Chinese actress, director and pop singer Vicki Chao confirmed that she has joined the panel of judges for the fifth season of reality TV show China's Got Talent, which recently started its pre-audition process.
This is Chao's first time judging on a reality TV show and says that she looks forward to communicating with the audience, adding that it will be a fun experience.
Chao also said that she has been amazed by some of the performances on Britain's Got Talent, which was one of the reasons she decided to work with the show.
Chao is a successful actress who has been awarded the Hundred Flowers Award, Shanghai Film Critics Award, Huabiao Award, Golden Eagle TV Award, as well as the Best Actress award at the Shanghai International Film Festival.
Chao developed an interest in acting after she was first chosen to be a supporting actress in a filming session. While studying at Beijing Film Academy, she participated in various film projects. She rose to fame after portraying Xiaoyanzi in the first two seasons of the television series Princess Pearl.
On April 26, 2013, Chao released her first feature film So Young. She is the first female director whose debut film earned more than 100 million yuan (US$ 16.4 million) in China. In just a week, So Young earned 350 million yuan (US$ 57.4).
China's Got Talent debuted on July 25, 2010, on Dragon TV to a reported 400 million viewers. Since then, the show has run through four full seasons, with a fifth season scheduled to commence in late 2013.
It is an officially licensed spin-off of television producer Simon Cowell's original, in which people compete for a performance contract with Fremantle Media and Sony Music Entertainment.
The most successful contestants of the Chinese version of the show are generally talented but also come from humble backgrounds.