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Hong Kong actors Lok Yi-Mei, Owen Cheung, and Bob Wu traded scripts for spatulas on Tuesday, visiting a local secondary school to judge student-made gourmet burgers during a promotional event for TVB’s “Try It For Real!” The lighthearted appearance mixed celebrity wattage with community outreach, culminating in a surprise acoustic performance and a nostalgic reunion for one returning alumnus.
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The quartet, joined by actor Tsang Chin-mong, sampled inventive burger creations at the school campus, pulling exaggerated faces for the cameras before offering genuine praise. “The quality is genuinely impressive,” noted Lok, who led the tasting panel. The students’ efforts ranged from classic beef patties to fusion-style toppings, all prepared in the school’s home economics kitchen.
The event’s emotional peak came when Owen Cheung, 37, returned to his alma mater for the first time in 11 years. His former form teacher and current students greeted him with remarkable warmth, while old classmates also appeared to catch up. When the crowd playfully demanded a song, a blushing Cheung delivered a few lines of the school anthem, then laughed at himself. “I was an outstanding and well-behaved student back then—focused entirely on academics,” he joked, prompting Lok to tease him with a skeptical “wide-eyed lie.” Cheung smiled but declined to confirm whether he had been the school’s unofficial heartthrob, deflecting questions about his teenage love life.
Cheung is currently filming a 2027 Lunar New Year movie in Malaysia, sharing the screen with veterans Kent Cheng and Yu Ha. “It’s my first time shooting a festive film there, and the locals were incredibly warm,” he said. “The shoot was relaxed and fun. Both veterans love to chat, and we spent an entire day before the first take just talking. Kent Cheng, in particular, is like a living textbook—he’d watched my previous dramas and offered insights that completely shifted how I approach acting.”
Meanwhile, Lok, 52, received online praise after a clip surfaced of her conducting an entire interview in fluent English during auditions for the new reality show “Matchmaking Plan 2.” She was meeting a contestant’s ex-boyfriend, who spoke only English and Mandarin. Deflecting the compliments, Lok shrugged: “I went to an English-medium school and once worked at a foreign company. Basic conversation is no big deal—no need to exaggerate. The gentleman only speaks those two languages, so we just had a normal chat in English.”
As the event wound down, Wu headed straight to an ophthalmologist, skipping interviews. Tsang, who will attend the school’s upcoming open day to speak about his career journey and positive thinking, waved to students and staff before the group posed for a full-gymnasium class photo, all smiles and peace signs.
Context and Impact
This school stop is part of a broader TVB promotional push for “Try It For Real!”, a series blending consumer testing with celebrity participation. For Cheung, the homecoming underscores a rising profile: after years of supporting roles, he has landed lead parts in both local dramas and cross-border projects, including the upcoming festive feature alongside industry icons.
Lok’s English moment highlights how Cantonese-speaking stars increasingly navigate Mandarin- and English-dominant entertainment markets, especially as Hong Kong content expands into mainland China and Southeast Asia. Her humility—downplaying what many fans called a “flawless” performance—reflects the industry’s emphasis on approachability.
For students, the visit offered a tangible bridge to media careers. “Seeing them taste our food and joke with teachers made the industry feel less distant,” said one third-form student who helped prepare the burgers. Both the school and TVB confirmed plans for future joint outreach sessions, hinting that more campus interactions are on the horizon.
