Opinion | 'Looking for Leehom' most entertaining scene in Spring Festival Gala

“Looking for Leehom” has become the latest trending term among China’s netizens, thanks to a joke made on the nation’s most viewed television programme.

Chinese-American pop singer Wang Leehom and China’s top pianist Li Yundi are both heartthrobs popular with young girls. However, due to their close friendship and frequent appearances together in public, they have become the butt of frequent jokes about the nature of their relationship, despite their public denials.

This came to a head during a magic show performed on the recent Spring Festival Evening Gala. When Li whispered something to Taiwanese magician Lu Chen when they were on stage together, Lu asked, “Looking for someone? Leehom?”

Lu’s joke immediately became a hot topic discussed by netizens across China, with many calling it the best part of the entire gala.

CCTV, host of the gala, was not happy with the scene. Homosexuality in China remains a sensitive topic in the state media and discussions about it are suppressed. So, it was no surprise that when the Gala was repeated the next day, the scene had been removed.

Anxious to disassociate itself from the joke, the gala’s official weibo account posted a statement saying, “Lu Chen’s joke about Li and Wang was not planned by the producers, but rather an impromptu act by Lu.” The gala’s chief director Ha Wen later confirmed the statement in an interview.