Kaka teaming up Gao Xiaosong to host Chinese online show

Brazil soccer star Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, perhaps better known by his mononym, Kaká, has recently teamed up with musician, Gao Xiaosong, and sportscaster, Su Dong, to shoot a Chinese online variety show.

World Cup Passion, the first show of its kind in China, will gather celebrities from both the sports and showbiz arenas in the build up to the summer's 2018 FIFA World Cup and will run on video-streaming site Youku from May 14. New episodes will be available from noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Gao reveals that he has played soccer and table tennis with Kaká on the show, only to discover, surprisingly, that the Brazilian soccer legend was also a dab hand with a table tennis paddle.

"Unlike what I'd once imagined, Kaká is very easy-going, low-profile and has a good sense of humor. He also knows a lot about Russian culture and history," recalls Gao.