The savior appearing during every crisis on 'I Live Alone'... Ratings skyrocket to 71% → 1st place for 5 consecutive weeks: The 'Kim Min Effect'
"I Live Alone," which had dropped to the 3% range amidst various controversies, rebounded to the 6% range during the episode featuring Kim Min's first appearance.
According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership rating research company, on the 2nd, the MBC program "I Live Alone," which aired on the 30th of last month, recorded a 5.0% viewership rating in the metropolitan area and a 3.5% rating among the 20-54 age group, ranking first among Friday variety programs. Notably, it also topped the weekly 20-54 ratings for the 5th week of October, continuing its streak of five consecutive weeks at number one.
He participated in a sports day attended by approximately 1,500 neighborhood residents, spending a special day with his neighbors. As a representative relay runner for the neighborhood, Kim Min led his team to escape last place with a full-speed sprint and even received the Unity Award alongside the residents.
In particular, the scene where Kim Min expressed his gratitude to his neighbors, stating, "Winning or losing is not important," recorded a peak viewership rating of 5.6%.
Previously, "I Live Alone" faced difficulties, including the suspension of appearances by long-time regular cast member Park Na-rae, who became embroiled in allegations of illegal medical practices involving a so-called "injection auntie" and a controversy regarding abuse of power by her former manager.
Last August, a controversy arose regarding the staging of Jeon Hyun-moo's impromptu trip to Kazakhstan. Questions were raised about the authenticity of the reality program after it was revealed that the production team had pre-booked flight tickets for staff and requested cooperation for local filming. Ultimately, the production team apologized, stating that they had failed to adequately explain the preparation process.
Controversy also arose regarding whether on-site staff wore safety equipment during the bungee jumping scene featuring Koo Sung-hwan, which aired on the 16th of last month. While some viewers pointed out safety issues and requested an investigation by relevant authorities, no actual violation of safety measures was confirmed.
Amidst these consecutive controversies, "I Live Alone" saw its nationwide household viewership rating drop to 3.5% on September 25. However, the broadcast on October 2, featuring Kim Min's first appearance, recorded 6.0%, a 2.5 percentage point increase from the previous week.
At the time, Kim Min revealed her life in an old house in Dongducheon that is approximately 90 years old. She showcased a daily routine distinct from that of the existing cast members, such as running a generator to generate electricity and personally repairing the floor with cement. In particular, the scene where she transformed into a Hapkido instructor to teach children saw the peak viewership rating soar to 8.4%.
Of course, it cannot be said that all of the program's problems were resolved solely by Kim Min's appearance. In fact, the viewership rating for the following week's broadcast on October 9 dropped again to 5.0% nationwide. However, the fact that the episode featuring Kim Min's first appearance recorded a clear rebound at a time when the show had been on a downward trend is significant.
Kim Min confessed that since revealing her home on the show, she has been experiencing invasions of privacy, such as strangers coming to her house. In the broadcast on the 30th of last month, when the landlord asked if there were still many visitors, she shared her grievances by replying, "They keep coming." Even amidst ongoing controversies, 'I Live Alone' has kept viewers' attention by discovering new personalities and daily lives. This time, Kim Min, who lives in an old house in Dongducheon in her own unique way, has taken on that role.
It remains to be seen whether Kim Min's appearance will be nothing more than a temporary buzz or lead to a long-term rebound for 'I Live Alone.' However, the program, which had dropped to the 3% viewership range...