HONG KONG — A wedding toast turned into an awkward moment at the West Kowloon Cultural District on Thursday night when Hong Kong actress Jacqueline Ch’ng mistakenly referred to actor Raymond Yeung as a “lawful wife” while co-hosting the premiere gala for the musical “Cats.”
Ch’ng had just returned from Kuala Lumpur, where she attended the wedding of her younger sister, Jacqueline Ch’ng Si-min, to Yeung. She said she gave a five-figure red envelope as a wedding gift. But during the ceremony at the Xiqu Centre, she stumbled over her lines while serving as emcee alongside actor Wong Kin-tung.
“I was supposed to say, ‘Are you willing to become his lawful wife?’ but I accidentally swallowed the word ‘his,’ making the whole sentence sound strange,” Ch’ng told reporters. The line was originally meant for Pastor Lam Yee-lok, but she was asked to deliver it at the last minute. She denied being under the influence of alcohol and said the mistake left her feeling guilty enough to consider giving another red envelope as compensation.
Fortunately, Ch’ng said, her sister, Yeung and the older relatives found the blunder humorous rather than offensive, turning a tearful ceremony into a lighthearted moment.
Parental Anxiety on Display
Actress Vivian Sun attended the event with her eldest son, an avid fan of musicals, but admitted she was nervous about potential disruptions. “Sometimes children get excited and it’s hard to control their volume. As a parent, I’m always worried,” she said. She recalled an incident where her son spotted a classmate at a restaurant and was so loud that other diners complained. Before every outing, she now reminds him to stay quiet.
Sun also shared her grief over the recent passing of veteran actor Lai Bit-dak, with whom she worked last year. She described him as healthy and energetic at the time. “I knew he wasn’t feeling well, but he didn’t want to worry others. I told him to rest and that we’d have tea together after he recovered. It’s a great regret that we never got that chance.”
‘Midlife Good Voice’ Controversy Heats Up
The premiere also drew contestants from the popular TV singing competition Midlife Good Voice. Singers Liu Yang and Li Jinkai, both from Season 3, were asked about recent allegations of vote rigging in Season 4.
Contestant Wu Yiwei has been accused of benefiting from inflated scores despite unclear pronunciation, with former judge Johnny Ng quipping that it sounded like he was singing in Thai. Liu and Li said they had been too busy to follow the controversy but recalled their own experiences with harsh critiques.
“Appreciating singing is very subjective. Just because I like something doesn’t mean others will,” Li said. He defended the judges, adding, “They have a tough job. Their standards are fine. We couldn’t possibly handle all the details they do.”
As the Cats curtain fell, the evening underscored how celebrity missteps, parenting challenges and reality show drama continue to captivate Hong Kong audiences. For Ch’ng, the hope is that her wedding-day gaffe will be remembered more for the laughter it sparked than the embarrassment it caused.
