Show Luo: still going strong after 2021 cheating scandal

Show Luo, also known as Luo Zixiang, is a Taiwanese singer, actor, and TV host. He is best known for his work on '100% Entertainment' where he worked with and succeeded Barbie and Dee Hsu on the show.

Show Luo debuted in showbiz in 1996 as part of a Taiwanese now-defunct boyband 'Four Heavenly Kings' – a boyband which was modeled after the similarly named four 'Kings' (and now A-list big names) of Hong Kong: Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Leon Lai, and Aaron Kwok.

(Image: China Television)

Did you know that Show Luo is also affectionately nicknamed 'Xiao Zhu (little pig)' in Taiwan? This is because the star used to be overweight in middle school and was teased for it. His weight-loss transformation story was an inspiration to many Taiwanese fans.

Since Taiwan’s 'Four Heavenly Kings' went defunct in 1998, Show Luo persisted in his showbiz dreams to release a solo album titled 'Show Time' in 2003. This shot him right back up to popularity in Taiwan and landed him a permanent role on '100% Entertainment,' which was a big hit show, in the same year.

(Image: Show Luo and Alien Huang, GTV)

Commercial success followed for Show Luo, and the TV host/singer even became the first singer to hold a concert in the Taipei Arena. Show Luo too ranked top of his charts in Taiwan consecutively from 2010 to 2013 – what a record!

Singing, acting, TV hosting… what else was Show Luo capable of? Show Luo later branched out in fashion by releasing his own clothing brand, 'STAGE', in 2006. 'STAGE' has been sold in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Other than making waves in Taiwan, Show Luo too attracted huge attention in Japan by also being the first Taiwanese male singer to place on Japan’s Oricon music chart in 2012.

Show Luo has won and been nominated for many Golden Bell awards for Best TV Host and Best Male Actor. Hong Kong director-actor Stephen Chow handpicked him to play Prince Important in 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons', and cast Show Luo again for 'The Mermaid'.

(Image: Huayi Brothers Media)

Show Luo’s talent, experience and fame also landed him a spot in several hit famous Chinese TV shows such as 'Go Fighting!', 'Produce 101' and 'Dance of China'.

(Image: SMG)

Despite his huge success in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China, Show Luo is not without scandal. In particular, a scandal that broke out in 2020 cost Show Luo his role in '100% Entertainment.' His career has never been the same since the scandal.

(Image: GTV)

As 'Today' reported, Show Luo’s girlfriend of 9 years, the Chinese influencer Grace Chow, exposed him as a serial cheater in a social media post in April 2020. The message shocked many netizens as it contained several details with a very different image from the squeaky-clean front the media was used to.

(Image: gracechowwwww on Instagram)

Other than revealing some explicit details, such as the surprising nighttime habits he would partake in without her knowledge, Grace Chow also not-so-subtly outed some of the women Show Luo had cheated with: his makeup artist and an unnamed female artist under his label.

(Image: gracechowwwww, showlo on Instagram)

Netizens were quick to do some sleuthing and uncovered that the unnamed female artiste was Linda Chien – Show Luo’s permanent co-host on '100% Entertainment'. '8days' reports that it was easy to find out who the anonymous female artist under his label was, as there only was one: Linda Chien.

(Image: GTV)

In a surprising twist, Taiwanese tabloids reported that actress Cherry Yu was one of the women Show Luo had cheated with in 2016. She even hinted at being tricked into becoming a 'third party' in 2017, '8days' notes, with a then-anonymous Taiwanese A-lister in a web series.

(Image: showlo, ydmeng on Instagram)

Show Luo’s reputation took a big blow from the news. It cost him and Linda Chien their jobs on '100% Entertainment.' From The Straits Times, Show Luo was similarly dropped from other projects and was reported to have lost millions in income from the scandal.

In a surprising update in Show Luo’s life, the singer released a new album, titled ‘Trap Game’, in late 2021. This was surprising for many as, according to '8days,' the star had said in an interview in 2020 that he wanted to quit the industry for good in the aftermath of the scandal.

It was a daring move by Show Luo, given that 2021 has not been a kind year for many celebrities in the C-Entertainment world. Artists like Zheng Shuang and Kris Wu have seen their careers canceled due to their respective scandals.

(Image: showlo on Instagram)

Given that Show Luo’s scandal was of a similar nature to that of Kris Wu’s, many had expected the album's reception to be a flop in the C-pop market.

(Image: showlo on Instagram)

It seems that Show Luo was lucky enough to dodge the harsh hammer of the current Chinese Entertainment scene despite his tarnished reputation. From The Straits Times, the music video for 'Trap Game' has garnered over 500 thousand views since its release, and the reception has been mostly positive on YouTube.

From Dramapanda, many Chinese netizens were confused by the reception Show Luo received with his new release. They also question the singer’s decision to dare promote his music in China, despite his bad reputation there.

Maybe, like his lyrics from ‘Trap Game’, Show Luo just might really... “rise again”.

(Image: showlo on Instagram)

Show Luo appears to have gotten off light, unlike Kris Wu in the aftermath of his 2021 scandal. While Kris Wu is still blacklisted and detained by Chinese authorities, Show Luo is still very active in the scene today, even in 2023!

(Image: showlo on Instagram)

Since the scandal, Show Luo has been able to perform in Taiwan, China, and Singapore. However, Show Luo has not been immune to criticism, as netizens have repeatedly made fun of him and questioned concert organizers for choosing to host him over other disgraced celebrities such as Wang Leehom, according to The Straits Times.

(Image: showlo on Instagram)

Show Luo appears to be a testament to how disgraced and allegedly 'blacklisted' celebrities can make it in the C-pop scene, despite the fact that he is still unable to shed his tainted image even in 2023. Perhaps others will make a comeback too, in due time!