2016 will be a big pageant year for Hong Kong television station Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) as the company has announced that it would combine the Miss Hong Kong and Mr. Hong Kong pageants.
Hong Kong network, TVB, revealed that the Miss Hong Kong and Mr. Hong Kong pageants will unfold simultaneously. Aside from giving the competition a boost in viewership, the station also stressed that the pageants will be used as a platform for agents and scouts to search for new talents, who will be trained and turned into TVB's stars.
As for why TVB decided on a joint Miss Hong Kong and Mr. Hong Kong pageant, according to JayneStars, producer Sandy Yu said that it is time for a refreshing change. "I think it's time for a change in format. We've always had this idea about combining the two shows, so I'm very happy that this can finally come to fruition this year," Sandy said.
There are rumors that the inspiration for TVB's decision to combine the pageants is its rivalry with Cantonese station, ViuTV. Recently, ViuTV announced a new beauty pageant called the Beauty D.n.A.. However, Sandy u slammed the rumors saying that "(Beauty D.n.A) has no age eligibility and I remember doing a similar show with ATV before. Nothing new there!"
TVB execs, including Sandy Yu, will be traveling to Vancouver and Toronto, Canada to watch the Mr. Chinese International Pageant. There, they will be choosing the winners and invite them to compete in the 2016 Mr. Hong Kong Pageant.
Although the new format is unconventional, former Miss Hong Kong winners Grace Chan (in 2013) and Toby Chan (in 2010) have praised the idea behind the change.
"It's refreshing and a brand new attempt. I'm happy to see more competition in the industry. It can increase the quality of beauty pageants," Grace Chan said.
Meanwhile, Toby Chan noted that combining the pageants will make the event more interesting. "It's going to be a big show and I would not be surprised if TVB would hold the show in the Hong Kong Coliseum. That would be huge!" she said.
Former Mr. Hong Kong winners have also shared their thoughts on the change of the pageants' format. Benjamin Yuen (winner in 2007) expressed his interest in becoming a guest judge while William Chak (winner in 2010) said that the change is very creative, and it is something that "would get people talking."
TVB's Miss Hong Kong pageant started in 1973 and is responsible for launching the careers of many of Hong Kong's most popular celebrities.
The Mr. Hong Kong pageant, on the other hand, was only started in 2005. However, it has not reached the same success as the Miss Hong Kong pageants. Not only did the show get subpar ratings but it also received bad reviews. Due to this, TVB canceled the Mr. Hong Kong pageant after its run in 2011, before deciding to bring it back this year.