A cartoon character superimposed on the screen during the Sunday broadcast of the popular reality show Go Fighting, is seen wearing a hat, glasses and grey jacket and pants. Many speculate the cartoon replaced Zhang Yunlei's onscreen role because he joked about the Wenquan earthquake. Photo: Screenshot of the reality show Go Fighting

Popular Chinese crosstalk comedian Zhang Yunlei was reportedly replaced by a cartoon character during a recently broadcast TV reality show.

Chinese netizens speculate that the move may be related to his mocking of the Wenchuan earthquake, which sparked an uproar on Chinese social media. The magnitude-8.0 Wenchuan quake in Sichuan in 2008 killed more than 69,000 people. 

A cartoon character superimposed on the screen during the Sunday broadcast of the popular reality show Go Fighting, is seen wearing a hat, glasses and grey jacket and pants.

Many speculate the cartoon replaced Zhang's onscreen role because he joked about the earthquake and might have been banned to show up on the show. 

Zhang got into hot water in May for making fun of the tragedy in Wenchuan. His behaviors were widely condemned by media, which warned that Chinese stars must have good moral character.

China's top political and legal affairs organ said on Sina Weibo on May 13 that art workers and public figures should learn from Zhang's mistake, and not hurt the feelings of all Chinese for the sake of entertainment.

Ziguangge, a magazine under the State Organs Work Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said "literary and art workers are public figures, and their morality should be the basis for building their artistic life."

This is not the first time for TV or entertainment shows to deal with controversial celebrities in post production. 

 In February, Chinese actor Wu Xiubo was also removed from a prerecorded segment of Beijing TV's Spring Festival Gala following a scandal with his alleged mistress. Wu reportedly enticed a woman - who claimed to have a seven-year extramarital affair with the actor - to return to China where she was arrested for alleged extortion that could lead to 10 years in prison. 

Morality and excellence should be the primary criteria for judging an actor, Tian Jin, the then deputy head of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television had stressed in a meeting in 2018. 

People who have been involved in scandals or committed crimes are not allowed to produce reality TV programs, the administration said in a statement in 2015.