Cao Kefan was born into a wealthy family in Shanghai, the son of a St. John's University graduate and a hospital mother. This family background paved the way for his future development.
In 1987, Cao Kefan, who was only 24 years old, appeared on the stage of Shanghai TV and Oriental TV for the first time, and since then he has started his brilliant hosting career.
Cao Kefan's talent was quickly recognized, and he hosted many programs, including "Kefan Listening", "Come on Good Boy", "We College Students", "Poetry and Painting", "Spend Good Time Together", "Martial Arts Conference", etc., and became the "pillar" of the Shanghai TV circle.
In 2010, he cooperated with Dong Qing, a famous host of CCTV, to host the opening ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo, which attracted worldwide attention, and let the national audience know the "No. 1 host in Shanghai".
However, fate always seems to like to play a joke on people. In 2016, Cao Kefan in the "Top Chef" program, after accidentally eating the "original large intestine" made by contestant Yu Tao (nicknamed "Little Fat"), his acting skills were "out of control", his expression was complicated, he was both angry and helpless, he wanted to attack and had to endure it, this scene was captured by netizens and made into an emoji, which was widely circulated on the Internet for a while.
At this moment, Cao Kefan may never have imagined that the image he has accumulated over the years will be completely changed because of this large intestine. Since then, he has become the object of ridicule from netizens, the once beautiful "No. 1 host in Shanghai", but now he is widely known for his "original intestine".
This incident was turned out by netizens for various spoofs, and even derived a lot of ghost animal videos, and the scene of Cao Kefan eating the large intestine has become a widely circulated Internet meme.
Cao Kefan's experience makes people sigh at the impermanence of the entertainment industry, a person's image may take decades to shape, but it may collapse in an instant. Public figures always live in the spotlight, rooted in countless pairs of eyes, and every action can cause huge repercussions.
Cao Kefan's hosting style has always been known for being direct and authentic. In the eyes of insiders, he is knowledgeable, has a strong memory, and is a professional host full of "bookish atmosphere". However, this directness can sometimes be controversial, making him a love-hate being.
Cao Kefan has worked in Shanghai TV for many years and has successfully hosted more than ten large and small programs, such as "Kefan Listening", "Come on Good Boy", "We College Students", and so on. His talent has been unanimously recognized by the industry, and he has won the Chinese Host Achievement Award of the Chinese Host Star Club, the Outstanding Host Award of the 18th National TV Literature and Art "Starlight Award", and the Gold Award of the 3rd China's Top Ten TV Hosts "Golden Microphone".
However, Cao Kefan's "poisonous tongue" remarks often cause controversy. In 2007, in the program "Dance Forest Conference", the popular actress Huang Shengyi chose to withdraw from the competition due to dissatisfaction with the rating. Cao not only did not ease the contradictions, but intensified them and severely criticized Huang Shengyi, which attracted great attention at the time and established an image of "offending people" for him in the entertainment industry.
Cao Kefan does not seem to be bothered by controversy, but is even more unscrupulous. He came from a prominent background, becoming a presenter at Shanghai TV at the age of 24 and also serving as a visiting professor at Tongji University.
These illustrious backgrounds seem to give him the confidence to stand out from the crowd, and he often sneers at the guests in the show.
Cao Kefan's direct style has become a kind of label for him to a certain extent. The audience was uncomfortable with his sharp rhetoric and curious about his style of daring to say and do.
The existence of this contradiction has made Cao Kefan continue to become popular in the controversy and become a host that people love and hate.
However, Cao Kefan may not realize that his behavior is slowly accumulating, and it is likely to cause a bigger storm in the future. In the complex environment of the entertainment industry, offending people may bring short-term attention, but in the long run, it may become a stumbling block to one's career.
In the Shanghai TV circle, in addition to Cao Kefan, Jin Xing is also a host known for his "poisonous tongue". They are all "pillars" of Shanghai TV, but their styles are different. Jin Xing's "Venus Show" has attracted many viewers with a sharp and humorous style, and she can accurately judge various entertainment news events and express them in a very straightforward way, but without leaving any emotion.
Even if the person concerned sits opposite her or under the stage, Venus will not shy away from it, however, Venus's emotional intelligence is also quite high, she can distinguish between right and wrong, and seems to be "open-mouthed", in fact, she knows how to maintain the psychology of the party.
The humorous style of "Venus Show" with seriousness and slight ridicule in seriousness attracted a large number of viewers, making it quickly become the most popular program on Shanghai TV and Dragon TV.
In contrast, Cao Kefan's "Kefan Listening" is inferior to "Venus Show" in terms of ratings and audience, and its former glory is difficult to hide its decline.
This silent battle for ratings made Cao Kefan feel pressured, and he publicly commented in an interview that "The Venus Show" was not nutritious and drank to quench his thirst. Jin Xing shot back with a tooth for a tooth, saying that Cao Kefan was a traitor, and the show he hosted was hypocritical if no one watched it.
The two "pillars" openly scolded each other, which triggered a tense atmosphere in the Shanghai TV circle. Soon after, "The Venus Show" was abruptly stopped, and although there was no direct evidence, Venus said that there was a "villain" behind it.
Industry insiders have speculated whether Cao Kefan used his connections and status to affect the fate of the show.
This battle is not just a battle between two hosts, it is a reflection of the intricacies of interest struggles and power games in the TV world. Although Cao Kefan lost to Jin Xing in the ratings, his connections and status in the industry are one of his major advantages.
The news of the suspension of "Venus Show" makes people wonder if it is Cao Kefan's handiwork.
After this turmoil, although Cao Kefan won the battle in secret, his image in the public mind became blurred. People began to question whether a host who needs to rely on behind-the-scenes means to fight his opponents can still be called "Shanghai's No. 1 host".
The fight not only did not bring Cao Kefan back to glory, but further damaged his public image.
In 2016, a revelation about Xue Zhiqian caused an uproar on the Internet. The famous singer revealed that when he first debuted, he had a chilling experience in a show.
Xue Zhiqian recalled that when he introduced himself on stage, before he finished his words, he was quickly interrupted by a male host, who was smiling, but full of swear words, even the kind that could not pass the review.
Although Xue Zhiqian did not name names, his portrayal of the host — the host's name is three words, a bit short, and said some expletives that cannot pass censorship — has sparked speculation among netizens.
At first, many people pointed the finger at Zhang Da as a result, and Zhang Dada's social media comment area was immediately occupied by angry fans, full of accusations and insults.
However, with the in-depth investigation of netizens, the truth of Xue Zhiqian's story was gradually exposed. At the beginning, some people discovered that the shows that Xue Zhiqian had participated in before his debut were simply rare, very few.
The two most important programs are "Come on Good Boy" and "My Type, My Show" broadcast by Shanghai Dragon TV, and the host behind these two programs turned out to be the so-called "No. 1 host in Shanghai", Mr. Cao Kefan.
Cao Kefan's behavior cast a shadow on the image of others. Everyone began to wonder if he was worthy of the title of "Shanghai's No. 1 Host". His arrogance and unreasonableness were publicly exposed, and it was beyond words.
The Xue Zhiqian incident not only exposed Cao Kefan's little-known side, but also made people see the cruel reality of the entertainment industry. Behind this glamorous world, newcomers often need to endure great pressure and grievances, and those who stand at the top of power may also abuse their position and trample on the dignity of others.
The incident had a great impact on Cao Kefan's career and further deteriorated his public image. From the former "No. 1 host in Shanghai", to now being regarded as an arrogant and rude villain in the eyes of the public.
Cao Kefan is a man of many talents, and there is no arguing about it. His talents and interests go far beyond hosting and have ventured into a variety of artistic and academic fields, showcasing his rich and varied life.
Cao Kefan has also dabbled in the film and television industry, serving as an actor in many well-known works, such as the movie "The Thirteen Hairpins of Jinling" in 2011, the movie "Breakup Master" in 2014, the TV series "Great Expectations" in 2018, and the movie "Hou Lang" in 2023.
While these roles are primarily cameos, they also showcase his talent and interest in acting.
And Cao Kefan is also unique in the field of art. He is very fond of writing, singing Peking and Yue opera, painting and other artistic activities. These hobbies, which he jokingly called "not doing business", have formed a unique hosting style for him.
As Dong Qing, a famous host of CCTV, commented: "He has done a lot of 'non-business' things, writing books, singing Peking Opera, singing Yue Opera, painting, and making movies, in fact, it is precisely because of these 'non-business' that he has helped him form his own style."
Cao Kefan has also made achievements in the academic community, not only becoming a visiting professor at Tongji University, but also adding an academic light to himself because of his research foundation in the Department of Chinese. It is worth mentioning that although he graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine with a bachelor's degree and his family expected him to become a doctor, Cao Kefan, who had shown a strong interest in literature, painting and other arts since he was a child, resolutely chose to "abandon medicine and follow literature" and embarked on the road of literature and art.
Cao Kefan's multifaceted nature is both his strength and his dilemma. His wealth of experience and talent provides him with a unique perspective and depth in his hosting work, but it does not seem to change the public's negative perception of him.
He is remembered more for his controversial words and actions on the show than for his achievements in other areas.
Cao's story teaches us that a person's talent and achievements do not fully define his public image. In this era of information explosion, every word and deed of public figures can be magnified and scrutinized, while other aspects of achievement may be overlooked.
Cao Kefan, a complex public figure, is perhaps the best illustration of this contradiction.
Cao Kefan's career has been dramatic, full of contradictions and controversies. His industry status and network resources are enviable, but his words and deeds are questionable. In the eyes of many people, Cao Kefan is a complex public figure that is difficult to define simply.
Cao Kefan has worked in the hosting industry for many years and has demonstrated his outstanding talent and outstanding achievements in many programs. He has won many honors, such as the Chinese Hosting Achievement Award of the Chinese Host Stars Club, the Outstanding Host Award of the 18th National TV Literature and Art "Starlight Award", and the Gold Award of the "Golden Microphone" of the 3rd China's Top Ten TV Hosts.
These awards fully prove Cao Kefan's status and influence in the industry.
However, Cao Kefan often causes controversy in terms of how he behaves in the world. His "poisonous tongue" remarks and attitude towards newcomers made many people have a bad impression of him. Some praised him for his knowledge, others criticized him for being mean and rude; Some praise his talent, others question his personality.
This extreme evaluation reflects the public's complex and contradictory perception of him.
However, Cao Kefan also faced a lot of criticism in his life. There are rumors that he, a host who is worth a lot of money, even has to worry about a few dollars for a taxi, which can't help but make people question his pattern.
These tiny details further deepened the public's negative impression of him.
However, judging a person cannot be just at the surface. As Dong Qing said, Cao Kefan's "not doing business" has just shaped his unique style. His involvement and achievements in a variety of fields show his versatility.
This reminds us that it is important to take a more holistic and objective view when evaluating a public figure.
Cao Kefan's story tells us that an individual's academic accomplishment is not always proportional to his personal moral accomplishment, and in today's era of information explosion, every word and deed of public figures is often magnified and scrutinized. Cao Kefan's talent and achievements cannot be ignored, but he still needs to improve in terms of how he behaves in the world.
In any case, Cao Kefan's story continues. He changed from "Shanghai's No. 1 host" to "Internet clown", and then gradually developed in various directions after being controversial, Cao Kefan's life trajectory outlined a unique picture of the times.
In this ever-changing entertainment industry, who can predict when the next turning point will happen?