KUALA LUMPUR: A Chinese television network has cancelled a reality show and apologised after the sudden death on set of Taiwanese-Canadian actor and model Godfrey Gao.
South China Morning Post reported today that Zhejiang Television offered the apology in an interview with the show's director, Lin Yong, posted online yesterday, a week after Gao collapsed while shooting an episode of Chase Me.
Lin said that the network had been "immersed in grief and remorse since the accident happened".
“We owe an apology to Godfrey Gao, his parents and all who loved him," he said.
Gao, 35, was a contestant in the show and collapsed after running about 600 metres. He later died in hospital. His body was then sent to Taipei, where a funeral will be held on Dec 15.
Chase Me is known for pushing its contestants — usually celebrities or athletes — to their physical limits. Shot at night, the competitors raced over a 12km obstacle course that included climbing a 70 metre-tall building.
The network, which promised a thorough investigation and to take "its relevant share of responsibility", has come under heavy criticism online, with commenters questioning whether Gao was treated in time.
Lin said that doctors reached Gao within two minutes of his collapse and three medical professionals spent 20 minutes at the scene administering first aid, including with a defibrillator.
Lin said Gao's family wanted to minimise publicity around the actor's death.
The interview attracted more than 71,000 comments within an hour of going online, most of them critical.
“I can't do much, but boycotting Zhejiang TV is the least I can do," one commenter said.
Another said: "Do you want to calm the anger with an interview? You must release the details or technical log of the defibrillator or even release the television footage."