Chinese show suspended for allegedly mistreating late pop star Coco Lee

Singer Coco Lee poses on the red carpet at the 53rd Golden Horse Awards in Taipei, Taiwan November 26, 2016. Photo by Reuters

The pot was stirred last week when an audio recording from the show featuring a female voice, allegedly Lee’s, surfaced and went viral, according to CNN. Lee took part in "Sing! China" as a judge and mentor in 2022.

In the recording, the speaker discussed her frustration with "Sing! China," complaining that she was forced to leave the program after disclosing her dissatisfaction with the show’s elimination of her mentee. She said her contestant had achieved a higher score than the other competitor who ended up passing through the following round.

The speaker also mentioned that she had fallen on the stage during the show’s final shoot in October 2022 as a consequence of the production team’s actions, while she had already suffered from another injury.

The public was outraged by the video and called for a boycott of "Sing! China," prompting the production team to speak up on August 17 in an attempt to justify themselves.

Various former competitors from the show, and other public figures, voiced their support for Lee.

Zhejiang Media Group consequently acknowledged that the show had not met viewers’ expectations and promised to carry out an investigation into the issue on August 20, before eventually confirming the show’s suspension.

The Chinese public has been responding positively to the move, with many among them suggesting a permanent termination of the show.

Born in Hong Kong, Lee immigrated to the U.S. with her mother at an early age. Her singing talent was discovered when she started wining singing contests in the U.S.

Making her professional debut in 1993, hers was a career marked by notable achievements, including having the best-selling album in Asia in 1996, and performing "A Love Before Time," which was featured in the soundtrack of the hit movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," at the 2001 Academy Awards.

She passed away in July of this year at age 48, following a suicide attempt.