53-year-old Chinese male star Huang Lei recently recorded the latest season of the variety show “Yearning for Life.” Due to the need to stay overnight, Huang Lei took out a breathing machine and wore a mask while going to bed, shocking the guests present.
The eighth season of “Yearning for Life” officially premiered in September 2025, but in the first episode, a move by Huang Lei instantly ignited the audience’s emotions.
Late at night, the program’s camera swept over Huang Lei’s bedroom. It showed him mentioning before going to bed that he needed to wear a breathing apparatus to sleep. He then skillfully assembled parts of a small medical breathing machine and slowly put on a gray mask. Host He Jiong was stunned on the spot, and Peng Yuchang blurted out, “This… this is too scary!”
Moreover, the open medicine box on Huang Lei’s bedside was filled with colorful pills stacked messily, creating a strong visual impact alongside the silently operating machine.
Later, Huang Lei explained that he has sleep apnea, which is why he needs to wear a breathing machine. It also helps prevent snoring and disturbing his roommates.
After the footage of Huang Lei wearing the breathing apparatus was exposed, many netizens expressed concern, saying “Can Teacher Huang really hold on?” “Is his cardiovascular problem getting worse?” “Oh my, he must take good care of himself.” “Still need to pay attention to physical health,” with many sighing over the passage of time.
According to mainland media reports, during the filming of “April Rhapsody” in 2000, Huang Lei immersed himself completely in the role to accurately portray the inner turmoil and struggle of Xu Zhimo. One day, he experienced palpitations on set, fainted, and was urgently taken to the hospital on a stretcher while in a state of confusion. Now, to ensure his safety, Huang Lei always carries medication with him.
Experts analyze that Huang Lei suffers from obstructive sleep apnea, requiring the use of a breathing machine to improve sleep quality. This condition is related to his long-term snoring issues and concerns about breathing interruptions. Reports also mentioned that Huang Lei faces lumbar spine problems, requiring daily medication and physical restrictions against prolonged sitting.
In fact, during the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, Huang Lei revealed that his whole family was infected, and he was the most severely affected among the five family members. In the early stages of the infection, Huang Lei shared scenes of enjoying food, joking that he got infected by the “plain rice strain” because of his good appetite. However, he later started running a fever, lost his appetite, and shed seven to eight pounds. At that time, he posted a recent photo looking visibly thinner and tired, leaving uncertainty about any residual effects on his respiratory system from the infection.
Combining roles as an actor, singer, director, screenwriter, and teacher, Huang Lei, who last acted as the male lead in a TV drama three years ago, admitted in an interview program last year that he had not filmed a movie for over two years.
When asked about continuing to record the next season of “Yearning for Life,” Huang Lei responded with a non-committal “let’s see” and did not clearly express his stance, indicating a possibility of passing the baton to younger talents.