Variety

Lay has produced, participated and guested in many variety shows in China, most notably in Go Fighting, Idol Producer, Street Dance of China, and Back to Field.

He joined his first solo variety show in August 2014, as a cast member of Star Chef. 

In May 2015, Lay became a regular cast member of the Chinese reality television show Go Fighting. His appearance in the first six seasons of the show led to increased recognition for him in China, and gained him the nickname of Little Sheep (小绵羊) due to his straightforward and simple approach to the show's challenges compared to the rest of the cast. 

Lay was announced as the mentor, presenter and production director (PD) of iQiyi's talent survival reality show Idol Producer in December 2017, and later returned in the same capacity in 2019 for the second season, when it was renamed Youth with You/Qing Chun You Ni. 

His professionalism and demonstrated expertise on the show earned him the unofficial title of the Nation's PD and thus he is often addressed as Zhang PD even outside of the show's context.

Lay joined iQiyi's music variety show I'm a Singer-Songwriter 2/CZR 2 in 2020, winning the finals with his selected team in the last episode of the series. Studio versions of the nine songs he had produced during the show were later released in the digital studio album Producer.

In the same year, Lay was announced as a captain for the third season of dance competition show Street Dance of China. His passion for dancing and especially his Krump performances earned him the respect of the dance community, and led to an increased popularity and adoption of Krump as a style of street dance in China. He later returned as a captain for the fourth season of the show in August 2021.

Lay became a regular cast member of the fifth season of popular slow variety Back to Field in 2021, and returned for its sixth season in 2022. He also made a special appearance in the show's seventh and final season in the first and last episodes. 

He most recently produced and presented the talent show Show It All, and debuted his first girl group R.E.D at the end of the show.