CHANGSHA – Taiwanese singer Jimmy Lin is taking part in the upcoming third season of Chinese reality show Call Me By Fire, less than a year after he was injured in a traffic accident, to prove that one can overcome the odds.
“I chose to return to my favourite music stage to tell myself and everyone: ‘There is no road in life that one cannot go through and there is no hurdle that one cannot overcome,'” the 48-year-old wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Thursday.
Lin was hospitalised for 10 days after being seriously injured in a traffic accident in Taiwan’s Taoyuan city on July 22, 2022. He underwent two operations – one to affix a titanium rod to his right arm and another for facial fractures.
“My family accompanied me through those times and gave me strength by taking care of me day and night, holding my hands and encouraging me,” he wrote.
He is married to former model-actress Kelly Chen, 39, and they have three sons – Kimi, who turns 14 in September, and seven-year-old twins Jenson and Kyson.
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He said that his family initially objected to his participation in Call Me By Fire, which began recording in late June, due to concerns over his health.
The popular reality series features 32 male celebrities receiving training and forming teams to compete in singing and dancing.
A five-minute music video of the show’s theme song, which was performed jointly by the third season’s participants, was released on social media on Wednesday. The show premieres on Mango TV on Friday.
The full line-up was unveiled on Thursday, and it includes Hong Kong actor Kevin Cheng, Taiwan-based Hong Kong singer-actor Ambrose Hui, Malaysian singers Nicholas Teo and Victor Wong, as well as Taiwanese actors Danson Tang and Blue Lan.
Lin wrote on Thursday: “I told my family, fellow participants and myself that life is always about trying and setting a good example, so my children can see the spirit of working hard and persevering to the end.”
He said he understood that his stamina is not as good as before, and he might need more time to prepare for his performances. “Although I do not know if I can withstand the intensity, at least I have tried my best.”
A former teen heart-throb who burst onto the scene in 1992, Lin also posted three previously unseen photographs taken of him 25 years ago for an album.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
