Macau played host to a star-studded viewing party Saturday night as the cast of TVB’s hit drama City of Radiance gathered to watch the broadcast of their season finale. Leading ladies Grace Chan, Jessica Sze, and Rachel Chan drew the spotlight not only for their performances but for addressing brewing awards speculation and a recent editing controversy involving a co-star.
The series has placed its principal actresses firmly in the conversation for the upcoming TVB Anniversary Awards. Asked about the buzz, Chan struck a diplomatic tone. “No matter who wins, it is a wonderful thing to celebrate,” she said. “This production has so many actors generating meaningful discussion. I hope everyone achieves great results and that the finale ratings are strong.”
Rachel Chan, whose character departed the story abruptly in the third episode, finds herself a dark-horse candidate for Best Supporting Actress alongside veteran performer Amy Fong. “I am so touched that people still remember me,” she admitted. “I will continue working to earn that appreciation.”
The discussion quickly turned to the future of the franchise. Jessica Sze expressed a strong desire for a second season, hoping to reprise her role as Sarah. Chan offered a more measured take, emphasizing that a sequel should never be created purely for commercial reasons. “The script must come first,” she insisted. “It shouldn’t be made just for the sake of continuing the story.”
The most significant moment of the evening came when Chan addressed swirling rumors about co-star Zoe Tzhi’s scene in the drama. Social media lit up with claims that a semi-nude sequence had been slashed from seven minutes to just two seconds. Chan, present for the filming, strongly refuted that narrative. “It was not cut to two seconds — it was cut by two seconds,” she clarified.
She explained the full seven-minute sequence was intended to convey deep emotional suffering for Tzhi’s character. Due to standard episode runtime limits, the sequence was split across two episodes. According to Chan, the far more intimate portions of the scene were already quite brief. The final adjustment, she said, was a minor trim based on network audience sensitivity feedback.
On a lighter note, the actresses discussed singer-actress JW, who recently confirmed she quietly married in Turkey last year. “I am so happy for her,” Sze said warmly. “She found a wonderful husband.” Sze laughingly recalled a massive wedding cake but could not remember if she had caught the bouquet. She revealed JW had tried to play matchmaker and introduce her to men at the wedding, but most were already taken. Sze also clarified that JW had extended invitations to fellow actors Jun Mian and Carlo Ng, but their filming schedules made the trip impossible.
As City of Radiance wraps its run, the candid evening in Macau offered fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at how TVB’s leading women navigate awards races, defend colleagues, and celebrate personal milestones — all while keeping their eyes firmly on what comes next for the network’s biggest franchise hopes.