Yu Meiren, Cai Changxian, and Xu Zhihao have hosted "Super Celebrity List" for many years. The three people form the hosting triangle that is familiar to the audience. (Photo by reporter Chen Yiquan)
[Reporter Fu Mingyu/Exclusive Interview] Yu Meiren, Cai Changxian, and Xu Zhihao have hosted "Super Celebrity List" for many years. The trio's singing together has become the signature of the show, but this combination actually came from a military service window. When Cai Changxian joined the army, the production unit did not directly find someone to replace him, but kept his human form on the recording site. After Xu Zhihao joined, he was originally just a fill-in, but because the audience liked the interaction between the three of them so much, he accidentally became a permanent member of the cast.
Yu Meiren recalled that when Cai Changxian went to serve in the military, the production team really had to find a new hosting partner. "We were very lucky to find Hui Zhihao." What touched her was that the program never positioned Hui Zhihao as Cai Changxian's replacement. "We did not let Hui Zhihao replace Changxian."
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When Cai Changxian was serving in the army, his human form was still kept in the video studio. (Provided by Sanli)
She said that the production unit placed Cai Changxian's human figure on the scene. It seemed to be just a funny arrangement, but behind it was the human touch that the show has always valued. "We have a son who is going to serve in the army. We always hope that he comes back safely. We will wait for him." After Cai Changxian retired from the army, the outside world originally thought that Xu Zhihao would quit. Unexpectedly, the audience had already become accustomed to the rhythm of the three bickering and interfering with each other, and finally became the golden combination today.
Cai Changxian took a photo with his doppelganger. (Provided by Sanli)
Producer Xie Mengfen said that the show's ratings have been stable since its launch and the audience has high support for the host group, so there has been no deliberate substitution of people in order to create a sense of freshness. "Actually, the ratings have been very good from the beginning until now, so there should be no reason to replace the host." Xu Changde also believes that the arrangement of hosts and judges at the beginning of "Super Celebrity List" is one of the reasons for the longevity of the program. Yu Meiren is not asking questions as a Taiwanese singing professional, but on behalf of the audience who do not understand music and are not familiar with Taiwanese songs, asking questions that may be curious in the audience. As for the host and judges, they each represent different personalities and ethnic groups, so that the program will not be left with a single authoritative voice.
He said that program judges rarely use rigid singing standards to judge contestants. "We care more about the person's sense of story, sense of life, and even his character." This also makes the host not only responsible for joining the show, but also responsible for pulling out the unspoken stories of the contestants after singing, so that the audience can understand why the song has weight.
In addition to the Iron Triangle of hosts, Chen Zihong, Xu Changde, Zhan Yawen, and Wu Haozhe serve as judges of the "Super Celebrity List". (Photo by reporter Chen Yiquan)
Xu Changde even said with a smile that he has "never had a price increase" in his many years as a judge, but he is still willing to stay on the show. The reason is not that the work is easy, but that the work atmosphere here is rare. He described the contestants as being like his own children, and the staff and hosts also have feelings for each other, so every recording will not be made into a standard process. Yu Meiren believes that the reason why the trio can be remembered by the audience is not because anyone particularly steals the show, but because the show is willing to let everyone exist naturally.
