Joe Tay Dramas Vanish Online as Hong Kong Targets Pro-Democracy Activists

Fromer Hong Kong entertainer Joe Tay King-kei being interviewed at a rally in Toronto, Canada on Aug. 16, 2020. NTD Television

Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) has apparently removed several dramas starring former entertainer Joe Tay King-kei from its online platforms after the city’s authorities placed a bounty on his head, accusing him of inciting secession and colluding with foreign forces.

The 62-year-old Tay is one of six overseas pro-democracy Hong Kong activists wanted on charges of “inciting secession,” “subversion of state power,” and “collusion with foreign countries or overseas forces endangering national security” under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL). The Hong Kong authorities issued arrest warrants on Dec. 24, and a bounty of HK$1 million (US$129,000) offered for information leading to their arrests.

Following the announcement of the bounty, netizens began to notice that several dramas and films starring Tay were not longer available in the archives of the  official North American TVB Anywhere website and its overseas YouTube channel.

The Epoch Times found that a search for “Tay King-kei” on the TVB Anywhere North America official website on Jan. 3 returned no results. Searching for “Burning Flame“ on the same platform only displayed Seasons 2 and 3, which do not feature Tay King-kei.

In contrast, the Hong Kong-based myTV Super platform still listed numerous works featuring Tay King-kei, including Season 1 of  “Burning Flame”.

On TVB’s YouTube channel, the only related content found in a search was a video titled “Happy Alliance | Major Disaster! The Chaotic Scene of Burning Flame” on the TVB USA Official channel. This video, which includes Tay King-kei, remains available and has not been removed.

TVB did not respond to a request for comment before publication of this report.

Established in 1967, TVB is Hong Kong’s largest free-to-air broadcaster and a leading global distributor of Chinese-language television programs, according to its online presence.

Tay’s appearances in “myTV Super” in Hong Kong were still online at the time of publishing this report.

Among the others, “Family Squad”, in which Tay participated, has been unlisted from TVB’s overseas YouTube channel; the full version of “The King of Yesterday and Tomorrow,” a 2002 production, is also displayed as ”unlisted” on the “TVB Comedy” channel. Both “Finding Her Voice,” and ”Never Dance Alone,“ in which Tay also played a part, are also marked as ”unlisted” on TVB’s official YouTube channel.

Activism

Tay resides in Canada, where he is a citizen. He is also the current Conservative Party candidate for the Ontario riding of Markham-Unionville. After being put on the wanted list, he posted on Facebook on Dec. 25 a Bible verse “give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5.18)” and wished all netizens a safe Christmas.

Tay debuted as a singer in the 1980s and later widened his scope as an actor. He emigrated to Canada in early 2000 and returned to Hong Kong in 2013. He studied at the University of Toronto earlier, beginning in 1985.

During Hong Kong’s anti-extradition bill movement in 2019, he participated in demonstrations, and during this time, his contract with TVB was not renewed. In June 2020, he shared a photo of his chopped-up TVB employee ID card on Facebook with the text “Forget all old dreams.”

After returning to Canada in 2020, he founded the advocacy platform “HongKonger Station”.

In January 2024, he announced his member of parliament candidacy and participated in the Conservative Party’s primary election.