Producer had ‘no intention’ to embarrass Malaysian pianist Cathryn Li on Facebook live


Screenshots of Cathryn Li leaving the FaceTalk live stream on Monday. Photo: FaceTalk/Facebook
Screenshots of Cathryn Li leaving the FaceTalk live stream on Monday. Photo: FaceTalk/Facebook

The producer and host of a Cantonese talk show has apologized to Malaysian influencer and classical pianist Cathryn Li following her emotional meltdown during Monday’s livestream.

Andy Chan from the FaceTalk webshow said yesterday he did not have any intention to embarrass Li, 32, and praised her piano-playing skills, which Li briefly performed during the two-hour live chat and jamming session before storming off after reading hurtful comments from viewers. 

“To Cathryn and her supporters, I’m very sorry if we caused a misunderstanding,” he said in Cantonese, adding: “We really did not have any intention to embarrass her. We just really wanted our viewers to see her play the piano because she’s a really talented musician.”




Li has also apologized over her actions, saying that she regretted losing control over her emotions. One hurtful comment thrown at her said: “A person who likes music will easily blend into song, instrument or any music but it seems that she has no interest at all.”  

Another person called her “a fraud.”

The original plan was for her to play the keyboard with Chan and his two bandmates during the live jamming session. When Li realized that she was not in tune with the band and was unfamiliar with the songs they wanted to play, she decided to hang out in front of the camera while the band played. After noticing the harsh comments on screen, Li began to have a meltdown and left the set.

“Why is everyone scolding me in the comments?” she could be heard crying in the video. Chan tried to comfort her by reading out the nicer comments, but that didn’t help. 

“I did not come here to play the piano, I came here to talk. Should I get behind the camera? I’m leaving, you guys can continue,” she said, before storming off and leaving the set. Li later explained that she regretted losing her temper and was thankful for her fans’ support.

“I regret my loss of control,” she said in a statement. “Thank you for supporting me. I still prefer to perform solo on the acoustic piano and not the keyboard.”

She added: “Everyone has their own interest in music, don’t force your interest onto others.”

Chan, who posted his apology in a seven-minute clip, acknowledged that Li did her best and also expressed concern for the influencer’s mental health.

“She did her best for the show. I don’t want the incident on Facebook live to affect Cathryn’s mental wellbeing,” he said.




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