( CNN ) A popular Chinese television host known for impromptu satire is now the subject of controversy after being caught on camera cursing the late Chairman Mao Zedong . Bi Fujian , who works for state-run China Central Television , was filmed at a dinner party singing a revolutionary song that eulogizes the Communist Party 's early years when he started going off script . `` The Communist Party , Chairman Mao . Do n't mention that old son of a b***h. He made us suffer so bad , '' went Bi 's improvised lyrics . The other dinner guests burst into laughter . Bi later apologized . `` My personal speech has led to grave social consequences , and I feel remorseful for that . I hereby sincerely apologize to the public . As a public figure , I shall learn the lesson from this incident , adhering to strict self-discipline , '' he posted on Weibo , China 's Twitter-like social media platform . Making disrespectful references to China 's leaders in public is considered a taboo in China , even today . And Bi 's comment was directed at the man regarded by many as the country 's founding father -- despite his controversial reputation . The 75-second video clip , seemingly filmed on the cellphone of another dinner guest , was uploaded on Monday . Since then , it has been removed from video-sharing sites inside China , although it was still accessible on Weibo . It 's unclear when the incident occurred , or what the relationsip was between the camera person and Bi . CCTV said it would investigate . `` As a CCTV presenter , Bi Fujian 's speech in the online video has led to grave social consequences , '' the network said in a statement posted on its Weibo account . CCTV did not respond to a CNN request for comment . Fondly known as `` Grandpa Bi , '' the 56-year-old TV personality was born and grew up in the Mao era . The song Bi riffed on was part of a `` red '' Peking opera that was first performed in the late 1950s . It was popularized during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s -- which was launched by Mao -- when China was torn apart by violence and social unrest . The video quickly divided China 's online community . Critics said Bi , as an influential public figure , deserved a harsh punishment . But others rushed to his defense , arguing that Bi was simply enjoying himself in a private setting and was set up by whoever uploaded the clip . The video also emerged just a day before the new head of CCTV started his job , leading some to wonder if it were a case of `` a new broom sweeps clean . '' Mao still divides opinion in China . His giant portrait hangs on Beijing 's Tiananmen Gate , and thousands flock to see his embalmed body at his mausoleum in Tiananmen Square in the heart of the Chinese capital . But despite this reverence , Mao 's is a deeply flawed legacy . Many remember him as a brutal dictator who inspired fear , paranoia and famine , and whose actions resulted in tens of millions of deaths . CNN 's Shen Lu contributed to this report .
Bi apologizes on social media : ` ` My personal speech has led to grave social consequences '' Chinese TV star filmed cursing the late Chairman Mao Zedong . A video of a famous Chinese television star,