On the April 2 episode of CCTV’s “Bravo Youngsters!” (上线吧!华彩少年), guest mentor, Huang Zitao (黄子韬), breaks down when prompted by another mentor on why he sighed at a contestant’s performance. Huang Zitao responds, “Because I miss my dad.”
Huang Zitao’s father, Huang Zhongdong, passed away at 52 last September due to an illness. So when Huang Zitao told the contestants to cherish their father because they were still alive and not wait, he broke down. Huang Zitao said, “I’m so grown, it’s been a long time since I’ve cried. I am very strong. The moment my dad left me, he was at my bedside. I said one sentence to him. I said, ‘Go, dad. Don’t be in so much pain.’ I said it’s okay. I shed tears once. I will definitely wipe the tears dry. Continue to stand up and walk forward.”
Huang Zitao revealed he only found out about his father’s illness in June. He publicly revealed for the first time that at that time, his father was diagnosed with cancer for 6 months already. Huang Zhongdong never told Huang Zitao about his sickness. When Huang Zitao returned home, his father told him, “I might not be able to live that much longer. Dad has cancer. Since I was a child, I’ve never been so scared and soft before. I am someone who is fearless. The thing I am most afraid of is my family leaving me. I would rather use 10 years of my life span to exchange it for one year of my dad’s life. I am willing. I couldn’t do it.”
While Huang Zitao didn’t disclose his father’s illness when he was sick, back in August, Huang Zitao posted up pictures with a Buddhist monk. It was speculated after his father’s passing that Huang Zitao was praying and getting blessings for his father at the time.
Lastly, Huang Zitao addressed once again people asking him why he can be so happy after his father passed away. Shortly after his father’s death, Huang Zitao was posting up pictures of him living a very lavish lifestyle and having fun. This drew some backlash from netizens who felt Huang Zitao was done mourning and not respecting his father. Huang Zitao explained on the show that he would continue working and not be somber as his father wouldn’t want to see him this way and said, “He would want his son to grow up quickly and take charge of everything.”