South Korean idol group Super Junior (SJ) leader Leeteuk, who hosted the Hakka reality show “Chef’s Descent: Hakka Kitchen” with Taiwan artists like Wilber Pan and Jacky Jiang last year. Recently, the program was nominated for the Best Reality Show Host Award at the 60th Golden Bell Awards, making Leeteuk the first Korean celebrity to be nominated for a Golden Bell Award.
The list of nominees announced on September 15th for the 60th Golden Bell Awards revealed that the reality show “Chef’s Descent: Hakka Kitchen,” a collaboration between Taiwan Hakka TV and South Korea, was nominated in the category of “Best Reality Show.” Hosts Leeteuk, Lee Won-il, Wilber Pan, Jacky Jiang, Nien, and Korean female host Judy were also nominated for the “Best Reality Show Host” award.
Upon learning about the nomination, Leeteuk shared a screenshot on his Instagram Story, adding a star symbol to his name, showing his excitement. Jacky Jiang commented on Leeteuk’s post, mentioning that he was training athletes when the nomination was announced, and his phone kept vibrating. He exclaimed, “What!!! We are nominated for the 60th Golden Bell Awards for Best Reality Show and Best Reality Show Host. It’s really so surprising and joyful. Although it’s just the announcement of the nominations for now, everyone’s hard work in front of or behind the scenes has paid off a bit. Let’s continue to look forward to good things happening.” He concluded with, “The 60th Golden Bell Awards, here we come!”
Similarly thrilled, Wilber Pan expressed his feelings, saying he never thought they would be nominated, and it was truly a pleasant surprise. He mentioned that this cross-border collaboration with South Korea was challenging but very rewarding and successful. He hopes for more opportunities for future collaborations with international partners.
It is noteworthy that this year, the Golden Bell Awards will have a separate category for reality shows for the first time. Among the list of nominees, both the show and the host awards are dominated by the same five groups of people. The nominated works this time are full of “foreign” characteristics, with shows like “Chef’s Descent: Hakka Kitchen” hosting Korean star SJ leader Leeteuk as a guest, “The Adventures of the Old and Young Girls 2,” “Life’s Big Events Let’s Sail Together!” and “Bring It On! Don’t Be Afraid” all having filmed in Japan.
In a humorous twist, Xiao Yu, who was nominated for both “Bring It On! Don’t Be Afraid” and “Not a Hero in My World” joked that being nominated for both shows indeed increases the chances of winning, but he is now conflicted about whom to walk the red carpet with.