Among which, emcee Matilda Tao was slammed for joking that Shu Qi was pregnant. She, along with Shu Qi, clarified after the ceremony that it was all in good fun and that Shu Qi is not pregnant. Netizens commented that she was unprofessional despite her statement that she is “trying to better myself”.
Red carpet host Calvin Chen was also pointed out to have not done his job well, with many netizens feeling that he “kept interrupting others who were speaking.” In response, he promised that he will “continue to work hard and face criticism with a positive mindset.”
In addition, Stefanie Sun’s lackluster performance also caused viewers to muse that the 53rd Golden Horse Awards did not live up to standards set by previous years. It was later revealed that she was down with a flu for almost a week prior to the show. Her friends and fans also rallied behind the songbird, sharing, “It’s fine as long as you did your best.”
Fellow Singaporean Tanya Chua openly showed her support for Stefanie and updated her social media platforms with, “Life will go on and songs will continue to be sung!”
Christine Fan also cheered Stefanie on, sharing that she too, once suffered from a cold during a performance after catching it from her children. “Humans aren’t robots, so how can we always be flawless? Stefanie, you’re amazing!” she gushed.
To make matters worse, French actress Juliette Binoche had problems communicating with director Hou Hsiao Hsien, who was presenting an award with her. The lack of a translator present caused visible awkwardness between the pair.
The organisers later clarified that they had discussed their scripts prior to taking the stage and that the presence of a translator was unnecessary.
Due to the lack of time restrictions for award speeches, the ceremony also overran for more than an hour. Originally scheduled to end by 11pm, it ended up closing past midnight. In response, organisers shared, “The timetable is just for reference.”