It is all about the money for TVB's star presenter

Nat Chan Pak-cheung is not shy about his beliefs. "I believe all acts are triggered by the pursuit of personal interests," says the flamboyant TVB television presenter. "Money is like air - although it is not a panacea, one will die if he or she doesn't have any."

Chan, who turns 63 tomorrow, recently attracted media attention by promising that TVB would donate HK$3 million to charity if the ratings of its 46th anniversary gala show last month reached 30 points.

The gamble was made following an earlier promise that he would crawl home on his knees if the annual show achieved just a three-point rating, which triggered a call on Facebook for viewers to boycott the show.

Chan's pledges followed on from the row sparked by the government's decision on October 15 to deny Hong Kong Television Network a free-to-air broadcast licence. Public dissatisfaction at the decision eventually snowballed to engulf TVB, the city's largest broadcaster.

Protesters denounced the station's "hegemony", which they said stemmed from lack of competition and had led to a deterioration of programme quality.

Although Chan won his bet - the show's ratings peaked at 31 points, with an average of 29 points - his gung-ho defence of his employer only spurred the row further.

Chan makes no secret of his love of money and belief in hard work. They are beliefs that have carried him through an extremely varied career.