On the evening of June 28th, mainland Chinese singer Na Ying appeared on the stage of “Singer 2024” with half of her face covered in special makeup due to a recent infection of herpes zoster, which caused excruciating pain, especially on her face and eyes, forcing her to use the makeup to hide it.
Na Ying secured the third place in the latest episode of “Singer 2024” on June 28th, but her half-face makeup particularly drew attention. Host He Jiong explained to the audience that Na Ying had been battling herpes zoster for the past two days, a painful condition that had worsened on the day of the performance, causing her to express her discomfort to him over the phone.
The news of Na Ying’s struggle with herpes zoster quickly became a hot topic following the broadcast. Similarly, back on June 14th, singer Cai Guoqing revealed on social media that he had been diagnosed with herpes zoster due to a weakened immune system, enduring severe pain to finish recording a program before temporarily withdrawing from it.
According to reports from mainland Chinese media, herpes zoster is a viral skin infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus and can be particularly severe when it affects the face and eyes, often involving the trigeminal nerve and potentially leading to complications like conjunctivitis and keratitis, alongside unbearable pain that restricts activities like exposure to wind and sunlight.
Experts emphasize that herpes zoster has a long incubation period and becomes more common and severe with age, with various factors like sleep deprivation, excessive stress, and emotional trauma contributing to its onset. During the acute phase, patients often experience neuralgia, and some may continue to suffer from postherpetic neuralgia even after the rash has cleared, significantly impacting their quality of life.
Despite participating in “Singer 2024” at the age of 57, Na Ying faced criticism in the previous episodes for appearing nervous and not meeting expectations, ultimately falling behind foreign competitors. While gradually finding her footing on stage and appearing to enjoy herself more, she unexpectedly landed at the bottom in the third episode.
Upon learning of her last-place finish (7th position), Na Ying was interviewed backstage. When asked if she had expected to rank seventh, she admitted her surprise, reflecting on her evolving mindset from nervousness to relaxation and expressing astonishment at the outcome, questioning her song choices and wondering if the audience’s expectations were too high.
Na Ying’s voice trembled with self-doubt as she pondered whether she had lost her touch, expressing her reluctance to be eliminated in this manner. Some music bloggers also found her ranking unduly low compared to her improving performances in prior weeks, with speculation from netizens questioning the authenticity of the show’s script, alleging a deliberate effort to lower Na Ying’s ranking before building up suspense for a dramatic comeback to elevate the show’s tension.