HONG KONG - Hong Kong veteran actor Lau Dan has denied that his son, Hawick Lau, will be appearing in a Chinese reality show with his granddaughter.

Also an actor, the younger Lau, 45, and Chinese actress Yang Mi, 34, divorced in 2018 after a five-year marriage. They have joint custody of their six-year-old daughter. The little girl is staying and studying in Hong Kong and is taken care of by her father and paternal grandparents.

According to a report in Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News on Wednesday (Oct 7), Hawick was invited to take part in a Chinese reality show featuring celebrities and their children.

Yang was said to have objected strongly, as she did not want her daughter involved in showbusiness at such an early age.

The report was later denied by her former husband who is known for acting in Chinese TV serials such as Sealed With A Kiss (2011), Ru Yi (2012) and A Clear Midsummer Night(2014). Yang was his co-star in Ru Yi and A Clear Midsummer Night.

On Thursday, Lau Dan, 76, reiterated his son's stance while promoting the sitcom Lo And Behold.

He said his whole family preferred the little girl to lead a normal life and did not want her to be under public scrutiny.

"My granddaughter has little interest in acting, although she can act on stage with her classmates in school," the elder Lau said.

He added that his granddaughter, who is in Primary 1, was very happy to return to school as the pandemic has kept her mostly indoors.