Typhoon Taipan

In a rare show of humility, talk-show host Albert Cheng King-hon said last week he would soon become nobody after he quit Commercial Radio's Teacup in a Storm. 'I am finished ... I will become nobody: just a man in the street.' Not quite.

Cheng, also known as Taipan, made the remarks on Thursday after he gave a tearful farewell to listeners of Teacup, which has become Hong Kong's most popular phone-in programme since it first went to air in 1995.

In less than a week, the controversial talk-show host found himself in the eye of the storm over Teacup. As speculation brewed over the weekend about his plunge into politics as an independent candidate in September's Legislative Council elections, Monday saw a dramatic turn in his rift with Commercial Radio over his contract.

Hours after he announced he had made up his mind about his electoral debut, Commercial Radio's director, Winnie Yu, convened a hastily arranged press conference, claiming it had been Cheng who first suggested his contract should be terminated.

Cheng, who sat through the press conference, retaliated immediately after Ms Yu made her case. He claimed the broadcaster had offered to pay out his contract on condition he did not stand for Legco - a claim rejected by Ms Yu. Yesterday, Cheng filed a formal complaint to the Independent Commission Against Corruption over the alleged breach of electoral law.

Upon legal advice, Commercial Radio said it had no comment. Nor would it discuss the row over its programmes. Late on Monday night, the station sacked its chief operating officer, Tony Tsoi Tung-ho, and changed the hosts of Teacup, effective from yesterday until after the September 12 elections. Two veteran journalists have taken up the hot seat which was vacated by consultant Leung Man-to and Ivan Choy Chi-keung, a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.