According to Quyen Linh, he previously was invited to join a reality show whose script he knew nothing about. At that time, a driver and a show representative came to pick him up to a studio.

On the way, a group of police forced the car to stop, then checked and discovered a bag of white substance inside. An officer told Linh that said he would call up journalists to take photo and news.

“Although I appeared calm, I was very shocked inside. I told them I am an honest artist, I don’t do anything wrong and I am not scared,” he said.

The actor who was host of Vietnam’s Got Talent later found out the scene was a part of a show called Hidden Camera on police channel ANTV, where drivers and police were just actors.

Tran Dang Tuan, head of AVG, a company which produced the show, said hundreds of pranks have been filmed by hidden cameras and broadcast on the ANTV channel. The purpose is to show how someone who got caught in such critical situation handled and solved the problem.

“On knowing Quyen Linh will be featured in the show, I was worried and asked to see recorded footages. I was surprised to see the actor handled it well,” he said.

Tuan said in case the situation gets out of control, the film crew will end the prank immediately.

“I asked the producer why they picked me and they replied they were confident about my skills and ability,” said Quyen Linh.

The actor said it was new and interesting. However, he suggested the producer not pick stressful cases.

Illegal?

“It was a dangerous situation, which can lead to the victim’s breakdown or mental shock. The producer can capture the real shock but it can lead to unexpected consequences,” warned Dinh Phuong Duy, chairman of HCM City Educational Psychology Science Association.

Similarly, Truong Xuan Tam, a member of the National Lawyers Association, said if the person who was set up has cardiac problems, faints from shock or does something that may affect his life, the film crew will then have to take responsibilities.

“Shows that scare and affect other people’s mentality do not conform to journalistic regulations,” he said.

On the other hand, Nguyen Minh Thuan from the city’s Lawyer Association argued that there is nothing against the law as group of police are actors and the bag of drug is just common medicine.

“If Quyen Linh says he is shocked or affected, he can complain to the film crew. Otherwise, there is no legal issue in this case,” he confirmed.

In an interview with Tuoi Tre, Phi Hung, director of the show, said although the show reflects Linh’s true personalities, the crew is considering whether they will broadcast that episode or not since one of the bystanders at the scene had filmed and posted a clip online, spreading rumors and spoiling the show’s plan.