KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Talent competition Sing! China will be suffering the same fate after the suspension of popular entertainment survival show Youth With You 3.
Hong Kong entertainment portal Jayne Stars reported that the decision to suspend Sing! China came as Chinese authorities are said to be tightening their grip on such competitions.
Responding to the suspension, the production team of Sing! China said they support the government’s decision.
“In response to the government’s request to stop all audition activities of variety shows, our programme team firmly supports the decision to stop all audition activities nationwide in 2021,” it reportedly said.
Youth With You 3 was suspended days before the final, after the voting process requiring the purchase of yogurt drinks for additional votes came into the spotlight.
Fans were said to have spent millions to buy yogurt drinks so they could use the QR codes on the bottles to vote for their favourite trainees, only to be caught on camera wastefully pouring away 1,000 bottles of yogurt into the sewer.
The video went viral and caught the attention of authorities, causing an uproar over the unnecessary waste, irresponsible behaviour, and the programme’s questionable operating methods.
News on Sing! China’s suspension came as a disappointment for fans who had highly anticipated the upcoming fifth season as it would see the return of Taiwan’s King of Mandopop Jay Chou as one of the mentors.
