China's Got Talent to hold UK auditions

Calling all karaoke stars, musicians and performers...This could be interesting.

A lot of UK talent shows already feature Chinese or Asian auditionees - often, it has to be said for comedy value (see Goldie Cheung)

But now, a show that was conceived in the UK and was then exported to China is now coming back to the UK to search for British contestants to compete in China!

According to Shanghaiist:

... contestants must 'have a connection to China, either through language, family, or simply an appreciation of Chinese art forms.' Which sounds to us like the floodgates are open for hordes of random non-Chinese people trying to get famous by singing Chinese songs.

This sounds like a great potential opportunity for the many talented singers and performers out there.

Want to give it a shot? head over t the 'CGT' facebook page here.

Presenting EO2 and 'Ladies Night'

What can I say? Don't all rush to the stage at once, ladies!



This HK boy band is called EO2 and you find out more about them on their official website.

HK movie 'The Detective' starring Aaron Kwok

Just heard about this movie and thought I'd mention it. I haven't seen the film yet but it looks interesting. The DVD is currently available on Yesasia.com

Aaron Kwok stars as a lowly private detective asked to track down a mysterious woman called Sum. But the assignment turns out to be a lot more dangerous than he first thought. 'The Detective' is directed by Danny and Oxide Pang, who also made 'The Eye'.



Related: Lovehkfilm.com review

Miss Hong Kong from the last 35 years

Despite falling out of favour here in the West (where they are considered politically incorrect and passé), beauty pageants are still going strong in Hong Kong.

This website has an interesting gallery of all the lucky winners since 1973. Dig around and you will see such famous names as Maggie Cheung Man Yuk (1983) and rising star Selena Li (2003) amongst the photographs. Strange to think how little has changed in the last 30 years or so.

via Butterboom.

Sanney Leung of HK Entertainment Review is back!

Sometime ago there used to be a very popular English-language site called hkentreview.com that discussed the latest news from the Hong Kong entertainment industry. At the time it was pretty unique and was one of my regular bookmarked sites.

Then, as I posted on the bbc blog, the site was suddenly taken over by a holding company an the author Saney Leung seemd to disappear from cyberspace. Later it emerged that Sanney was battling cancer.

Well the good news is that Sanney is doing well and is back blogging! He is now a regular contributor over at LoveHKFilm.com. Check out his blog right here.

Entertainment icon Lydia Sum passes away

Lydia 'Fei Fei' Shum Din Ha has passed away after a two year battle with liver cancer.

Numerous fellow entertainers and friends have paid tribute to the entertainment icon, who I remember vividly even though I only saw a few of her shows as a child either on my parents' rented videos or during occasional trips to Hong Kong.

In an entertainment industry that favours 'cookie cutter' presenters that tick all the standard boxes, Lydia Sum stood out as a unique and highly likeable character, loved by many.



Story: Batgwa.com

Story: The Standard

'Starlight Memories' - A little shop that is a haven for HK idol lovers

Throughout the 70s and 80s, HK celebrity memorabilia was big business and fans would queue up to buy the latest photos of their favourite TV, movie or Cantopop stars.

Not so today, when fans can satisfy their idol-worshipping needs online.

One remaining - perhaps the last? - store specializing in celebrity photos can be found in a shopping mall in North Point and it has been profiled by bc magazine.

How long it will remain is anyone's guess but it's an Alladin's cave for anyone looking for a bit of retro HK celebrity glamour.

No more Filipino maids for you, Jacky Cheung!

In what sounds like a great set-up for a Hong Kong movie, pop star Jacky Cheung has been blacklisted by the Filipino authorities and prevented from hiring Filipino home help. The move is in response to the star's alleged turnover of 21 maids in 3 years.

Apparently, one of the reasons why so many maids leave the Cheung household is the large number of stairs in his house (a problem very few HK residents have to deal with). Jacky has had to draft in friends and relatives to help with his household chores.

Full article.

In the movie version of this story, lots of funny shenanigans would probably ensue, and he would probably fall in love with one of the new maids and then they both go on to win the International Maid Championships. Or something.

Tong Leung launches website

These days celebrities have a website or myspace page up within nanoseconds of their name becoming known to the general public, so it may surprise you to learn that Tony Leung Chiu Wai has only just got round to setting up a website.

The actor - already known internationally, a household HK name and veteran of numerous successful and critically acclaimed movies - has his new site at http://www.wai-jai.info/. And very smart it is too!

Yang Lijuan (obsessed Andy Lau fan) update

Some of you may have already read about Yang Lijuan, her obsessive quest to meet Andy Lau and how it led to the tragic death of her father.

So what happened next to Yang Lijuan?

Sadly, things have not really improved for her. In the days after her father's suicide, she and her mother were followed by the Hong Kong media as they wandered from hostel to hostel, looking for a place to stay. Incredibly, despite everything that had happened, Lijuan appeared determined to meet Andy Lau. Her mother also blamed the actor for the death of her husband and suggested he should pay compensation. Meanwhile, there is talk of turning their sad story into a movie.

Now reportedly living in Lanzhou, China, Yang Lijuan is said to be considering moving to a convent and becoming a nun.

It is reported that after her persistent obsession with Andy Lau and the disastrous trip to Hong Kong, the family has just US$200 to their name.

More from Asian Pop News.

There is an in-depth article about this case from EastSouthWestNorth.

New Look for Sammie Cheng Sau Man

Sammie Cheng Sau Man shows off a new look for her forthcoming series of concerts in Hong Kong. Courtesy of Asianfanatics

Fan's obsession with Andy Lau ends in tragedy

A bizarre story that is the talk of Hong Kong and a case of what happens when celebrity worship gets out of control.

30 year-old Yang Li Jian from Lanzhou, China, has been an obsessive fan of Andy Lau since the age of 19. Her parents had apparently tried their best to help their child 'move on' from her obsession but to no avail. Her devotion was so extreme that her parents ended up borrowing money in order to travel to Hong Kong to attend an Andy Lau event where - they hoped - Li Jian would be able to not just meet her idol but also be able to speak to him.

In fact, all that happened was that Andy Lau posed for a photo with his besotted fan. For the desperate father, the disappointment was too much to bear...

Details and discussion on Asianfanatics.com.

UPDATE: Sanney Leung, HKEntreview.com author

Good news! Looks like Sanney Leung's treatment has been a success.

Here's hoping it won't be too long before his excellent HK showbiz site is up and running too!

HK fashionistas pounce on star's 'pirate' costume

Found this story on Asianfanatics.com

Cantopop star Joey Yung appeared at the 2007 Chik Chak Music Awards show to pick up an award wearing a distinctive, starry tutu outfit. All would have been fine were it not for the fact that the outfit was a pirated copy of a design by Viktor and Rolf.



Cue dozens of complaints from eagle-eyed, trendy Hong Kongers and an apology from the star. Only in Hong Kong!

More on the Chik Chak awards: The big winner was Leo Ku who won four big awards, including Album of the Year for "Human" and Favorite Song. He ran second for the Male Singers Award and his single "It's Too Late to Love" was listed in the Top 10 Songs.

Also check out Eason Chan's, erm, distinctive outfit (below) from the show (the Chik Chak awards have a tradition of stars dressing as outrageously as possible).

Sanney Leung, author of HK Entertainment Review

If you've tried to visit the popular Hong Kong showbiz news site hkentreview.com recently you'll have noticed that the site is no longer up and running and the domain has been taken over by a holding company.

Normally, I would just put this down to a domain expiring and the webmasters 'giving up' on the site. However, hkentreview.com always seemed to be updated regularly so it was strange that the site would just come to an abrupt end like that.

After a quick Google, I discovered the reason. Sadly, the site's main author Sanney Leung was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently receiving treatment. The full story is explained by one of Sanny's friends over at AsianFanatics.net.

http://asianfanatics.net/forum/about_hkentreviewcom-talk276401.html


hkentreview was a great, invaluable site and perhaps the only places where you could read up-to-date, translated showbiz news from HK. I'm sure readers will join me in wishing Sanney a full and speedy recovery.