The outcome of the competition was made more awkward when Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen seemingly revealed that the final results were rigged.
Dimash, who appeared on the episode as Chanté Moore’s guest singer, was heard on hot mic whispering into Faouzia’s ear. A live stream, focused on Faouzia throughout the finale, captured the short exchange.
He was heard telling Faouzia: “They said, it must be Chinese before you.”
Though she looked slightly affected by the information, Faouzia simply replied: “Okay, it’s no problem.”
The clip soon went viral with netizens saying Faouzia was “robbed” of the win.
Some also said the show was “a joke”, and Faouzia was given “the ultimate lesson in showbiz”.
The organisers of Singer have since addressed the controversy on the show’s official Weibo page, stating that the competition was “definitely real, with nothing to be wary of”.
They also emphasised that “music can’t deceive people, and music can’t be used to deceive people”.
Despite their statement, netizens still called for the production team to issue an apology to Faouzia and Chanté.
“Music can’t deceive people, but the production team can,” read a popular comment.
Dimash has also spoken up about his message to Faouzia.
In a video posted over the weekend, Dimash explained that Faouzia had suggested they collaborate on a performance. However, according to the show’s stipulations, a foreign singer could only be paired up with a Chinese singer.
He then claimed his exact words to her were: “They said, must be a Chinese singer for you.” He added that his command of English isn’t good.
He also said he was informed of that particular regulation before filming the episode. Hence, Faouzia was arranged to collaborate with Chinese singer Jason Zhang Jie, in the hopes of “facilitating the cultural exchange between Canada and China”.
What do you think of his explanation? And for those who tuned in to Singer, do you think Na Ying is deserving of the title?