On May 4th, the keyword #Deng Chao prepares for next year’s snooker# soared to the top of the trending topics on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with over 230 million reads within half a day, sparking wide attention and discussions.
According to reports from Chinese media, in the latest episode of the variety show “HaHaHaHaHa 5”, Chinese actor Deng Chao competed in a series of billiards matches against Li Naiwen and scored consecutive victories. During the match, Deng Chao boasted that he had “never met an opponent” but immediately ended up pocketing the white ball. However, Deng Chao surprised everyone by sinking the black ball in three consecutive rounds.
On May 4th, Deng Chao shared a screenshot on Weibo of his registration page on the official account of the World Snooker Tour (WST) with the caption: “Preparing for next year’s snooker, is this appropriate?” The World Snooker Tour responded to Deng Chao’s post with: “Welcome all snooker enthusiasts, gogogo.”
The report mentioned that the phrase “gogogo, setting off” is from the opening lyrics of the theme song “Superhero” sung by Deng Chao for the variety show “Running Man Brothers”, which has recently gained attention again due to its humorous tone and Deng Chao’s entertaining performance.
In fact, as early as 2021, Deng Chao had shared a video of himself playing billiards with the caption “This level can only challenge Pan Xiaoting.” Pan Xiaoting then retweeted and replied, “Opportunity to experience the ups and downs of billiards together with Brother Chao.”
Pan Xiaoting is a Chinese professional pool trick shot player who graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. She is the first Chinese player to win a world championship in billiards and holds the record for 10 9-ball world championships.
At 46 years old, Deng Chao graduated from the Central Academy of Drama’s Performance Department and is known as an actor, film director, pop singer, TV host, and producer, with acclaimed works such as “No Man’s Land,” “The Founding of a Republic,” “The Mermaid,” and “American Dreams in China.” In 2005, Deng Chao and actress Sun Li became acquainted due to their collaboration on the TV series “Happiness Like Flowers,” and the couple now has a 13-year-old son named “Deng Deng” and an 11-year-old daughter named “Xiao Hua,” leading a blissful family life. Deng Chao and Sun Li are widely recognized as a loving couple, often engaging in humorous banter on Weibo, which never fails to amuse their followers.
On May 6th, the 2025 Snooker World Championship final ended with 28-year-old Chinese player Zhao Xintong defeating British star Mark Williams with a score of 18-12, securing the championship. Prior to this, Zhao Xintong was banned for 1 year and 8 months by the World Snooker Association for his involvement in a Chinese players’ gambling case, with the ban lifted on September 1, 2024. Zhao Xintong participated in this championship as an amateur player through a wild card entry, breaking several records in snooker history.
Some analysts pointed out that Deng Chao’s “preparation” declaration reflects the potential and challenges of celebrities crossing over into sports, bringing more attention to the sport of snooker. Many netizens jokingly commented on Deng Chao’s humorous nature, saying, “You go sign up, I’ll go watch the fun.”