China's 'hairy man' to have surgery to play Monkey King

China's hairiest man is set to have cosmetic surgery in order to play The Monkey King in a TV remake of Journey To The West. 32-year-old Yu Zhenhuan has hair that covers 96 per cent of his body, due to a rare hormone imbalance.

Having previously starred in a number of movies and flirting with a singing career, Zhenhuan attempted to land the lead role of The Monkey King in a television adaptation of Journey to the West.

Unfortunately, the director decided that he wasn't attractive enough, prompting Zhenhuan's decision to undergo surgery. 'I thought I was the best candidate, as I look like a monkey and my nickname is monkey man,' he stated.

'I read through the book and found professional hair dressers to make me into a real monkey man. But I failed the audition because I am not good looking enough. I am going to have surgery to get rid of the hair and facial plastic surgery to make myself look more like a pretty monkey, and make the director regret his decision,' he said.