Chinese TV host resigns from university following freeloading allegations

A teacher and famous TV host has resigned from the university he works for following freeloading allegations.

He Jiong, a teacher with Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and a renowned entertainment show host, got entangled in a storm of controversy after Qiao Mu, one of his BFSU colleagues, accused him of abusing public resources without working for the university.

According to Qiao, the star host receives salaries from the university despite years of absence from BFSU as he is too busy in the entertainment circle. Qiao urged He to resign from BFSU.

On Sunday, BFSU issued a statement refuting the freeloading rumor amid massive media attention. The statement said He was mainly assigned with campus image publicity and other tasks since a 2007 staff reshuffle, and that He had returned all his salaries during the 2007-2015 period.

The statement said He has voluntarily resigned after serious consideration, and that the university welcomes media and public supervision.

He confirmed his resignation on microblog Sina Weibo, saying that even if he is no longer among the staff, he will continue to put his heart and soul into the campus and always be a member of BFSU.

He Jiong is one of China's most successful TV hosts. His career skyrocketed after he became the host of the weekly entertainment show Happy Camp in Hunan Satellite TV in 1997.