People Are Praising Alif Satar For The Way He Handled A Judge Who Body Shamed His Co-Host
"This opportunity is very big, you see. Even the host is big."
By Katrina Khairul Azman — 20 Aug 2019, 01:17 PM
Singer Alif Satar proved that chivalry is not dead after an insensitive joke was made about his 'Big Stage' co-host Sherry Alhadad's weight by one of the show's judges
The talent competition's season two premiere on Sunday, 18 August, saw contestants attempt to impress the show's three judges; Malaysian performers Siti Nurhaliza and Faizal Tahir, as well as Filipino singer Mark Adam, Malay Mail reported.
While giving feedback to a contestant on her performance, the Filipino judge took an unexpected jab at Sherry.
"This opportunity is very big, you see. Even the host is big," he joked.
While laughter erupted from the audience, the two hosts and contestant Chaleeda Gilbert stood on stage in silence.
Alif stepped in and exclaimed, "Mark, you're right. She has big talent, bro."
The crowd then began to cheer, which made Sherry smile.
After a clip of the interaction went viral on social media, netizens praised Alif for standing up for Sherry whilst being kind
Many Twitter users criticised Mark for joking about the female host's insecurities on national television, and emphasised the need to stray away from a body shaming culture
On 19 August, the judge took to Instagram to share an apology video.
"I deserved all this, I'm a fool, I'm sorry," the caption read.
"When I make jokes, I make jokes as if I'm at home with my friends," Mark said.
"My intention was not to insult Sherry or Alif, or anyone else. I'm sorry for what I did, it was unprofessional, and I will ensure that this does not happen again," he added.
In a comment on his Instagram video, Sherry asked Malaysians to forgive the Filipino singer as she has.
"He is human, just like me, and mistakes are inevitable," the 35-year-old wrote.
Last year, a local style critic faced backlash for saying that it was "awkward and uncomfortable" to sit next to people over 60kg at fashion shows:
