Taiwanese host Jacky Wu was almost caught in dangerous crossfire recently.
The 62-year-old star and the cast of his variety game show Mr Player (2014 to present) are filming the 10th-anniversary special of the series in Turkey, where there was a major terrorist attack.
Five people were killed and 22 wounded by two attackers on Oct 23 in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
In what has been called a terrorist attack at Turkish Aerospace Industries’ headquarters, witnesses said they heard gunfire and an explosion. Turkish authorities said the perpetrators were killed after the attack.
Wu and his co-hosts, Kid Lin and boy band Energy member Kunda, were filming in the town of Safranbolu, which is more than 100km from Ankara.
After the attack, Wu told Taiwanese news outlets that they planned to carry on filming.
He said: “We are all safe... We might head straight to Ankara after Safranbolu. The 10th anniversary of Mr Player happened to coincide with some troubles here in the Middle East, which is definitely rare. We will take extra care of ourselves.”
The cast seemed to be well despite the news.
Lin, 40, uploaded a photo of them in Turkey, which included celebrity guests like actress Vicky Tseng and singer Claire Kuo, on Oct 24 via Instagram Stories. He wrote: “Please don’t worry. We are all safe and sound in Turkey right now.”
He also uploaded a video of the cast having a meal and reporting that they are safe.
Before Safranbolu, the cast and crew were filming in Istanbul.
While the terror attack prompted worries from Taiwanese media and fans, Wu seemed to be enjoying his time in Turkey. He uploaded a post of himself getting some Turkish ice cream and shared a video of various Turkish delights, which he said were “super sweet”.
The Turkey trip comes after Mr Player won the Most Popular Variety Series at the Golden Bell Awards on Oct 18. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
