When Kenneth Chan Kai-tai was young, he watched his mother battle severe depression.
She had constant doctors’ appointments and took many different medicines. She endured frequent anxiety attacks and became hysterical when no one was around. There were times when Chan had to protect her from herself.
Chan was too young to know how to help her. He hugged her as tightly as he could, trying to keep her safe. Eventually, given time and care, she started to become herself again.
He never thought that the same affliction would affect him. But in the early 2020s, symptoms started to surface.
Chan, a Hong Kong actor and the former host of the local edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, has a lively stage presence and smooth demeanour. His wardrobe is crisp and polished.
Despite his unruffled exterior, Chan has been fighting an internal battle for the past two decades. It started with chronic insomnia and progressed into severe depression.
Chan’s insomnia began in 2002, a year after he started presenting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. It would become a constant companion.