which Li Yong has been hosting since
1998, published hours later a clarification on sina.com saying the
report was a rumor, and that Li Yong was now preparing for
tomorrow's show and everything was in perfect order.
But sohu.com stood stubbornly on its ground. An employee from
the website told a newspaper reporter that the report was obtained
from a reliable internal source from CCTV but she declined to
reveal the source.
Renowned entertainment critic Tan Fei also confirmed the news on
his blog. "I called two former CCTV big shots immediately after I
heard the report. Both of them told me it's true," he wrote in his
blog. He said that the concerned parties were waiting for a proper
time to announce the resignation.
The newspaper Huashang Morning Post quoted a source as
saying the report was not false, and the concerned parties all
denied it because unexpected media coverage would upset their
plan.
Rumor on Li Yong's resignation also spread earlier this year.
Reports said Li Yong suffered from depression after the infamous
"dark three minutes" during CCTV's spring festival gala when the
six hosts including Li Yong failed to cooperate smoothly.
(CRI.cn September 19, 2007)