Vivek kicks things off with his very first “dumb purchase” of the holiday season — and yes, it’s as entertaining as it sounds. From there, we dive headfirst into our 2025 year‑in‑review, unpacking the highs that made us cheer and the lows that tested us. It’s been a big year for both of your hosts, filled with standout moments, unexpected twists, and a few literal stumbles along the way. Join us as we laugh, reflect, and share the stories that defined our rollercoaster of a year.
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We kick things off with a recap of our Ready, Set… Fail! comedy quiz show, before turning our sights on Hong Kong’s own Sam’s Tailor and his never‑ending “schtick.” Mohammed shares his gripe with streamer iShowSpeed, sparking a bigger conversation about how today’s social media influencers rely on over‑the‑top reactions to grab attention.
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Vivek reminisces about his metal band drumming days while Mohammed announces his 2026 Asia tour. We dive into our Spotify Wrapped (and reveal our “listening age”), shout out local businesses who backed our Tai Po fire relief fundraiser show, and chat about the film Dead Pigs. Plus, the week’s wildest headline: a truck crashing into a 7‑11 in Central.
🎧 Comedy, culture, and chaos — Hong Kong style
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Vivek returns from performing shows in Malaysia and Singapore, and he’s buzzing. Not only did he get to open for Jimmy O. Yang again in front of thousands, but he also spent extended time with him, hanging out like old buddies. The highlight? They even got stuck together on a Ferris wheel!
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Host Mohammed Magdi flies to Egypt to emcee his friends' wedding; before he flew, he had another emceeing gig at the new Shangri-La hotel in Shenzhen, ending less than 2 hours before his flight to Cairo via Dubai. He's set to land in Cairo about 3 hours before the wedding starts. Sounds like a lot? These are just the highlights.
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Our two hosts are finally back in the studio together at the same time; we haven't been able to record any episodes due to travel schedules and not being in Hong Kong at all. Vivek comes back from a crazy trip that started out with a curveball before he even left HK airport, and we get the full scoop on his trip to the Western Hemisphere.
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Vivek goes to Shenzhen for the first time since 2017, and Mohammed goes on holiday to Vietnam. They come back loaded with tales of bad crossings, motorbike adventures, and renewed love for Banh Mi.
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We have a classic Ho Ho Hong Kong episode this week, with both hosts doing what they do best—tangents and show stories. Mohammed Magdi tells the full story of producing Ben Quinlan's Theatre Special at The Box Theatre, and Vivek Mahbubani injects his signature commentary on the story.
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Vivek Mahbubani is finally back to the podcast with an epic play-by-play tale of how he managed to break both his ankles in a completely avoidable freak accident.
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Australian comedian Elena Gabrielle toured 67 countries with the popular storytelling show, Story Party. Now touring the world with her own solo shows, Elena has collected so many stories from all over the world. Host Mohammed Magdi chats with Elena about performing raunchy stories in Egypt, starting in show business as a Disney princess, and meeting new people "organically."
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This week's guest is Malaysian comedian Kavin Jay. Last time Kavin was on this podcast, he was a much heavier man. After going through an incredible transformation, he lost 45 kilograms in one year, with no medical intervention and no Ozempic. On this episode, Kavin shares his weight loss journey and his reasons behind not using Ozempic.
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If you are not familiar with Chez Trente and its legendary status among the live music scene in Hong Kong, you are missing out.
Chez Trente is a quaint, cool live music venue located in the middle of Peel Street, HK's premier bar street over the last few years, but there are no signs to guide you to Chez Trente, and if you don't know where it is, it's really hard to find. We chat with Chez Trente's founder, Joe Lung, on the origins of Chez Trente, how he came to rent an entire Star Ferry to run his music festival, and his very ambitious plans for this year's 3-day CT Music Festival on Cheung Chau from 21 to 23 Nov.
Get tickets to this year's CT Music Festival: https://www.eventbrite.hk/e/ct-music-fest-vol-3-tickets-1408256074829
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Comedian and philanthropist Maityreyi Karanth is this week's guest. Maitreyi started things late in life, and with time passing, she is doing more things, not less. She is partying harder, traveling more, and saying yes to everything coming her way.
Maitreyi headlines her own theatre show on Tuesday, Sep 23, in her biggest show to date. Get tickets here: https://www.ticketflap.com/maitreyi-theatre-25
Maitreyi Karanth Sydney shows: https://sydneyfringe.com/events/annie-louey-and-maitreyi-karanth/
Check out the SCMP's piece on Maitreyi's weight loss journey: https://shorturl.at/i7EKm
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This week host Mohammed Magdi speaks with two of HK's most well-traveled couples. Cassi Thomas, founder of Chaotic HK Expats, and comedian Garron Chiu.
Garron and Cassi have been a couple for 11 years, and their traveling style has changed over time. They share some of their best tips, why "fighting before the trip" works better, and they share an extremely spicy story of some action they witnessed on the rooftop of an LA hotel.
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Vivek Mahbubani is out of commission for a few weeks as a result of an accident (he will be fine and will make a full recovery), so Mohammed Magdi takes the liberty of picking co-hosts. This week we have strategy consultant, comedian, and one of HK's best success stories, Ben Quinlan.
Mohammed and Ben chat about mega events in Hong Kong, their love for the city they both call home, and Ben's upcoming theater show on Sep 21.
Get tickets for Ben Quinlan's Theatre Show on Sep 21: https://www.ticketflap.com/benquinlanhk
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Hong Kong got hit with the highest daily August rainfall since 1884! Mohammed's building gets a fancy "indoor waterfalls" feature, and he gets hired to be a tour guide for a few hours by comedy show audience members!
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We are back in the studio, and we catch up on Vivek's recent tour of Malaysia and Singapore and Mohammed accidentally turning to a toothbrush head dealer for a day, and then we get into Hong Kong Comedy Season chat. What exactly is Hong Kong Comedy Season? Why start it, and why now? And what you, the audience, should expect.
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Vivek took his long-awaited holiday in a fancy villa in Bali with 10 of his closest people (Mohammed Magdi didn't make the cut), but he did the holiday in the most Vivek way possible.
We also catch up on the shows Vivek did in Macau with Jimmy O. Yang. How different were they from the Hong Kong shows? And he reveals the crazy souvenir he had to take back from his dressing room.
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Romanian comedian Victor Pãtrãşcan has been on the road for 5 years non-stop. He stops by Hong Kong for his first time to headline, and we catch up with him before the show. We chat about the reason he self-produces his shows, racketeering, and Europe's lack of borders.
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Check out Victor's website:
https://victorpatrascan.com/
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Host Vivek Mahbubani had the honor of opening for Jimmy O. Yang on all 5 shows in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Coliseum, in front of 7000 people each show. Vivek shares the full story of the surreal experience.
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