Ren was born in Xinxiang, Henan, China.
Ren's first name, "Luyu" is a portmanteau of the abbreviations for Shandong and Henan provinces, the origin of his parents.
In 2002, he was hired into the Western department of China Central Television (CCTV).
He hosted the show Want a Challenge?, then took on a series of roles in the music channel of CCTV.
[1] Ren was a host on the CCTV New Year's Gala on two occasions, in 2010 and 2016.