Belift Lab’s CEO has addressed accusations of rigging the reality survival show R U NEXT?. The controversy arose after internal documents suggested that the group lineup and concept were planned before the show concluded on September 1, 2024. Critics pointed to these documents as evidence of alleged fabrication, claiming they undermined the show’s purpose.
CEO Denies Rigging Claims
In a recent interview, the CEO of Belift Lab firmly denied the accusations, providing detailed explanations about the production process. He clarified that planning and document preparation are part of the normal process for producing idol groups, emphasizing that this did not equate to manipulation. He stated:
“There have been accusations that amongst one of the statements we released in October, there was content about us having allegedly planned the final plans and concept on July 21, 2024. Seeing as R U NEXT? ended on September 1, there have been claims that the plans were made even before the lineup was confirmed, and that the program was fabricated, diluting the purpose of the show. The public who does not know about the process of how idols are produced are taking things too lightly. Many, many documents are made during the process of creating a team, from planning to debut, and this document does not deviate from this role either.”
He explained the complexities of group production and the multiple revisions involved, dismissing the rigging accusations as “forced.”
“Just as we have explained above, the process of producing a group is a very long one, and there will be many edits and confirmations that will repeat over and over again. Hence, claims of rigging are forced.”
Voting Process Clarified
The CEO also addressed concerns about the voting system used during the show. He explained that two members were chosen through public voting, while the company selected the remaining four members based on its concept direction. He elaborated:
“Of course, we picked it fairly through voting. At that time, we already said that two of the members were picked through the show, and the company had picked four of the members. If we planned on rigging, we would’ve just said that all six members were picked through voting. At that time, many asked why we picked only two through votes. From our point of view, rather than choosing all the members through votes, we thought it was better to follow our company’s concept direction. We took that risk into account and made it public that we chose two members from votes only.”
Public Reaction
The allegations and the CEO’s detailed response have sparked mixed reactions among fans and industry observers. While some accept the explanation as valid, others remain skeptical about the transparency of the process.
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Source: OSEN
