After months of waiting, Chinese TV audiences finally got to see the first episode of "China's Got Talent" in late July. With three episodes screened so far, the show has won millions of fans, but has also triggered controversy.

"China's Got Talent" [qq.com]

"China's Got Talent" is a British-owned Chinese reality show screened by Dragon TV in Shanghai. It features performers of all types and ages competing for a performing contract with Fremantle Media and Sony Music Entertainment.

The plan is to have the finalists of "China's Got Talent," the winners of Britain's Got Talent, and the American and European versions of the show to perform together at the Shanghai Expo Culture Center.

The third episode of the show, screened last Sunday, featured a young man with no arms playing piano with his feet.

Liu Wei who has been playing piano since he was 19, moved the audience and judges to tears with his performance. The 23-year-old said his motto was to "Die quickly or live splendidly." He said he would never complain and would fight to make his dreams come true. Another act in Sunday's show was a poor couple who run a street food stall in Shanghai. The husband said he was taking part in the show to make his wife's dreams come true. She is a keen singer and wants to buy a karaoke machine but they can't afford one. Their story also brought tears to the eyes of the judges.

These acts prompted some online critics to denounce China's Got Talent as a sympathy show, rather than a talent contest, with a moving story counting for more than talent or skill.

But director Jin Lei defended the show.

"The purpose of the show is to tell extraordinary stories about ordinary people, and the most interesting stories are usually the simplest," he said.

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