The trainees who appeared in the 'Produce' series confessed that they were aware that the show was fabricated and the votes were manipulated.
On December 2nd, YouTube channel Ripple_S uploaded a video with the title "Did you realize the show Produce 101/ Produce 48 was rigged when filming?" Two trainees, Go Yoo Jin and Lee In Soo, appeared to talk about the show's behind-the-scenes story.
When asked, "Were you aware that the show was rigged while filming?" Go Yoo Jin replied, "Yes, I felt it a lot." She stated that she felt there were times when the staff were not interested in certain trainees. She confessed, "I felt 'oh those staff members are not really interested in me.' They would only film the same set of people."
Then she added, "The trainees from Season 3 were saying 'but this is rigged' and there is probably no trainee who really expected anything since they all were thinking 'This is rigged,' 'it's rigged again'."
Former trainee Lee In Soo mentioned that not all trainees were given a chance to be in the 'Ghost Hidden Camera' content of Produce 101, in which he knew the contestants to be picked were already set. He criticized, "They should not have filmed it at all or give everyone the same chance to be on it. They could have filmed all the trainees and only picked the ones who were funny, but some trainees weren't even given a chance to be filmed."
According to Lee In Soo, there were outcasts among the trainees. There were even moments when the trainees nearly got into physical fights, but when the cameras turned on, the contestants' attitudes would all suddenly change. So the fighting subsided as soon as the cameras started rolling.
Lee In Soo also revealed that certain agencies were able to exercise certain powers. When one trainee from an agency thought that the cameras weren't working well, the producers replaced all the cameras on set with lenses that would give him a wider view.
In addition, the two former trainees openly talked about the untold stories while being a trainee. When asked if they would participate in the 'Produce' show again, both replied with a "Yes." Lee In Soo joked, "I'll ask my mom to prepare 20 million KRW," while Go Yoo Jin replied, "I want to participate again because it was fun, but I don't want to debut as a celebrity."
After the video was released, Go Yoo Jin revealed that she received malicious direct messages on her Instagram. She posted the capture of the malicious messages and commented, "You should worry about your own life and stop messing with an ordinary person. As I mentioned before, I'll take legal action against comments and messages that cross the line. Don't say things you can't say to my face."
Go Yoo Jin left her agency last June and claimed she will be retiring from the entertainment industry. Lee In Soo also quit being a trainee and started his own YouTube channel.
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This is heartbreaking, but not surprising in the least. It was clear even from Season 1 that there were favorites, and we've heard netizens always complaining (and rightfully so) that certain people always get more screen time than others. I always liked Go Yoo Jin, and was surprised she didn't thrive more on the show. However, something she said during the show never sat right with me. After one of her final group performances, they were waiting for evaluation and votes. She got a low score and seemed to expect it, immediately saying "I knew it". I remember that she had done well, so why would she have expected low votes? Now we know why. This can also bring into question whether or not certain contestants were actually aware of what their companies were doing, specifically the ones who got unfair spots in the groups. If they were able to request more camera time, how could they not have known? Something tells me that at least some of the trainees may not be as innocent and unaware as we were previously told.
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