He Jiong
何炅
He Jiong in 2009
Born	(1974-04-28) 28 April 1974 Changsha, Hunan, China
Alma mater	Beijing Foreign Studies University
Occupation(s)	Host, actor, singer, director
Years active	1994–present
Known for	Happy Camp Big Pinwheel

He Jiong (Chinese: 何炅; pinyin: Hé Jiǒng, born 28 April 1974) is a Chinese television host, singer, actor, director and a former Arabic lecturer in Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Early life and education

He Jiong was born on 28 April 1974 in Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan, China. His father, He Wei (Chinese: 何畏; pinyin: Hé Wèi), who was a professor of philosophy, ran a seafood restaurant chain. His elder brother He Hao (Chinese: 何昊; pinyin: Hé Hào) is a military personnel. In 1986, He enrolled in the High School Attached to Hunan Normal University.

In September 1992, he was admitted to study Arabic at Beijing Foreign Studies University. After graduating in July 1997, he became a lecturer of Arabic at his alma mater, during which time he used an Arabic name "Anwar" (Arabic: أنور‎, lit. 'luminous'). After the university and He agreed to adjust the content of his work in 2007, in order for him to focus on his hosting career,^[1] He resigned from the position in January 2015.^[1]

Career

In 1995, He hosted the show Big Pinwheel on CCTV-14, together with fellow host Liu Chunyan. In 1998, after receiving recognition for his work on the CCTV, He, along with Li Xiang, began hosting the variety show Happy Camp, in what would become one of the most successful shows produced by the Hunan Broadcasting System, and one of the most popular shows in Chinese television history.

For the next few years, He established himself as one of the most prominent hosts in Mainland China, simultaneously hosting variety shows, music shows, cooking contests, and New Years Galas for Hunan, Beijing, and CCTV. In 2004, He debuted as a singer with the album Keyi Ai (Chinese: 可以爱), featuring Gardenia in Blossom as the main single. In 2005, He starred as the main character in the historical drama Emperor Zheng De.^[2] In 2006, He was cast for the Stan Lai stage play Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring. ^[3] The same year, the introduction of Du Haitao and Wu Xin into mainstream media led to the establishment of the Happy Family, consisting of He, Xie Na, Li Weijia, Du, and Wu.

In 2007, He hosted the Chinese singing competition Super Boy, a spin-off of the show Super Girl, a competition that encouraged millions of Chinese netizens to democratically vote for progression in the show. The following year, He hosted the first three episodes of the talk show Day Day Up, taking over for fellow host Wang Han. In 2009, He, along with Wang, hosted the second season of Super Girl.^[4]

In 2013, He, together with the Happy Family, starred in the comedy film Bring Happiness Home. Since 2015, He has hosted the cooking show Go Fridge, a spin-off of Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, with Jackson Wang of Got7. The same year, He made his film director debut with the teen romance Forever Young, a film based on his debut single Gardenia in Blossom. In March 2016, He featured as a permanent cast on the variety program Who's the Murderer. Since 2017, together with Henry Lau and Huang Lei, He has been a cast member for the reality show Back to Field, a show that featured the simplistic lifestyles away from city centers. In 2019, He began hosting the reality show An Exciting Offer.^[5]

In 2020, He ranked 53rd on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list.^[6]

In 2022, following the unexpected closure of the show Happy Camp, which marked the end of its 24-year run, He began hosting Hello, Saturday as its replacement program.

He Jiong currently holds the Guinness World Record as the most-followed male celebrity on the Chinese social media platform Weibo,^[7] with over 115 million followers, as of February 2023.^[8]

Filmography

Bibliography

• 1998, 9: This Is How I Grow Up (炅炅有神——我是这样长大的)
• 2000, 10: Happy Like Me (快乐如何)
• 2001, 10: Just Ok (刚刚好)
• 2005, 4: Wonderful Happiness (最好的幸福)
• 2015: 来得及

Discography

References