Bad taste: TV show’s ‘joke’ reunion of teen girl with mum backfires

A “joke” involving a Cambodian TV channel and a teenage girl who thought she was to be reunited with her mother has backfired. The Mother’s Day prank involved 13-year-old Autumn Allen (pictured) appearing on MyTV variety show Penh Chet Ort (Like It Or Not) where she was told she was going to meet the mother she had not seen for years. Viewers heard Autumn say she had not seen her mother since her father brought her back to Cambodia from the U.S., where her mother remained, the Phnom Penh Post reported. The girl cried as she recalled: “She held me and kissed me and told me that she would always love me.”

On that day I was very excited because I thought [my mother] was actually coming. At the moment I was sad that I could not see my real mother, but I had fun doing the show.

Autumn Allen speaking to the Phnom Penh Post

Producers then told viewers they were going to make the “dream to meet her mother come true”. The meeting was preceded by a lengthy build up expected to lead to an emotional climax that would satisfy both the teenage girl and the audience. But, to the shock of Autumn and the viewers, the “mum” she met was cross-dressing comedian and game show judge Chuop Rolin. “What are you thinking? Did you think it was real?” one of the presenters asked the teenager and singer, who has performed on TV on several occasions. “I don’t know,” Autumn said with a nervous laugh. Social media users have put the boot into producers, who have been forced to apologise for the cruel stunt. “Such a brainless and shameful trick from MYTV! How can you play with her feeling like this?” posted Kanika Chhit on Facebook. The show has admitted the stunt was a “mistake”.

We produced that programme to make Allen and other people happy. We wanted to send Allen a message that although she has no mother, our team loves her as family so that we play with her to make her smile.

Penh Chet Ort producer Taboi

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