Kyra Hall
An influencer tragically died in a livestream while taking part in a stomach-churning food challenge.
The 35-year-old streamer, known only by Sun, was found without vital signs by his girlfriend.
He’s now one of many influencers from China who have died while creating food content for social media.
Concerningly, it is becoming increasingly popular that people are risking their lives for views.
In China, there have been several reported influencer deaths that are connected to food and mukbang challenges.
Last year, a streamer on Douyin, a social media app in China for short videos, died shortly after excessively drinking alcohol, reports the BBC.
The user, Brother Three Thousand, reportedly participated in four one-on-one battles involving influencers competing to earn the most gifts from fans in a short time.
He drank bottles of baijiu spirits as punishment for losing, despite drinking on the app’s livestream being banned, per AsiaOne.
The Douyin user was reportedly found dead 12 hours after his broadcast.
Food influencer Pan Xiaoting recently died on a 10-hour mukbang livestream from eating so much her stomach reportedly burst.
Mukbang is a trend that originated in South Korea and involves people eating large banquet-style quantities of food while streaming.
China is cracking down on certain activities in livestreams, a billion-dollar industry, per ECDB.
Its top cultural authorities released a policy document titled Code of Conduct for Online Presenters, which lists 31 categories of content that shouldn’t appear in online videos – it includes violence, religious teachings, and showing off wealth.
One particularly tragic death was of Sun, who broadcasted a challenge on DouYu, one of China’s largest livestreaming platforms.
The content creator would spin a wheel behind him and whatever it landed on, he would have to do live in front of viewers. This included eating and drinking different things.
On the wheel, there were tame options such as vinegar, eggs, and beer, among other items.
Sun’s final livestream was reportedly on July 18, 2019, and it’s believed he had drank excessive amounts of alcohol.
His wheel is said to have landed on mealworms, poisonous centipedes, and geckos. It’s unclear what kind of centipedes and geckos he ingested.
The 35-year-old was reportedly found at his flat in Hefei, Aunhui when his girlfriend went to check in on him, according to the Daily Mail.
Police noted Sun’s camera was still running when his body was found, per The Sun. Food items were also found on his desk.
Authorities ruled out foul play but said his cause of death was under investigation.
Sun’s videos have now been removed from DouYu.
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