The fall of successful hosts
In 1991, Fang Hongjin, as one of the best journalism students in China that year, was selected by Beijing TV with the first grade and stepped into the door of the host industry.
With the high wisdom and steady and introverted personality of Shuangshang, he quickly shined in various forums and talk shows, and was deeply appreciated by his superiors.
In 1992, Fang Hongjin was directly demoted by the upper echelons of CCTV and began to serve as the host of important current affairs programs in the Central Committee. In the following ten years, he successively hosted the highest-rated programs such as "Oriental Time and Space" and "Focus Interview", among which "Focus Interview" is the most well-known, and he is one of the founding hosts of the show.
The live broadcast of major events such as the interception of the Three Gorges Project and Hong Kong's return to the motherland has made the name "Fang Host" a well-known golden sign throughout the country.
However, just when his career was in full swing, in 2003, Fang Hongjin suddenly announced that he would leave CCTV, and in the same year, he joined Dragon TV, which was far less influential than CCTV at that time, as a director and judge.
This sudden turn of events shocked the public, who speculated about the reason behind it. According to the analysis of industry insiders, Fang Hongjin is likely to feel that he was constrained by some superiors at CCTV and lost the autonomy of the host.
Dragon TV has strong financial strength and is expected to provide greater space for development.
However, it turned out that Fang Hongjin did not regain the peak of his career at Dragon TV, and he gradually faded out of the public eye, mainly responsible for behind-the-scenes management. Some commentators believe that the most important thing for an excellent host is his own aura.
Leaving CCTV, the first media platform in China, Fang Hongjin's aura will inevitably weaken. After working Dragon TV for several years, he gradually realized that his transformation and development were not smooth, and he gradually lost hope in his heart.
The dark side that was exposed
In the past few years on Dragon TV, Fang Hongjin gradually realized that it was difficult for him to make a big breakthrough in the path of hosting. So he chose to go into business and created an entertainment company that specializes in producing TV series product placement ads for corporate clients.
In 2006, Fang Hongjin relied on his connections in the hosting industry to persuade the food company Jinmailang Group to cooperate with him. Jinmailang signed a contract to pay an advertising budget of 1 million yuan, but he did not see his products appear in any TV series afterwards.
Jinmailang repeatedly inquired to no avail, and in 2008, Fang Hongjin was sued in court, accusing him of fraud.
In October 2009, Fang Hongjin, who had been out of public view for several years, suddenly reappeared in the report as a "commercial fraud" criminal. He was quickly arrested by the police and convicted of commercial fraud by Mai Lang, who was eventually sentenced to prison.
This is undoubtedly Fang Hongjin's lowest point from a smash hit to today's bottom. In the cramped and boring cell, he couldn't help but reflect on his life journey, from a radiant celebrity host to a criminal in handcuffs, his heart was extremely terrified and regretful.
The popular programs hosted by Fang Hongjin in the past seem to be still yesterday. The first episode of "Focus Interview" was hosted by him, and later this topical program almost became synonymous with CCTV, and it is well-deserved to be the best in China.
Thinking of these glorious pasts, Fang Hongjin couldn't help but burst into tears. He began to realize that whether he succeeds or falls, the only way to be honest and innovative and down-to-earth is the king.
Failure of married life
When Fang Hongjin's career was in full swing, his love and married life were also very happy. He and fellow CCTV host Yu Hongwei met and knew each other, and the relationship between the two partners who got together less and separated more quickly warmed up into love.
In the 90s of the 20th century, at the peak of the first marriage after China's reform and opening up, Fang Hongjin and Yu Hongwei also entered the palace of marriage in this context.
On the days of the newlywed Yan'er, the two were like golden boys and girls, and they were very compatible in terms of both their external temperament and life style. They also have a daughter, Fang Zhen, who was once regarded as a model of "model couple" in the industry.
However, the good times did not last long, and in 2003, Fang Hongjin suddenly announced his departure from CCTV, which was undoubtedly the beginning of this marriage.
According to public data, China's divorce rate was about 8 percent in 2000, but by 2009 that number had soared to nearly 20 percent. According to expert analysis, rapid social changes and changes in values are important reasons for the high incidence of divorce.
After Fang Hongjin returned to Dragon TV from CCTV, not only did his career progress difficult, but his psychology and values also underwent subtle changes. Yu Hongwei, as his wife, found it difficult to adapt to these changes in Fang Hongjin, and the two gradually drifted apart, and finally divorced by agreement in 2011.
What shocked the outside world even more was that the daughter of the two, Fang Zhen, publicly accused her father Fang Hongjin of domestic violence against her mother after drinking many times, and even outsourced to raise a mistress. "If you continue like this, you will lose the last bit of respect from your family!" Fang Zhen angrily rebuked in the open letter.
There is speculation that this may also be one of the important reasons for the breakdown of the couple's relationship. Whether it is true or not, Fang Hongjin's married life has ended in the most tragic way.
Let's go again
After the verdict in this commercial fraud case, Fang Hongjin reflected on it for more than two years in prison. In 2013, he was released early on a commuted sentence for good behavior. This is undoubtedly an important opportunity for a person who has fallen from a red-top host to a criminal to turn over again.
After being released from prison, Fang Hongjin did not choose to return to the hosting industry, but continued to pursue his dream in the business world. He started a new venture with blockchain and digital finance-related companies, serving as the initiator of several projects.
In recent years, the blockchain industry has developed rapidly, and it is expected that the market value of the entire industry will exceed one trillion US dollars in 2025.
In addition to starting a business, he also chose to start broadcasting on a live broadcast platform to share his life experience and business insights with fans. Since its launch more than a year ago, the number of fans on his wool live broadcast platform has exceeded 800,000, and his income is also very considerable.
Fans seem to have understood and accepted his past after learning about it, and sincerely hope that he will reach new heights in his career.
Now 58-year-old Fang Hongjin no longer has the blind confidence he had when he was young and frivolous, but has replaced it with the calmness and wisdom of being old and strong. He always warned himself that no matter how successful he was, he must not be complacent. No matter what low point you fall into, you must keep hope and courage.
The process of life is to fall and start again and again, all kinds of misfortunes in the past have dissipated like smoke, and he is still on the road, walking with his dreams.
As the saying goes, big ups and downs are heroes. This sentence is used to describe Fang Hongjin's life course perfectly. From the host of CCTV's golden signboard, to a prisoner in prison, and in his later years, he successfully transformed through the blockchain business again, at the age of 58, he can be said to have experienced a legendary life of ups and downs.
This change of identity has taken many people in the industry by surprise. Before being imprisoned, Fang Hongjin had always been a benchmark in the reporter and host industry, and had the reputation of "the prince of hosts".
No one could have imagined that he would lose himself and go astray in breaking the law and committing crimes. Regaining his freedom after 2 years of imprisonment, he could have withdrawn from public view to live out his old age, but he didn't.
Fang Hongjin not only achieved commercial success again, but also actively faced the past and spread positive energy in the live broadcast. This spirit is impressive to all.
After experiencing the ups and downs of life, Fang Hongjin understood a lot of truths. He believes that success and failure are equally important, and that failure can test a person's heart more than success.
The wisest approach is not to blindly pursue fame and fortune, but to maintain a positive and optimistic heart. He always admonished himself that it was good to be a down-to-earth ordinary person and enjoy the bits and pieces of life.
Today's Fang Hongjin has obtained a double harvest of career and life, which is difficult for many people to achieve. But his life experience teaches us that success does not happen overnight, but requires trials and tribulations.
True success is to constantly improve oneself and gain life insights in the process. This is the true meaning of life that Fang Hongjin wants to tell us the most.