TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The host of the “Night Night Show with Hello” has apologized after a guest’s comments caused a public backlash.
During the opening of the show on Saturday (Jan. 27), show host and director Horlung (賀瓏) apologized for failing to stop his guest’s comments from being aired on Jan. 22. He said the show is tolerant of different political positions and welcomes rational discussion, but added Wang Zhian’s (王志安) comments were inappropriate.
Wang, who is a Chinese national and journalist, appeared as a guest on the show and inferred that a would be Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator with spinal muscular atrophy was used during campaigning to “rouse sympathy.” Wang then appeared to mimic the would be legislator, Chen Chun-han (陳俊翰), a Harvard Law School graduate and attorney.
Wang has since been banned from Taiwan for five years for breaching the terms of his entry-exit permit. Wang was in Taiwan on a tourist permit for a Chinese national living overseas, and appearing on the talk show was deemed to be in breach of his permit's conditions.
In his apology, Horlung said “it is absolutely inappropriate to imitate people with disabilities.” He said that Wang’s comments were inaccurate, and that Chen appeared at DPP events to express his political opinions, not to elicit sympathy from voters.
On Jan. 24, the Night Night Show apologized to Chen directly for allowing the comments to air, an apology which the host said was accepted. Horlung said the incident had brought his attention to Chen’s work campaigning for disabled people’s rights, and said he would consult with experts on this matter in the future.
Wang Zhian appears on the Night Night Show on Jan. 22. (Instagram, hellohorlung photo)
