Chinese celebrity host Li Yong passed away at age 50 in the US on Thursday, his wife Ha Wen announced on Sina Weibo on Monday.

"After 17 months of anti-cancer treatment in the US, I lost my love forever on October 25, 2018…" wrote Ha, a former TV director.

The news soon became the No.1 most-searched topic on Sina Weibo, garnering nearly 500 million views just two hours after Ha's post was published.

Born in Urumqi in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 1968, Li started working as a program director at the State-run China Central Television (CCTV) in 1991. He soon shot to fame after hosting CCTV's game show Lucky 52 in 1998 as well as the 2003 hit talent show A Special Six-Plus-One.

Li left CCTV in 2013 and became a teacher at the Communication University of China.

One of the most celebrated TV hosts in China, Li was known for his lively and down-to-the-earth hosting style. Many viewers who grew up watching Li during the 1990s took to social media platforms to express their shock and dismay about the heart-breaking news.

"This is so sudden. I loved watching him hosting the Spring Festival Gala and A Special Six-Plus-One when I was a kid, loved him the most out of all the CCTV hosts… RIP Brother Yong," wrote Sina Weibo user Jiangbei iviv.

Many Chinese TV and film celebrities also expressed their condolences.

"So sad [pray][pray][pray] my condolences," commented Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.