Taiwanese singer’s return to China’s TV reality singing show delights fans who threatened to dump station’s shares if idol ousted
- The 39-year-old singer was a household name in China in the early 2000s before disappearing from the limelight
- Now she is back as a contestant on a reality TV show where 30 women compete for 5 spots in a singing girl group
A Taiwanese singer who rose to fame suddenly two decades ago before abruptly disappearing from public life has experienced a resurgence in popularity in China this week after she appeared on a mainland TV reality show.
Cyndi Wang Xinling is participating as a contestant in season three of the popular girl group reality show Sisters Who Brave Winds and Waves season III produced by television network Hunan TV.
The 39-year-old singer and actress from Taiwan was a household name in China in the early 2000s and was known as the “sweetheart Goddess” for her sweet-looking appearance and vibrant dancing style, usually while wearing a school uniform.
Wang topped the hit news list on both Weibo and video platform Douyin after she made her debut on the show last Friday.
The show features 30 female stars competing for five spots to be part of an all-female group, with fans able to vote online for their favourite contestants.
So revered is Wang among her mainland Chinese fans, mostly middle-aged men, that after she appeared on the programme many bought stocks in the TV station and immediately threatened to dump their shares if she is eliminated from the contest, the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported.
Their slogan is: “If Wang Xinling is knocked out, I will sell the shares.”