Chinese livestreamer Brother Three Thousand who gained fame for his drinking challenges is found dead after downing seven bottles of strong spirits
- The 34-year-old consumed the spirits during a livestream last Tuesday
- He was found dead 12 hours later, sparking calls for stronger regulations
A Chinese livestreamer who gained fame for his drinking challenges has been found dead shortly after he was seen drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.
Brother Three Thousand, 34, consumed at least seven bottles of baijiu spirits during a livestream last Tuesday.
He was found dead 12 hours after the broadcast, Chinese media reported.
Baijiu contains up to 60 per cent alcohol. The livestreamer, whose last name was revealed as Wang by local media, had been known for imbibing the Chinese liquor during his broadcasts.
A video going viral on social media showed him drinking several bottles of baijiu spirits and pouring some out to set fire to it on the table.
Brother Three Thousand (pictured), 34, consumed at least seven bottles of baijiu spirits during a livestream last Tuesday
His death was widely discussed online in China and has prompted calls for stronger regulations of the nation’s thriving livestreaming industry.
On May 16, Wang had taken part in four one-on-one battles with influencers with the aim of earning the most amount of gifts from fans within a short space of time.
He lost three of the rounds and then consumed bottles of baiju as punishment, totalling at least seven bottles that night, according to viewers.
Wang finished his livestreaming after midnight. His friend told a Chinese news outlet that he was discovered dead the following afternoon.
‘When his family found him, he was already gone, he didn’t even get a chance for emergency treatment,’ a man named Mr Zhao told Shangyou News.
His funeral took place on Saturday.
Drinking during livestreams is banned by Douyin, with penalties ranging from warnings to users being restricted from livestream competitions and being shown on the app.
Pictured: The livestreamer, whose last name was revealed as Wang by local media, during a broadcast which saw him down spirits and set fire to some of the liquid on the table
Wang had previously been banned from the app for drinking but he bypassed this by opening new accounts, Chinese media reported.
His most recent account had amassed more than 44,000 followers.
A report by authorities last year found more than one billion internet users were active on short video platforms such as Douyin and the industry is worth about 199 billion yuan (£22 billion).
Wang’s death has led to a further push for the safety and regulations of such apps.
The opinion section of the People’s Daily newspaper posted a message on Weibo condemning ‘livestream behaviours that go off the tracks’.
There are a number of Chinese livestreamer whose deaths have been linked to their online work.
In 2021, Yu Hailong, who became popular for eating massive quantities of food on Douyin, died after ‘long hours of high-intensity work’, his agent said.
In 2018, livestreamer Dafei, who was known for drinking alcohol and cooking oil in front of an audience, also died shortly after an online broadcast.
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